The executive director for the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund
sees opportunity in crisis.
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Dear Preservation Supporter,

Preservation is about community.

Now is a time for us to come together as we have so many times before, but with
a new sense of urgency and inclusion, and in ways that will last beyond the
coronavirus crisis. As important visual and cultural clues, the places we
preserve hold promise for the future we seek to reclaim, and each site stands as
an historical indicator of our complex present. We need old buildings as much as
old buildings need us. They prompt us to remember who we are.

The COVID-19 virus has devastated many across the country, but due to
disinvestment and systemic policies, African Americans and communities of color
have been disproportionately affected. Our nation is again reminded that this
disparity mirrors and reflects historical and racial inequities. We are being
reminded to face the truth about our past.

As a movement, preservation has also mirrored traditional social values. Yet, if
we lean into hope and take time to self-reflect, we can be the change we seek.
We can draw lessons from the past to create a prosperous future, while also
reflecting on the promise of preservation as an equity-driven movement. In our
individual moments of stillness, we should ask ourselves: Can we confront the
economic challenges of COVID-19 and ignite a contemporary preservation movement
as a force for positive social change? How can we weave a tapestry of places and
stories to tell our full, shared history? Can we challenge ourselves to realize
equity-driven outcomes that benefit all Americans? Because when we collaborate,
we have the capacity to create a national identity that reflects the country’s
true diversity.

In the spirit of envisioning a more prosperous and inclusive future, I invite
you to join me for a special Virtual Preservation Month
[[link removed]] event with Ms. Phylicia Rashad, co-chair of the National Trust’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund
[[link removed]] on Friday, May 22, at 1:30 p.m. ET. ( Register in advance for the webinar
[[link removed]] .) In our conversation, we will discuss the power of preservation, the work of
the Action Fund, and the historic African American places that inspire all
Americans to build a better world.

Our forebearers responded to earlier preservation threats and injustices with
dogged leadership, tenacious thinking, and community organizing. From the
foundational work of Ann Pamela Cunningham and the Mount Vernon Ladies’
Association, to the groundbreaking activism of Mary B. Talbert and the National
Association of Colored Women, our ancestors ignited our movement by honoring the
cultural memories of George Washington and Frederick Douglass. Just like these
trailblazing women, we have the fortitude to walk in their footsteps and prove
that by cooperative agreement we can measure up. As social critic and author
James Baldwin said, “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing
can be changed until it is faced.”

The African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund will continue to examine and
eliminate inequities through new forms of partnership, interpretation, and
funding. Our leadership is about pursuing an idea, something yet to be seen, and
a culture of learning to increase our relevancy and impact. We promote
preservation as economic and social justice. We partner with humility in service
of African Americans whose overlooked stories and contributions provide strength
and examples of overcoming impossible-seeming odds. We draw inspiration and
resilience from African American historic places.

Historic sites that bring forward a diverse and inclusive national narrative are
playing a crucial role in redefining our collective history and, meaningfully,
expanding the preservation movement in equitable ways. These cultural assets
help us all walk toward a new era of justice. May our nation face its past to
create a more just American culture with preservationists on the front lines
protecting and preserving our diverse historic places and communities.

Be well and thrive.


Brent Leggs
Executive Director
African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund

Pictured above: South Side Community Art Center
[[link removed]] , a National Treasure, is a cultural and artistic hub in Chicago. Photo
Courtesy South Side Community Art Center Archive




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