In an interview for Preservation magazine, Elizabeth Alexander, president of the Mellon Foundation, said, “I think one of the most crucial steps [to saving more African American historic sites] is building a diverse field of preservationists. It is also critically important that we chart a clearer path for African American Studies students to engage in cultural preservation and public history work.” Today, just one percent of the nation’s preservationists identify as Black, and diverse preservation organizations nationwide face challenges in securing the necessary resources to protect Black cultural memory.

As we commemorate the upcoming 2023 Juneteenth holiday—the day in 1865 when Union Army General Granger issued General Order No. 3 ordering the freedom of over 250,000 enslaved people in Texas—the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund has curated resources to encourage individuals to get involved in the preservation of Black historic places and narratives.

“As our nation celebrates Juneteenth, it is critically important for all Americans to celebrate the meaning of freedom at historic places representing the pursuit of a more just society,” says Brent Leggs, executive director of the Action Fund and senior vice president of the National Trust. “We hope that this resource-filled toolkit will spark your curiosity to explore the history of Black American contributions to American history.”

1. How to Conduct an Oral History Interview

One of the best ways to get started on preserving your history is by collecting oral history interviews with your own family. Lawana Holland-Moore, director of fellowships and interpretive strategies for the Action Fund, pulled together essential tips to do this work, along with a variety of organizations and resources for more information.

2. Webinar Series: Discovering Our Ancestors and Preserving Historic Gravesites Series

Presented in partnership between the National Trust’s Preservation Leadership Forum and the National Center for Preservation Training and Technology (NCPTT), this three-part series provided essential information and resources on preserving historic cemeteries and gravesites. Part I featured nationally recognized cemetery expert and landscape architect Everett Fly and members of the National Trust for Historic Preservation discussing the latest developments on cemetery ownership and access, along with recent relevant legislation.

Part II provided participants with a list of genealogical tools and resources available for conducting research for the necessary documentation on historic gravesites. Speakers for Part II included Barbara Barksdale from the friends of Midland Cemetery and the PA Hallowed Grounds Project, Gaynell Brady from Our Mammy’s LLC, and Jason Church from NCPTT.

Part 3 of this series “Beginning to Care for a Gravesite” takes place on June 21. You can register here.

5. Resources to Dig Deeper

Preservation Leadership Forum, the professional membership program of the National Trust, developed a resource list for those working to preserve Black history. While not comprehensive, this is a robust collection of mapping projects, context statements, organizations, podcasts, and stories documenting the different ways that Black history is being preserved and shared.

6. People Saving Places & Case Studies

Finally, to help you further understand why this work is so important, we’ve gathered a series of stories of people who looked around their neighborhood, schools, homes, and more and said, “This is a place worth saving.”

• Q&A: Angela Lee on Durham's Enduring Arts Center in a Former AME Church: "Our goal with all our programming is to not just have stories, but to TELL stories and not have those stories told for us. So [future] generations that we don’t even know about yet will know the stories.”—Angela Lee

• How A Once-Notorious Site of Enslavement Became a Bastion of Black History in Alexandria, Virginia: “There’s a gamut of emotions. You do get people who are overwhelmed by it all. We keep tissue boxes everywhere because people often cry and often are upset because of the history. Then you have people who are dying to bring family and friends here because they didn’t know this was here. [This history] is something we need to be sharing and talking more about.”—Audrey P. Davis
• A New Orleans Rehabilitation Marks a Fresh Start for the Site of a Key Civil Rights Moment: "I don’t want them to take my story because it’s sad and do something negative with it. I want them to do something positive with it. And I feel like this can be a place of racial healing, really. And bring this community together.”— Leona Tate
• From Belief Springs Hope: Inspiration from Four African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund Awardees: “Places connected to those stories are more than just sites. They are places with tangible connections to our ancestors. We can walk where they walked. Touch where they touched. We are present and feel their presence in the spaces where they once were too.”—Lawana Holland-Moore