HOPE Crew: Building the Next Generation of Preservation Leaders

In 2022, the National Trust for Historic Preservation's HOPE Crew (Hands-On Preservation Experience) program in partnership with the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund presented a 6-month paid fellowship to students studying at three Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs): Florida A&M University, Prairie View A&M University, and Tuskegee University.

The documentary follows the cohort of 5 students—Joshua Francis and Cornelis Pace (Florida A&M University), LaTavia Latham and Gabrielle Payne (Prairie View A&M University), and Jordan Lamar (Tuskegee University)— as they learn and share an array of campus documentation, historically Black burial ground preservation, and historic site and landscape skills with fellow students at their universities.

The full documentary and a series of vignettes segmented by university provide a deeper look at the student's experiences and the broader partnership with each HBCU. Hear how this fellowship experience impacted these students’ trajectory within the field of historic preservation and learn one creative approach to engage the next wave of preservation leaders.