Second graders trying to save African Meeting House in Boston after federal funding cuts

CBS News

a day ago

The African Meeting House located in Boston's Beacon Hill area is facing some tough budget cuts, but a second grade class is trying to help save it.
"We are in an amazing historic space. There are not a lot of existing structures built by African Americans, used by African Americans, and lived in by African Americans in this nation," Chief Curator Angela Tate said.
Built in 1806, it's the oldest Black church built in America, a known gathering spot to the 54th Regiment during the Civil War and its halls tell the stories of great leaders who spoke there like Frederick Douglass.
"Our museum was part of the sweep of organizations and institutions said to be un-American and that our narratives around African American history were not patriotic," Tate said.
$500,000 federal grant cut
WBZ reported on this story back in April when the museum received notice that their $500,000 federal grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services was in jeopardy.
The ILMS grant is the largest gift the museum has ever received. Now it has been taken away, affecting staffing positions and programs.
"That funding was critical for our future, but we will make it through, but we are also very, very dependent on the support of the community," Tate said.
And that support has arrived in a very unusual way. The Advent School's second grade class has been studying Changemakers and Social Movements. They recently took a field trip to the African Meeting House, spoke from the same podium as Frederick Douglass and were hugely impacted by its rich history.
Second graders raise funds, awareness
When they heard about the cuts in federal funding, they rallied together to help raise awareness. They wrote letters to their community and even advocated at the State House to help raise funds.
"We've been thinking about how we can use our voices for change. We need to keep this museum as supported as possible so other kids can learn too this incredibly important history," teacher Bridget Parker said.
For 8-year-old Annalu Piedrahita it was important for and her classmates to take action. "It shares important history and artifacts and all those amazing changemakers that were there and supportive of the abolitionist movement. It just shows how much work they did," Annalu said.
The museum says they've already raised $100,000 in donations from the community.
For Angela Tate it's a gift for future generations. "The fact that these second graders are living this legacy of this space is amazing and inspirational," Tate said.