02-03-2025
Black Churches Are Awarded $8.5 Million in Grants for Preservation
Grants were awarded to churches in 19 states, from Alabama to California. Credit... via The National Trust for Historic Preservation
The initiative to save historic Black churches has aided 108 congregations since 2023. March 2, 2025
Black churches across the country recently were awarded more than $8 million in grants, part of an effort to preserve buildings that played significant roles in Black history.
The grants, ranging from $50,000 to $500,000 and totaling $8.5 million, were announced on Feb. 24 and went to 30 churches. They were awarded by the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, a program operated by the nonprofit National Trust for Historic Preservation, with support from Lilly Endowment Inc.
Since its inception in 2023, the $60 million Preserving Black Churches initiative has worked with 108 congregations and invested $19.5 million, said Brent Leggs, the executive director of the fund and a senior vice president at the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
'We wanted to leverage the tools of historic preservation to ensure the long-term viability and sustainability of these historic landmarks that are crucial in understanding the fabric of American life and history,' Mr. Leggs said. Image Aretha Franklin's father, Rev. C.L. Franklin, commissioned the New Bethel Baptist Church in 1961. The Detroit church was recently awarded a $500,000 grant, which will help fund a new roof and repairing water damage. National Trust for Historic Preservation calls Black churches 'the oldest institutions created and controlled by African Americans.' But in recent years, congregation numbers have declined, with many churches struggling to attract younger people. The grants are aimed at addressing 'urgent preservation challenges such as demolition threats, deferred maintenance, and structural issues, in addition to providing critical resources to help congregations strengthen their stewardship plans, enhance asset management, and grow fund-raising capacity nationwide,' according to a news release.
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