The African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, announced $3 million in funding to help preserve and protect 24 Black historic places across the country – from Harlem’s legendary Apollo Theater to Oregon’s homestead sites. These grants will be awarded through the Action Fund’s National Grant Program (NGP), Descendant and Family Stewardship Initiative (DFS), and Conserving Black Modernism program (CBM).
2025 marks the inaugural year of the DFS program, supported by a $5.2 million investment from the Mellon Foundation. DFS empowers and equips descendant and family-led organizations with grant funding and two years of consultative support to preserve, activate, and manage their historic places.
“At the Action Fund, we believe everyone can be a preservationist. Through our partnership with the Mellon Foundation, the Descendant and Family Stewardship Initiative represents this enduring commitment to help grassroots communities and families share their stories of resilience and power.” said Brent Leggs, executive director of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund and senior vice president at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “Grants that support the physical preservation and management of these incredible places are crucial to keeping our nation’s history alive. We hope this investment will further empower these communities to be leaders in this important effort.”
There are seven projects included in the DFS cohort this year, from the homes of legendary Black artists to sites of Civil Rights Movement history, that will collectively receive $1.4 million in grants.
The Action Fund’s award announcement also includes a third round of Conserving Black Modernism grants, designed to protect and promote the work of African American architects and designers. This cohort of five sites, including Los Angeles’ Founders Church of Religious Science designed by legendary Black architect Paul R. Williams, will collectively receive $750,000 in funding through the Action Fund’s partnership with the Getty Foundation.
“We are thrilled that this third year of Conserving Black Modernism in collaboration with the National Trust includes five new architects, whose work continues to expand our understanding of the unique contributions of Black architects and designers to the modern movement,” said Joan Weinstein, director of the Getty Foundation. “It is particularly exciting to have a Los Angeles building designed by Paul R. Williams in the mix this year, as Getty houses the archive of this giant of 20th-century architecture, who created some of the most iconic and beloved buildings in the region.”
A site list covering the National Grant Program, the Descendant and Family Stewardship Initiative, and Conserving Black Modernism with details about all 24 grantees is available here.
