Learn more about the AAAM x AACRN grant recipients below.
African American Resources Cultural and Heritage Society (AARCH Society)
“Bringing Frederick County Maryland Civil Rights History to Life”
Frederick, MD
AARCH Society is committed to fostering greater understanding among diverse cultures in Frederick County, Maryland. The AARCH Society identifies, collects, preserves, and makes publicly accessible, through their programs and services, the objects, artifacts and stories about the history, rich heritage, culture, and the contributions of African Americans in Frederick County past and present. For more than 20 years, AARCH Society has been active in Frederick County, creating programs and services that tell of the history, contributions, and extraordinary resiliency of African Americans in Frederick County despite the challenges they faced during slavery, the Jim Crow era, and beyond. AARCH Society was the vision of the late William O. Lee, Jr. (1928-2004), a lifelong resident of Frederick, an educator, and an Alderman active in numerous civic organizations.
All Star Lanes for Center for Creative Partnerships
“Orangeburg Massacre Interpretive Trail” and planning for “Orangeburg African American Civil Rights Interpretive Trail”
(https://www.centerforcreativepartnerships.org/)
Orangeburg, SC
The Center for Creative Partnerships is a Conscience and Social Justice organization that promotes community involvement through the arts and humanities, including civil and human rights. One of the organization’s principal goals is to restore and maintain the long-term viability of historical, cultural, and community icons. The Center for Creative Partnerships is integral to the redevelopment of the City of Orangeburg, focusing on history, civil rights, the arts, and community. The Center has secured ownership of the All-Star Bowling Lanes and will preserve this important African American Heritage Site as a historic site, a community asset, and a state-of-the-art Bowling Center, creating the first Civil Rights Bowling Lanes/Justice Center, on the national African American Civil Rights Network.
Brookland Center for Community Economic Change (BCCEC), Brookland-Lakeview Empowerment Center (BLEC)
“Lakeview School Museum Project Development”
(https://brooklandlakeview.org/)
West Columbia, SC
The Brookland Center for Community Economic Change (BCCEC) acquired a former school to establish the Brookland-Lakeview Empowerment Center (BLEC) as a community service center to house a number of social service programs such as senior services, youth educational and athletic programs, human services, wellness/health services, feeding programs, and workforce development and entrepreneurial programs. Founded in 2008, the BLEC serves over 15,000 individuals per year. They offer a deliberate mix of services and programs to foster change relative to the prevailing economic conditions and to aggressively and consciously deal with social problems—underemployment, unemployment, academic failure, food insecurity, lack of job skills, accessibility to services due to location, crime, transportation, and health information particularly related to COVID-19 relief services. BLEC engages and serves people of all ages and backgrounds while promoting advancements in health, education, economic empowerment and improving the lives of residents in Lexington and Richland counties and neighboring communities throughout the Midlands of South Carolina.
Buffalo Niagara Freedom Station Coalition
“Michigan Street Baptist Church Museum Collections and Interpretation”
(https://www.michiganstreetbaptistchurch.org/)
Buffalo, NY
In 2001, the Buffalo Niagara Freedom Station Coalition was formed with a focused mission: to preserve and promote the heritage of the Historic Michigan Street Baptist Church. The coalition is charged with the use and care of the property, planning and implementing its restoration, and conducting its educational and tourism activities. For generations, the Michigan Street Baptist Church has been a beacon of hope in the African American community. When its cornerstone was laid in 1845, the congregation-owned church immediately became a tremendous source of pride for the community. As racial inequality divided the nation in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Buffalo became a hub for abolitionists, civil rights leaders, and social activists — with the Michigan Street Baptist Church playing a prominent role in those revolutionary movements.
Historic Russellville, Inc, SEEK Museum
“Development of Exhibit and Educational Materials Based On Civil Rights News Stories Written by Alice Dunnigan”
Russellville, KY
The Historic Russellville, Inc. mission is to collect and preserve the cultural heritage of Logan County, KY and the surrounding areas, including and emphasizing their shared history of slavery, emancipation and the struggles for freedom, equality and civil rights. They strive to develop museum sites that will provide educational programming related to this history so that visitors can seek knowledge, truth and understanding. The SEEK Museum tells the unique and buried stories about slavery and the related struggles for freedom, equality and justice. The SEEK Museum at The BIBB House addresses the enslavement and the emancipations that occurred at that site until 1865, and the SEEK Museum in The BOTTOM addresses the strength and resilience of the people who developed that neighborhood after the conclusion of the Civil War and fought for civil rights while facing legalized segregation and racial violence and intimidation.
Ivy Creek Foundation
“Researching and Interpreting Historic River View Farms Connection to the African American Civil Rights Movement”
(https://ivycreekfoundation.org/)
Charlottesville, VA
The Ivy Creek Foundation hopes to inspire and engage their community in the stewardship of their natural resources and their rich African American cultural history. They want to connect the Ivy Creek Natural Area (ICNA) land to the community by fully integrating the unique and exceptional story of River View Farm into Ivy Creek Foundation’s mission. The Ivy Creek Foundation intends to connect the community to the land by deepening diverse community connection to historic preservation and sustainable land management. They will increase community health by leveraging natural outdoor space for community access and use.
Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center (LMCC)
“St. Augustine Summer of 1964 Civil Rights Interactive Kiosk”
(https://www.lincolnvillemuseum.org/)
St. Augustine, FL
The Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center (LMCC) is an African American history museum located in the Lincolnville neighborhood of Saint Augustine, FL. The museum is housed in the historic Excelsior School Building, which served as the first public Black high school in Saint Johns County in 1925. The LMCC’s mission is to preserve, promote and perpetuate over 450 years of the African American story through the arts, educational programs, lectures, live performances and exhibits. Through exhibits and stories told from a local, intimate perspective, the Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center chronicles years of the winding road that is the Black journey.
Maryland Commission on African American History & Culture (MCAAHC)
“Preserving the Legacy of a Civil Rights Legend”
(https://africanamerican.maryland.gov/)
Annapolis, MD
The Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture (MCAAHC) is committed to discovering, documenting, preserving, collecting, and promoting Maryland’s African American heritage. The Commission also provides technical assistance to institutions and groups with similar objectives. Through the accomplishment of this mission, the MCAAHC seeks to educate Maryland citizens and visitors to our state about the significance of the African American experience in Maryland. For over 50 years, the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture has authentically preserved and presented Black history and culture as a tool for racial equity, community empowerment, and social change.
Muddy Waters MOJO Museum
“Planning for Interactive and Immersive AR / VR Programming at the Muddy Waters MOJO Museum”
Chicago, IL
This historic Chicago Landmark at 4339 South Lake Park Avenue belonged to McKinley Morganfield, known professionally as Muddy Waters – the father of modern Chicago blues. It was the first house he had ever purchased. When the blues legend moved to Chicago from the South, it became a home away from home. It soon turned into a gathering place for Muddy, other blues musicians, and entertainers. They would host jam sessions in the basement, creating music that we all enjoy to this day. The Muddy Waters’ South Side home officially earned Chicago landmark designation in the fall of 2021. Chicago’s City Council voted unanimously to preserve the historic two-flat building in North Kenwood.
Museum of Undertold Texas History (MOUTH)
“Connecting Family Networks through the WPA Slave Narratives and Beyond”
(https://www.undertoldtexas.org/)
Houston, TX
The Museum of Undertold Texas History (MOUTH) illuminates the captivating essence, spirit, and culture of African Americans as they lived during the eras of Texas’ past. MOUTH is committed to investigating, protecting, promoting, and sharing Texas’ African American legacy with the general public. Through our relentless commitment to uncovering stories and sharing broader histories, MOUTH hopes to inspire a future where courage, tenacity, democracy, justice, and cooperation are thriving. The MOUTH’s stories connect traditional history with research and studies in Black history. Their narratives provide a fuller and more equitable look into the lives of African Americans, leading to more engaging and representative historical views. To uncover the many stories of Black Texans, MOUTH actively researches and investigates the lives of African Americans.
National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM)
“Heart and Drumbeats”
Nashville, TN
The National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) is the only museum dedicated to preserving and celebrating the many music genres created, influenced, and inspired by African Americans. The museum’s expertly-curated collections share the story of the American soundtrack by integrating history and interactive technology to bring the musical heroes of the past into the present. NMAAM was born out of a proposal from the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce in 2002, as a way to celebrate and preserve African Americans’ influence on music and provide residents and visitors with diverse cultural offerings. The National Museum of African American Music is the premier global destination for music lovers of all generations and inspires, educates, and transforms your appreciation of American music. NMAAM’s mission is to educate the world, preserve the legacy, and celebrate the central role African Americans play in creating the American soundtrack.
Pauli Murray Center for History and Social Justice
“Pauli Murray — The Animated Miniseries”
(https://www.paulimurraycenter.com/)
Durham, NC
The Pauli Murray Center lifts up the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray, a twentieth-century human rights activist, legal scholar, feminist, author, poet, Episcopal priest, labor organizer, and multiracial Black, LGBTQ+ community member. The Center’s programming in history, education, arts, and activism seeks to advance justice and equity. Pauli Murray’s childhood home, built in 1898 anchors their historic site and was designated a National Treasure in 2015 and a National Historic Landmark in 2016. This organization envisions a world in which wholeness is a human right for all and not the privilege of a few. The Pauli Murray Center actively works toward fairness and justice across race, class, sexuality, gender, and spiritual practice. They embrace the transformative power of collecting and telling their stories to heal and promote human rights.
Perry County Commission
Perry County Courthouse – development of civil rights memorabilia and artifacts collection.
(https://www.perrycountyal.gov/county-commission/county-commission)
Marion, AL
The governing body of Perry County is the Perry County Commission, consisting of five members who are elected by districts. Commissioners are elected to four- year terms and represent approximately 9,000 citizens. The Chair and Vice Chair are elected by majority vote of the County Commission. The Perry County Commission’s responsibilities include administering county public funds and adopting an annual budget. The Commission is also in charge of construction and maintenance of public roads and facilities within County jurisdiction, providing the delivery of services that are the County’s responsibility (such as water and law enforcement), and general support for all activities that are administered by the County.
Puerto Rican Organization for the Performing Arts (PROPA)
“Resistance, Freedom, Bomba”
(https://www.facebook.com/groups/PROPA2003)
Orlando, FL
PROPA was founded in 2003 in Chicago, IL and has been based in Orlando, FL since 2015. PROPA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization registered in the state of Florida with a mission to build community, celebrate diaspora and connect people to history, culture and the environment through the arts. PROPA’s signature event is the biennial Bomba Research Conference (BRC) which took place in Chicago from 2005-2009. Since 2011, this immersive cultural convening has taken place in communities throughout Puerto Rico. PROPA’s signature projects have included the Competencia de Enaguas (2011-2015) which highlights textiles and fashion in Bomba dance; Lugares Históricos (2011 – present) which identifies, celebrates and demarcates Black history sites; and Africa Habla en Mi (2021 – present) which connects genealogy and the arts, among others.
San Diego African American Museum of Fine Art (SDAAMFA)
“Harlem Walk of Honor”
San Diego, CA
The mission of the San Diego African American Museum of Fine Art is to present and preserve the art of African Americans globally and to broaden the knowledge and understanding of the visual arts in Southern California generally and San Diego specifically by collecting, preserving and displaying works of art by and about African Americans. By creating and hosting quality traveling exhibitions, collecting and preserving fine art, and by developing and helping to foster an appreciation of art through meaningful public programs, symposia, and other educational programs, the museum’s programing is curated with the goal of educating those who are interested in learning.
St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation (SJHF), Inc, Hayti Heritage Center
“Preserving Our History, Culture & Heritage: Civil Rights Stories — St. Joseph’s & Hayti Heritage Center”
Durham, North Carolina
The St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation, Inc. (SJHF) founded in 1975, is deeply rooted in the historic Hayti community of Durham, North Carolina. The once thriving business and residential district was dubbed “Black Wall Street” by Booker T. Washington. SJHF’s mission is preserving and advancing the heritage and culture of historic Hayti and the African American experience through programs that benefit the broader community locally, nationally and globally. The church complex, renamed the Hayti Heritage Center, is listed on the register of national historic landmarks. The Hayti Heritage Center opened in 1975 under the management of the SJHF. The Center is a cultural enrichment and arts education facility that promotes cultural understanding through diverse events, activities and programs that preserve the heritage and embrace the experiences of Americans of African descent.
Tabernacle Baptist Church
“C.T. Walker Chapel Exhibition”
Augusta, GA
Tabernacle Baptist Church was formally organized as the Beulah Baptist Church on Friday, August 21, 1885, in the Union Baptist Church. The founding pastor for the church was the Reverend Charles Thomas Walker. The church building was formally dedicated on December 13, 1885. Four years later Tabernacle Baptist Church grew rapidly and became a leader in local, national, and international religious and community circles. In a short time, many lives have been saved and transformed through the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the membership and spiritual development has increased at Tabernacle Baptist Church.
The Ballard House Project, Inc.
“Birmingham, AL: Early Civil Rights Resistance Movements, 1918-1960s Part II: Preserving Collective Memories, Community Voices”
(https://ballardhouseproject.org/)
Birmingham, AL
Located in the Birmingham Civil Rights Historic District, the Ballard House is a site engaged in informing, engaging and inspiring residents and visitors about how African Americans lived, worked, socialized, and served their communities across the Magic City, while creating bonds of persistence and resistance to the continual injustice they experienced in the decades leading to demonstrations on sidewalks, at lunch counters, in the courts, and on the streets of the 1950’s and ’60’s national and world stage. At The Ballard House Project, Inc, they document, preserve, and celebrate stories of the past, which are relevant to present and future generations. In Birmingham, the Ballard House, a 1930’s-40’s era structure, is one of few surviving buildings in the historic Civil Rights District that played a pivotal role in that transformational movement of equality and justice. The mission of the Ballard House Project continues to educate and inspire, enhance community identity, enrich dialogue and understanding, bridge areas of discord, and contribute to Birmingham’s cultural economy. The Ballard House serves as a modern-day cultural space, connecting historical threads that served to weave a tapestry of good works and a rich legacy in Birmingham, across Alabama and the Southeast.
The National Center for the Study of Civil Rights and African-American Culture at Alabama State University
“Increasing Access to the Art Collection of the National Center for the Study of Civil Rights and African American Culture at Alabama State University”
(http://www.lib.alasu.edu/natctr/)
Montgomery, AL
The Mission of the Alabama State University Center for the Study of Civil Rights and African-American Culture serves as a clearinghouse for information concerning Montgomery, Alabama’s pivotal role in the shaping and development of the modern civil rights movement, and to preserve and disseminate information reflective of socioeconomic conditions, political culture, and history of African Americans in Montgomery. The Center will augment classroom instruction and curriculum through its living museum, scholarly seminars, publications, and appearances of its personnel at public forums around Montgomery and elsewhere. The facility will be a place for scholars, students, lay historians, and all people interested in studying the modern civil rights movement and Montgomery’s place in it. The Alabama State University Center for the Study of Civil Rights and African-American Culture is a research institute and repository in Montgomery, Alabama, for the collection of civil rights and African-American cultural documents, artifacts, and other memorabilia. Such a collection encompasses and allows for the study of the interdisciplinary, diverse, and disparate character of civil rights and African American culture.
Walker County African American Historical and Alumni Association, Inc. (WCAAHAA)
“The Civil Rights Act of 1964 brings integration to far Northwest, Appalachian, Walker County, Georgia’s schools: an interpretative program using oral histories and the development of present related collections into an educational resource.”
(https://www.walkercountyafricanamerican.com/)
Chickamauga, GA
The Walker County African American Historical and Alumni Association, Inc. was founded on May 21, 2000. Their mission is to educate themselves and others, preserve, and document the Appalachian African American history of Walker County Georgia. They also assist with highlighting the history and heritage of Appalachian African Americans of the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit: Walker, Dade, Chattooga, and Catoosa Counties. Over the years, WCAAHAA have awarded scholarships totaling approximately $20,000 to high school students, provided signage and historical research for four cemeteries, and authored and published three books, numerous historical newspapers articles, and essays.