Architectural sites with significance to African American culture have received funds as part of Conserving Black Modernism, a national grant program that highlights "undervalued" contributions of Black architects in the United States.
Among the featured projects are a dormitory complex in Mississippi and a mosque in Washington DC.
The Conserving Black Modernism program is a grant program in its second year, managed under the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund (AACHAF).
Supported by New York's Mellon Foundation, the action fund selected 30 projects to receive a grant in 2024, eight of which fall under the Conserving Black Modernism program, dedicated explicitly to architectural achievements of African Americans.
Preservationism as equity and justice "Our goal is to harness the power of place and historic preservation to uplift centuries of Black American activism, achievement and resilience; and to centre these overlooked histories at the core of American democracy," AACHAF director Brent Leggs told Dezeen.
"Part of the inspiration is to use public spaces to educate the public about the profound history that we steward as a nation, as a collective," he added.
"These places are both repositories of public memory and beautiful expressions of American history. We believe that by preserving these overlooked histories and telling their stories, preservationists inspire commitment to equity and justice."
The grant program allows...