Grants Help Ensure the Future of Historic Black Churches

What would America be without the Black church? For generations, historic Black churches have served as beacons of hope, progress and reform in America. To honor and protect this legacy, the National Trust’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund has invested $4 million in grants to 31 historic Black churches across the United States, acknowledging these institutions’ widespread impact on society.

In the second round of Preserving Black Churches grants, the Action Fund continues its work not only to help grantees address real and urgent preservation threats such as deferred maintenance and demolition, but also to strengthen their ability to steward, interpret, and fund these invaluable places and the people they serve.  FOR MORE

Today, we remember the life and legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., a visionary preacher and civil rights leader who leveraged the pulpit to fight for freedom and justice in America. To honor his great legacy, we are pleased to announce the second round of grant recipients for our Preserving Black Churches program, a project of the National Trust’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund.

With the support of our partners at the Lilly Endowment Inc., this program will provide 31 historic Black churches across the country with grants totaling $4 million.

Black churches stand as timeless bastions of faith, resilience, and achievement, serving as the birthplace of movements, the planning grounds for change, and a refuge for those seeking solace and belonging. However, many of these spaces require significant investment to preserve their historic structures, ensure their stories are told, and continue serving their communities.

As a nation, we have an opportunity to come together, recognize, and celebrate the contributions of historic Black churches, and empower their legacies to drive meaningful change for future generations.

Learn about this year’s grantees and their stories.  FOR MORE

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