Thanks to a $75,000 grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation's African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, the Charlotte Hawkins Brown State Historic Site will hire a financial sustainability advisor. This advisor will guide the historic site in developing a new strategic financial plan to support future preservation efforts and to grow its African American history and educational programs for the statewide and local community.
“These are times that require new models of care for our sites of memory," said Michelle Lanier, director of North Carolina Historic Sites at the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. “The profound history held by the Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum at Historic Palmer Institute has a brighter future because of the generosity of the Action Fund."
The grant will help the historic site strengthen its financial sustainability and build partnerships to increase and sustain community-based programs, preservation, and restoration projects. This support will further the historic site’s mission as a vital community anchor, providing residents with free educational experiences, job training, access to voting (as a polling site during elections), and more.
About the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund
In November 2017, the National Trust for Historic Preservation launched its African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund (AACHAF) to make an important and lasting contribution to the American landscape by preserving sites of Black activism, achievement, and resilience. Since 2017, it has raised over $140 million and supported 304 grantees nationwide. The AACHAF's work is guided by the Founding Executive Director, Brent Leggs, and an esteemed National Advisory Council that includes thought leaders in the arts, academia, business, government, philanthropy, and preservation. Learn more at www.savingplaces.org/actionfund.
About the National Trust for Historic Preservation
The National Trust for Historic Preservation protects historic landscapes and buildings representing our country's diverse cultural experience by taking direct action and inspiring broad public support. Chartered by Congress in 1949 as a privately funded organization and committed to honoring the histories of all Americans, the National Trust collaborates with partners and allies to save places, educate the public, and use preservation to address urgent challenges and serve communities today. Learn more at https://savingplaces.org/
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina – its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. Through its programs, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency.