The National Trust for Historic Preservation’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund has awarded grants totaling $4 million to 35 historic Black churches through its Preserving Black Churches program.

Funded by a $20 million commitment from the Lilly Endowment, the program is aimed at helping historic Black churches and congregations reimagine, redesign, and deploy historic preservation to protect the cultural assets and legacies they steward. First-round grantees include First Bryan Baptist Church in Savannah, Georgia, considered to be one of the oldest African American Baptist churches in the United States; Ohio’s Cory United Methodist Church, where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X spoke in 1963 and 1964; and St. Paul Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, located on the historic campus of Lane College, a historically Black institution in Jackson, Tennessee.

According to Pew Research Center, around three-quarters of Black adults say that predominantly Black churches have helped advance the fight for racial equity. Today, Black churches are experiencing challenges like deferred maintenance, insufficient funds, and threats of demolition. The program is designed to preserve historic buildings as well as help congregations strengthen their capacities to serve. With more than $80 million in funding, the Action Fund is the largest U.S. resource dedicated to the preservation of African American historic places.

“Leaving an indelible imprint on our society, historic Black churches hold an enduring legacy of community, spirituality, and freedom that continues to span generations,” said Brent Leggs, executive director of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund and senior vice president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “The Action Fund created the Preserving Black Churches program to recognize and celebrate the Black church for its contributions on American life, culture, and history, while also investing in their physical permanence and financial sustainment into the future. We are honored to award our first round of grantees with the resources needed to ensure the Black church continues to stand in its fullest glory.”

For a complete list of recipients, visit the National Trust for Historic Preservation website.

(Photo credit: Getty Images/ehrlif)