Emmett Till Marker Near Grocery Store Site Vandalized
An Emmett Till marker in Mississippi that was vandalized. Photo courtesy of Twitter.
An Emmett Till marker in Mississippi that was vandalized. Photo courtesy of Twitter.
The African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund is making sure that historical sites important to black history are no longer attacked or endangered.
READ: Emmett Till Memorial Sign Found Damaged With Bullet Holes
Through the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the fund will receive $25 million and will be financed through partnerships with groups such as the Ford Foundation and the JPB Foundation, according to a report from WSAV. The report also says that the fund already has $3 million on hand.
The money will be used to take care of funding gaps for the preservation of black historical sites, including memorializing some places already lost to history.
"There is an opportunity and an obligation for us to step forward boldly and ensure the preservation of places which tell the often-overlooked stories of African-Americans and their many contributions to our nation," Stephanie Meeks, president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, said.
"We were concerned that the narrative around historical monuments and markers that was all about tearing things down," Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation, said. "While we think there is a role to play in determining what monuments should remain, we believe that it is equally as important to create monuments and markers for people whose stories have not been told."
Walked will lead an advisory panel assisting with the fund. The panel will include Lonnie Bunch, director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture; Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham, chairwoman of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History; actress Phylicia Rashad; and U.S. Democratic Representative Terri Sewell (Alabama).
Source: wsav.com
