The role of the church in Black communities in the US has been one of spirituality, solidarity and catalysing social change. Preserving these sites is about more than protecting historic architecture; it is ensuring that their stories can be told and that the people using these spaces now, as well as future generations, have sanctuary.
For its third annual Preserving Black Churches grant programme, the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund has awarded $8.5m in grants to 30 historically Black churches to provide congregations with resources for their sustainability and survival.