The DC Preservation League is pleased to announce that it has received a $50,000 grant from the African American Civil Rights Program, as administered by the National Park Service (NPS), Department of the Interior, to fund creation of a study entitled Black Power in 20th Century Washington, DC: A Context Study.
“This study is the first of its kind and by exploring the DC Black Power Movement, it will shed light on this critical time in the city’s history—beyond events like the Million Man March and already-identified leaders, like Malcom X and Marion Barry, who was the first black power activist elected as DC Mayor. DC’s Black Power Movement was incredibly well-organized and it involved a variety of local and national activists, alike,” DCPL’s Executive Director Rebecca Miller said.
The project will catalyze nominations to both the DC Inventory of Historic Sites and the National Register of Historic Places. DCPL will also devise an outreach plan to educate the community on the research findings and significant associated properties.
“The activists involved in the Black Power Movement built up the community by adding schools, centers for art and music, and even oversight boards for the local police departments; they sparked important discussions about the city’s ongoing redevelopment; and they were catalysts for establishing DC’s first democratically-elected local government in nearly a century. These details and stories are largely unknown,” Ms. Miller said. “It’s long past time to tell them.”
Any questions about this grant should be addressed to DCPL Director of Development, Kelli Knox: kelli@dcpreservation.org.
** Photo Credit: New York Public Library Black Power Exhibition Guide
