Minneapolis is on a mission to better represent its African American history, thanks in part to a substantial grant from the National Park Service. The City's Department of Community Planning and Development (CPED) recently bagged a $75,000 Underrepresented Communities Grant intended to single out historic spots linked to African American heritage that have been overlooked in the past. This effort follows the $2 billion injected by the Historic Preservation Fund since 1977 into grants aiming to preserve our nation's history.
The windfall will kickstart a major project set to include a context study, which will lay down the people, the places, and the events shaping Minneapolis' black history. Officials plan to promptly survey 25 properties and expect to nominate at least three to the National Register of Historic Places. Senior city planner Erin Que remarked, "We are excited to continue this work and better acknowledge African American stories in our city's legacy, both past and present." However, the preservation listings skew towards those reflecting white Minneapolitans, while historic nods to black citizens fall significantly short.
Funding is also lined up from Minnesota's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, known as the Legacy Grant program. Together, these grants will beef up the historic preservation planning in Minneapolis, aiming for balance and inclusion. Despite the city's 20% African American demographic, only a fraction of historic sites on local and national registers relate directly to black history. The Lee House, Smith House, and Hiawatha Golf Course are the lonely beacons on the National Register, with just seven others acknowledged locally.
According to the city's website, the past efforts have marked over 200 local landmarks and historic districts. Yet, a divergent narrative threads through these designations, not often touching upon the vast tapestry of the African American experience in the city, a gap the new grant seeks to redress. For more on this ongoing endeavor to refine the historical lens, Minneapolis invites its residents and the curious alike to visit its official website.
With the ongoing project, Minneapolis aspires to be at the forefront in recognizing the underrepresented in its preservation efforts as part of a broader trend identified by the National Park Service. Their funding of 21 projects across the nation is a statement of intent to unearth and polish the historically significant contributions of those once sidelined, ensuring that the African American narrative continues to echo through the streets of Minneapolis and beyond.
