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HBCUs receive $9.7 million from...

HBCUs receive $9.7 million from National Park Service to preserve historic sites

By: Anne Summerhays - July 12, 2022

Jackson State University, Tougaloo College, and Rust College receive grants to preserve stories, resources, and places.

Last week, the National Park Service (NPS) announced $9.7 million in grants to assist 21 preservation projects in nine states for historic structures on campuses of  Historically Black Colleges and Universities  (HBCUs).

NPS Director Chuck Sams said that for more than 180 years, Historically Black Colleges and Universities have provided high-level academics, opportunities, and community for generations of students.

“These grants enable HBCUs to preserve the noteworthy structures that honor the past and tell the ongoing story of these historic institutions,” said NPS Director Sams.

Since the 1990s, the National Park Service has awarded over $87 million in grants to over 85 of the remaining active HBCUs.

Congress appropriates funding for the program through the  Historic Preservation Fund  (HPF), which uses revenue from federal oil and gas leases on the Outer Continental Shelf.

Accredited HBCUs are eligible to apply for this grant program, and eligible projects include physical preservation of sites listed in or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.

HBCU grants can also fund pre-preservation studies, architectural plans and specifications, historic structure reports, campus preservation plans, and National Register nominations.

Projects receiving grants this year will preserve stories, resources, and places. Three Mississippi HBCUs have been selected to receive grants for projects:

  • Jackson State University- $500,000, Preserving Ayer Hall the Margaret Walker Center.
  • Jackson State University- $150,000, Rehabilitation of the Council of Federated Organizations (COFO) Center .
  • Tougaloo College- $500,000, Preservation Initiative for Woodworth Chapel, the Boddie Mansion, Galloway Hall, and Holmes Hall .
  • Rust College- $500,000, Rehabilitation of Washington Hall.

You can view the full list of 2022 HBCU Grant Award Recipients HERE.

About the Author(s)
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Anne Summerhays

Anne Summerhays is a recent graduate of Millsaps College where she majored in Political Science, with minors in Sociology and American Studies. In 2021, she joined Y’all Politics as a Capitol Correspondent. Prior to making that move, she interned for a congressional office in Washington, D.C. and a multi-state government relations and public affairs firm in Jackson, Mississippi. While at Millsaps, Summerhays received a Legislative Fellowship with the Women’s Foundation of Mississippi where she worked with an active member of the Mississippi Legislature for the length of session. She has quickly established trust in the Capitol as a fair, honest, and hardworking young reporter. Her background in political science helps her cut through the noise to find and explain the truth. Email Anne: anne@magnoliatribune.com