ACTION ALERT – Appropriations for the African American Burial Grounds Preservation Program

Dear SHA Members,

The African American Burial Grounds Preservation Program was authorized by Congress in late 2023.   This program authorizes the National Park Service, in consultation with the National Trust for Historic Preservation and members of the Black heritage community, to establish a $3 million annual grant program to aid preservation efforts across the country to research, identify, document, preserve and interpret historic African American burial grounds.  The SHA played an important role in efforts to establish this program.

Unfortunately, while the African American Burial Grounds Preservation Program has been authorized by Congress, no appropriation has been approved yet to actually implement it. 

The SHA is asking for your help to move this program forward by contacting your Members of Congress to ask that they approve $3 million for the African American Burial Grounds Preservation Program in the FY 2025 Interior Appropriations bill.

The quickest and easiest way for you to do this is by going to the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s advocacy page at: https://support.savingplaces.org/page/64151/action/1 and entering your information.  Your letter in support of the appropriation will be sent automatically to your Senator and Representative.

I hope you will take a few minutes to contact your Members of Congress and ask for their support of this important program.

If you have questions, please contact the SHA at hq@sha.org.

Sincerely,

Terry Klein
Chair, SHA Government Affairs Committee