Black Preservation Stories
Black Preservation Stories uncovers the passion, challenges, and triumphs of the preservationists who safeguard Black history and communities for future generations. We amplify their voices and highlight projects that counter historical erasure and expand the preservation of Black heritage. We demystify the process behind every effort by examining how communities mobilize resources, sustain initiatives, and leverage preservation to strengthen identity, social cohesion, advocacy, and empowerment. Showcasing these grassroots movements, Black Preservation Stories both celebrates the resilience of Black communities and calls for systemic change to ensure equitable representation in America’s collective history.
Listen on:
The Black Grassroots Heritage Preservation Network
The Black Preservation Stories podcast is the official podcast of the Black Grassroots Heritage Preservation Network (BGHPN), which aims to promote Black communities' cultural and historical heritage preservation. By leveraging digital platforms, advocating for greater access and protection of cultural sites, and amplifying grassroots preservation efforts, we, BGHPN, aim to combat the erasure of Black stories and develop a network that provides individuals, groups, organizations, and communities with the resources and support they need to sustain their preservation initiatives. We BGHPN work to ensure that these histories are not just preserved, but celebrated and shared with future generations.
Episodes
Thursday May 15, 2025
Thursday May 15, 2025
On this episode of Black Preservation Stories, we focus on Friends of the Tanner House in Philadelphia, who, since December 2021, have rallied to save the childhood home of artist Henry Ossawa Tanner, known for The Banjo Lesson and The Thankful Poor. In 2023, they launched a community-driven visioning process for restoration, programming, and stewardship to transform the house into a vibrant cultural center. Co-coordinator Christopher Rogers joins me to trace their journey—from grassroots coalition to nonprofit, from initial stabilization to plans for exhibitions, workshops, and public events—and explore how centering people over policy can spark intergenerational connections. Join us as we ask: How can preserving a historic home empower an entire community?
bghpn.org
Thursday May 15, 2025
Thursday May 15, 2025
On this episode of Black Preservation Stories, we visit the Mound Bayou Museum of African American Culture and History in Mound Bayou, Mississippi—known as the “Jewel of the Delta” and the oldest all-Black municipality in the U.S., founded in 1887 by formerly enslaved visionaries Isaiah T. Montgomery and Benjamin T. Green. The museum's mission is to honor traditions of self-governance, mutual aid, and resilience. Co-founders Darryl and Herman Johnson Jr. discuss Dr. T.R.M. Howard’s civil-rights organizing, Emmett Till’s ties to the town, the 1982 caravan that saved the community, landmark institutions like Taborian Hospital and the Delta Health Center, and acquiring authentic props featured in the films Till and Women of the Movement (2022). Join us as we explore the question: How does Mound Bayou's legacy continue to shape a model of Black self-determination?
bghpn.org
Wednesday May 14, 2025
Wednesday May 14, 2025
This episode of Black Preservation Stories focuses on the developing Bellevue Passage Museum, in Bellevue, Maryland, one of the last historically black maritime communities on the Eastern shore, as developers proposed 14 multi-million dollar waterfront homes that threatened to erase Bellevue. The museum's founders race to protect its working-class and communal legacy. Dr. Dennis De Shields and his daughter Kat De Shields Moon, co-founder and program director, join us to discuss returning to Bellevue in adulthood, confronting zoning battles, leveraging technology, and crafting programs that merge historic preservation with community revitalization. Join us as we explore the question: What does it take to preserve a community on the verge of disappearing?
bghpn.org