Montana Historical Society, which will receive $497,712 for repairs to stabilize the brick exterior and increase accessibility at Union Bethel AME Church in Great Falls, Montana. It was the state’s only African American church in operation when it was organized in 1890.
Augusta Canal Authority, which will receive $750,000 for the rehabilitation of the Mother Trinity Christian Methodist Episcopal Church in Augusta, Georgia. It was the first and oldest church in the historically Black CME denomination after enslaved and free African Americans who were worshipping at another church formed their own congregation.
Other grant recipients will be using the funds for work to conserve historical sites such as the Howard Theatre, a Washington, D.C., location known for featuring Black performers and prominent speakers, and Atlanta’s Ashby Theatre, where African Americans could watch movies without being segregated from white moviegoers and relegated to less desirable balcony seats.
Other grantees will use the NPS funding to conduct historical surveys, including one in Detroit that will explore “the role of religion in the struggle for equality,” the park service said.
This article originally appeared here.
