A group of eight important Black modernist sites across the country has been selected for a round of grants worth a total of $1.2 million by the Getty Foundation in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

They were part of the Conserving Black Modernism program that is being directed by the Trust's African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund. Grants ranging up to $150,000 were awarded in four categories. Each joins almost two dozen other heritage sites connected to Black history as part of the larger $3 million initiative, which now means 304 grantees have been awarded $140 million nationwide through the fund since 2017.

Brent Leggs, the Fund's Executive Director, said, "The National Grant Program represents the Action Fund's enduring commitment to telling the full American story — one that makes room for Black resilience, creativity, and achievement. History is crucial to our nation's understanding of where we've come from, who we are today, and how we envision our future. These grants will support critical preservation efforts to revitalize and sustain tangible links to our shared past that we hope will inspire future generations."

This represents the second round of Conserving Black Modernism grants after the National Trust, together with the Getty Foundation, announced the program in September of 2022.

The eight new Conserving Black Modernism program grantees are:

District of Columbia: The Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts at Howard University: Ira Aldridge Theater / Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts at Howard University

"The Ira Aldridge Theater was named for a famed 19th-century African American actor best known for his performances of Shakespeare. The theater was designed by acclaimed Black architects Hilyard Robinson and Paul R. Williams, and completed in 1961 as part of Howard University’s campus. Funding will support a historic structures report and an interpretation plan."

District of Columbia: Masjid Mohammad, Nations Mosque / Masjid Muhammad, Inc.

"Completed in 1960, Masjid Muhammad, Nations Mosque was designed by David R. Byrd. The building represents one of the oldest Black Muslim congregations in the United States. Funding will support engineering and environmental studies for the building’s planned LEED-certified expansion, in addition to limited capital improvements."

Atlanta, GA: Claude B. Dansby, Benjamin G. Brawley, and John H. Wheeler Halls at Morehouse College / Morehouse College

"Leon Allain, a prominent Black architect in the Atlanta area, designed Claude B. Dansby, Benjamin G. Brawley, and John H. Wheeler halls at Morehouse College through the early 1970s. Funding will support building assessments and a historic structures report for the three sites."

West Point, MS: Kenneth G. Neigh Dormitory Complex at the former Mary Holmes Community College / Dream Center Golden Triangle

"Designed by the acclaimed Black architect J. Max Bond Jr. and completed in 1970, the Kenneth G. Neigh Dormitory Complex is currently in an advanced state of deterioration as Mary Holmes Community College has been closed since 2005. Funding will support an adaptive reuse feasibility study for the complex focused on transitional housing."

Buffalo, NY: Robert T. Coles Home and Studio / Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House

"Robert T. Coles, the first Black Chancellor of the American Institute of Architects, designed and built his House and Studio in 1961. The two-story building is composed of prefabricated units set back in a garden and courtyard. Funding will support a historic structures report and a reuse and feasibility study."

Buffalo, NY: John F. Kennedy Community Center / Preservation Buffalo Niagara

"The JFK Recreation Center was designed by Robert T. Coles as his thesis project at MIT and completed in 1963. The building currently hosts a range of nonprofits and multi-generational community activities. Funding will support a comprehensive preservation plan."

Memphis, TN: Universal Life Insurance Company Building / South Memphis Renewal Community Development Corporation

"Designed in 1947 by McKissack and McKissack, one of the oldest Black-owned architectural firms in the United States, the Universal Life Insurance Company Building was completed in 1949. Funding will support a cultural interpretation plan and repairs to certain sections of the building."

St. Petersburg, VA: Azurest South, Amaza Lee Meredith Home and Studio / Virginia State University Alumni Association

"Azurest South, completed in 1934, is the home and studio designed by the pioneering Black architect Amaza Lee Meredith. Located on the Virginia State University campus, where she established the Fine Arts program and lived with her partner Dr. Edna Meade Colson, the home is a colorful example of the International Style. Funding will support the implementation of a conservation management plan for the building."