Black Preservation Stories
Amplifying voices in Black grassroots heritage preservation
About
Black Preservation Stories explores the inspiring stories of Black individuals, groups, and communities dedicated to preserving and celebrating their heritage. From saving historic buildings and neighborhoods to developing museums and restoring sacred sites, each episode highlights grassroots efforts that keep Black history alive for future generations. Join us as we delve into the roots of Black cultural resilience, uncovering the passion, challenges, and triumphs of those who fight to honor the past and shape a vibrant future.
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![Podcast cover art showing a person in a boat on a river with trees in the background, overlaid with text promoting a new episode of Black Preservation Stories about the Bellevue Passage Museum, including podcast platform icons.]()
S1 E1: Against the Tide: The Bellevue Passage Museum
In Bellevue, Maryland—one of the Eastern Shore’s last historically Black maritime communities—plans for fourteen multimillion-dollar waterfront homes threaten historical erasure, the village’s working-class character, and communal bonds. In response, the founders of the Bellevue Passage Museum are racing to safeguard the village’s legacy.
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![Podcast cover art featuring an exhibition space with mannequins and photographs, with text indicating a new episode of 'Black Preservation Stories' titled '(S1E2) A Promised Land: The Mound Bayou Museum of African-American Culture and History'.]()
S1 E2 - A Promised Land: Mound Bayou Museum of African-American Culture and History
Mound Bayou—founded in 1887 by Isaiah T. Montgomery and Benjamin T. Green as the oldest all-Black municipality in the United States and known as the “Jewel of the Delta”—is home to the Mound Bayou Museum of African-American Culture and History, which honors it’s legacy of self-governance, mutual aid, and resilience—a mission rooted in a spiritual calling passed down through generations.
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![Podcast promotional artwork for 'Black Preservation Stories' with a painting of a person playing a guitar, sitting on the ground, with others in the background. Text promotes a new episode titled '(S1E3) Preservation for the People: Friends of the Tanner House'.]()
S1 E3 - Preservation for the People: Friends of the Tanner House
Friends of the Tanner House formed in December 2021 to rescue Henry Ossawa Tanner’s childhood home in Philadelphia. In 2023, they launched a community-driven visioning process to transform it into a cultural center tailored to local needs—demonstrating how centering people over policy fosters survival and connection and how preserving a historic home can empower an entire community.
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