10 Tips for Applying to the African American Civil Rights Network (AACRN)

10 Tips for Applying to the African American Civil Rights Network (AACRN)

by | Apr 10, 2024 | Other

By: Rebekah Turnmire, AACRN Coordinator, Center for Civil Rights History & Research

April 10, 2024

The Learning Lab series provides practical tips, advice, and guidance on specific historic preservation topics that are relevant to African American preservation projects. We hope these posts help community members and leaders better navigate the complexities of historic preservation work successfully.  

Short Description of topic   
The African American Civil Rights Network (AACRN) was created by Congress in 2017 authorizing the National Park Service to commemorate, honor, and interpret the history of the African American Civil Rights movement and the sacrifices made by those who fought for its cause. AACRN is noncompetitive and encompasses properties, facilities, and interpretive programs that provide a comprehensive portrayal of the individuals, locations, and events connected to the African American Civil Rights movement. It is not only an opportunity to provide a comprehensive overview of often overlooked people, places and events associated with the movement, but is an opportunity to connect with places doing similar work and access AACRN-specific grant funds and expertise from the National Park Service. Plus, applications are accepted on a rolling basis!
In 2022, the Center for Civil Rights History and Research at USC joined AACRN as a program and became an institutional partner. As an institutional partner, the Center staff can help those interested in joining AACRN draft applications, conduct historical research related to the property or program, and consult with current and future AACRN members. The Center for Civil Rights History and Research is a vital source helping craft applications or answer related research questions. Please do not hesitate to reach out!
Getting South Carolina sites, programs, and facilities that interpret or are related to the African American Civil Rights Movement listed on the African American Civil Rights Network is important for long-term preservation and wider acknowledgement of the important, but often overlooked role, the state had on the national movement. 

10 Tips for Applying to the African American Civil Rights Network (AACRN):

  1. Check out the African American Civil Rights Network Application & Instructions page and read through the National Park Service’s “Definitions of Properties, Facilities, and Programs Resource Types,” “Criteria for Joining the Network,” and “Application Form Information.” This is an important first step before starting an application because it will help determine what route you take when drafting your application!
  2. Facilities and Programs are much broader categories and do not have to be determined eligible for the National Register of Historic Places! A mural, performance, workshop, and many other things can be listed as a program as long as it is a complete application that presents or explains the history of African American civil rights to the public. 
  3. Read through the application samples before gathering reference and research materials! This will help you decide whether you need to conduct more research or talk to the SC Department of Archives and History about National Register eligibility (if a property).
  4. Create a draft of the full application in a word document, including the narrative statements and timeline, alongside the other required documents (letter of consent, eligibility form, brochures, etc). The application portal DOES NOT have a save function at this time. If you have a word document, you can copy and paste all the information without having to start from scratch if you accidentally leave or time-out of the portal while writing your narrative.
  5. You do not have to be the owner or manager of a property, facility, or program to nominate a resource to AACRN. If you prefer, the Center for Civil Rights at USC’s AACRN Coordinator (Rebekah Turnmire) can compile the materials, write the application, and submit it for you or can assist with submitting an already crafted application. 
  6. The Letter of Owner Consent is an important part of ALL applications regardless of whether the resource is a property, facility, or program. The “owner” of the resource will depend on what type of resource is applying. If in doubt, reach out to me (Rebekah Turnmire) at the Center for Civil Rights or AACRN staff!
  7. Additional documentation like brochures, maps, timelines, webpage screenshots, or other documents which illustrate the resource’s association with the African American Civil Rights movement are important but do not need to be exhaustive. A few good examples, of both public facing (brochures) and internal (primary sources or research papers) are sufficient!
  8. If you are an organization, museum, archive, community group, I would suggest using the institution’s central or public email address so that if the person submitting the application leaves, a new person can easily access the portal.
  9. Make sure to convert all materials (including the Letter of Owner Consent) into Adobe PDF format when you’re ready to upload and submit to the portal.
  10. There is no fee to apply to AACRN!
Eyewitness to the Movement: Cecil Williams SC Civil Rights Museum

Eyewitness to the Movement: Cecil Williams SC Civil Rights Museum

by | Apr 2, 2024 | Artifacts, Featured - Artifacts

By Jannie Harriot and Cecil Williams, Civil Rights Museum

April 2, 2024

The Featured Projects series focuses on African American historic preservation projects and sites. We hope this series helps bring awareness to the stunning number and variety of places in South Carolina that share this rich history. We also hope it highlights the dedication of our community leaders, and inspires future generations to participate in preservation. 

How did the museum develop?  How does the museum play a role in African American historic preservation?
Until the Cecil Williams South Carolina Civil Rights Museum was developed, there was no museum in the state that told the stories of the people who actually started the national civil rights movement. Inside our galleries, visitors may journey through the unique and rich history of South Carolinians who experienced the hardships and triumphs, valor and determination, and the influence and monumental change that affected all Americans. The reclaimed history displayed in the museum represents core events that created the “big bang” of the national civil rights movement.WeGOJA and the Toolkit team feel it is important to include museums as part of African American preservation efforts. Museums are part of the broader picture of African American historic preservation because they are a place to preserve the objects, artifacts, and media that tell the story of Black people and culture. These things are an important part of the fabric of preservation that extends beyond physical structures or sites.
What motivated you to develop the museum?
Having first-hand eyewitness experiences, I was compelled to share the rich and diverse history of people who endured the 1950-1970 era of racial change.Within the museum, we compiled the history that shows how South Carolinians’ early activism influenced our nation through numerous ideological, political, and economic developments—much of which pre-date the bravery and pioneering by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and the people who engaged in the Montgomery Bus Boycott. South Carolina’s role in the Civil Rights movement is an undertold story, despite South Carolinians paving the way in Civil Rights activism (such as the Briggs vs. Elliot case, which was the first court case to challenge the constitutionality of segregated education and later became part of the landmark desegregation case Brown vs. Board of Education.) The story of Civil Rights in South Carolina needed to be told by those who experienced and fought for it. The museum provides an opportunity to showcase the photography and media that influenced and changed the course of the Civil Rights movement, while also preserving it for generations to come. 
How have you solved problems and found solutions? What advice would you give to others doing this kind of work?
Besides our own archives, through inclusion and sharing, we discovered vast amounts of rare and story-telling artifacts, documents and photographs.I would advise anyone taking on the task of operating or starting a museum to fully explore if it duplicates the mission of already existing museums.If there is a void, then fully engage in the project until it reaches fruition.
Future plans for the museum? Also include how people can find the museum and plan visits today.
Our future involves building and creating story-telling galleries and exhibits that will go into a new and larger building we hope to break ground for in June.
Our present museum is located at 1865 Lake Drive, a subdivision right off U.S. Highway 301 north of Orangeburg. We advise visitors traveling along Interstate 26 to take exit 156, which would place them within four miles of our location.
Any additional information?
Visit the museum virtually by clicking this link! This will allow you to experience the museum through a virtual reality tour, taking a closer look at the exhibits, photography, and artifacts.