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):
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!
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.
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).
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.
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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
The Featured Projects series focuses on historic preservation projects focused on preserving Black history throughout SC. Each project is asked to respond to four prompts. We hope this series helps bring awareness to the stunning number and variety of preservation projects being undertaken across the state, highlights the dedication of our community leaders, and inspires future generations of projects.
Want to feature your preservation project? Send us an email here.
Provide a brief summary of your project, making sure to include why it’s important for African American historic preservation.
RCDC’s Nehemiah Project 24 responds to the need of the African American Community in Saluda, SC to rebuild. Much like the people of Israel of that epoch, African Americans have been enslaved, displaced, deprived. At times, their only resources are faith, crumbling buildings and resilience. Locked inside these resources though, is a tremendous wealth of talents waiting to be used to create for African Americans well-deserved permanent, prominent places in America, not as victims but as victors. The execution of the project will follow the model established by the Biblical Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem. As such, leadership is guided by faith and the focus on the division of labor and specializations from within the community. RCDC’s hard asset is the 65,000 square feet former Riverside “Equalization School”. The building is situated on 49 acres of land straddling the boundaries of the town and county of Saluda. It borders a recently established Saluda Commercial Park for Saluda County. The proximity to the town and nearby enterprises gives this asset the quality of prime property in a prime location. The three areas of emphasis for the project shall be: 1) A workforce development project that facilitates the creation of well-needed transitional housing and a specialized food & nutrition training destined to serve the cluster of growing agricultural enterprises in the surrounding area; 2) An enhanced After-School Program that will affirmatively prepare disadvantaged members of this rural community form an early age for higher education and skills acquisition; 3) Recreational and other community activities that will make Saluda attractive as a place to live, work and play. Sites such as Riverside must be respected, supported, and preserved. If retained, the positive elements of their history can form the foundation on which to build communities. If nurtured to evolve with changing times they provide not only foundation but also, the backbone to support their viability for generations. This is what we hope for Riverside whose history provides context for the RCDC Nehemiah Project 24. Riverside High School was built during an era when educational opportunities for Black people was a primary issue at the federal level of the United States Government in Washington. In 1951, South Carolina passed legislation to fund a statewide program of school construction for new African American elementary and high schools across South Carolina in both rural and urban areas. This equalization school program, built on the concept of “separate but equal”, was intended to circumvent a potential desegregation ruling by the Supreme Court when, on appeal from the U.S. District court for the Eastern District of South Carolina, Briggs v. Elliot became one of the five cases combined into Brown v. Board of Education. In 1954, Riverside School was built as an “Equalization School” for Black people in Saluda County. It served students from grades 1-12. That same year the Supreme Court declared racial segregation in public schools to be unconstitutional and required state schools to be integrated.(Brown v. Board of Education) As a result, Riverside became Riverside Middle School, an integrated school that served Saluda County as a formal education site. In 2001, the Saluda Education Complex was built and the following year the last tenant vacated the premises. Now standing as an empty building, the future of Riverside was in jeopardy. The school building and all of its history faced possible demolition. Concerned citizens of Saluda’s Black community united to save the historical premises. In March 2003, Riverside Community Development Corporation (“RCDC”), a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization obtained the building and the 49 acres of land.
What motivated you/your community/your team to begin this project?
Resources for the Black community in Saluda were still lacking. The vision for RCDC was clear: Use the property to provide services to uplift the community focusing on programs for children, adults, entrepreneurship and education. Most importantly, the Riverside School property stood as a monument to the history of a struggling community that persevered in its efforts to rise up from bondage to become victors instead of victims.
What challenges have you faced in this project?
1. Funding challenges loom large. RCDC, though a sub-grantee for an After-School Program, had never been the beneficiary of any federal, state or county grant money. The organization had been sustained thus far by independent fundraising and a corporate donor that has since excused itself. These contributions were hardly enough to maintain the 65,000 square feet structure. The building, while still structurally sound, has fallen into disrepair and cannot house community projects. 2. Community fatigue: After so many years of regression instead of progress, especially since the pandemic, the community needs a “booster shot” to get involved again so they can help address social concerns and development solutions that fits the current context of a rapidly developing Saluda County. They need to see a clear vision that they can buy into. 3. Leadership & Skillsets: The development of RCDC is a multi-million-dollar project because of its size. Projects of this caliber require sophisticated skillsets and experienced leadership.
How have you solved problems and found solutions? What advice would you give to others doing this kind of work?
The problems RCDC face have been identified but are yet to be solved. Our focus is now on implementing solutions which are couched in terms of: A purposeful, committed Board of Directors that Appoints an experienced Executive Director/CEO who has A viable Business Plan projected into 3-5 years. A non-profit organization is to be understood as an entity that can generate revenue. It must endeavor to use its assets or other resources to generate revenues whenever possible. It is important to get the community it serves involved as well as the broader community that also benefits indirectly. Hence, effective marketing is a necessity. Position the organization to benefit from government and foundation funding of which there is plenty. While doing so, understand that donors, grantors and lenders are making an investment. Consequently, the return on the investment must be clearly identifiable. This may not necessarily be a financial reward but a measurable social impact.
For more….
If you are interested in ensuring RCDC succeeds in its endeavor and become a template for similar historical sites, please contact: Vonnie@vonnierochester.com.
The Featured Projects series focuses on historic preservation projects focused on preserving Black history throughout SC. Each project is asked to respond to four prompts. We hope this series helps bring awareness to the stunning number and variety of preservation projects being undertaken across the state, highlights the dedication of our community leaders, and inspires future generations of projects.
Want to feature your preservation project? Send us an email here.
Provide a brief summary of your project, making sure to include why it’s important for African American historic preservation.
We successfully nominated Sims High School in Union, South Carolina, to the National Register of Historic Places in 2023. The project included photographing and documenting the building’s condition, networking with alumni to record their memories of the school, and researching the local history of racial segregation and integration in education. Sims High School was the center of the Black community in Union County. It has remained a point of pride for many people. To preserve the school building is to keep Black history in Union tangible and visible. Very few historic Black schools still stand in Union County, making Sims High School a precious resource.
What motivated you/your community/your team to begin this project?
The motivation for this project came primarily from alumni who wanted to see their former school preserved. They care deeply about Sims High School. The building contains their memories and is the foundation for their legacies. It’s where they formed lifelong friendships, gained an education, and built a community. Alumni of Sims High School graduated between 1956 and 1970. They want to see something happen with this building in their lifetime.
What challenges have you faced in this project?
One challenge was to move quickly. The nomination process is long and a building as large as Sims High School is complex to document. My wife and I did the nomination as volunteers, so finding time to give proper attention to the project could be hard. Preservation projects are a race against time. The Sims High School building has not been used since 2009, so its condition is worsening as each year passes. One of the reasons that alumni and supporters wanted to get the building listed in the National Register of Historic Places was to make it eligible for historic tax credits. This could support investment in the building’s rehabilitation, restoration, adaptive reuse, or even its continued use as an educational facility.
How have you solved problems and found solutions? What advice would you give to others doing this kind of work?
If you’re having trouble documenting the history of a place/building, find the local experts. Talk to people. Let them guide you and tell you why this place is important. Curtiss Hunter organized multiple community meetings where alumni discussed the significance and history of Sims High School. These meetings were indispensable sources of information. Various people shared their perspectives, stories, knowledge, and memories. Dr. Tom Crosby had already gathered and organized historic photos, articles, programs, and other records establishing facts, timelines, and a narrative for the school’s history.
The Featured Projects series focuses on historic preservation projects focused on preserving Black history throughout SC. Each project is asked to respond to four prompts. We hope this series helps bring awareness to the stunning number and variety of preservation projects being undertaken across the state, highlights the dedication of our community leaders, and inspires future generations of projects.
Want to feature your preservation project? Send us an email here.
Provide a brief summary of your project, making sure to include why it’s important for African American historic preservation.
Hope School is dear to me because my parents John & Willie M. Flemon chaired a nine member committee to buy Hope school back from the Newberry School District in 1958 for $500.00. They sold hot dogs, hamburgers and sodas to raise the funds. I was young, but I remember walking up to the Hope School with my mom to build the fire so it would be warm when the crowd gathered. Also, nine of my siblings attended Hope School. I was the youngest living, but I didn’t attend Hope School. I started school in Pomaria, at Garmany Elementary in 1955. Later, my sister Lillie and J. Louis Flemon started a fundraiser to help put windows in the Hope School because they learned that building had great history where they had attended school. Their health failed and God gave me a vision to carry on. In 2004, I wrote a grant and was awarded $150,000 to restore the Hope School.
What motivated you/your community/your team to begin this project?
I was motivated to begin the preservation project by my family’s love for the Hope School. I saw them put forth effort for that building since I was very young and l am so thankful to have firsthand (history) information about the Hope School.
What challenges have you faced in this project?
I faced challenges during the restoration project in getting faithful and honest workers to do a good job. Make sure you read the contractor’s quote carefully.Read carefully the start time frame from beginning to end.Visit the project regularly to see what is going on.Always do a walk down before paying the contractor their final payment.Time was a factor also. Make sure you check on the contractors work during the week
How have you solved problems and found solutions? What advice would you give to others doing this kind of work?
I solved problems by letting go of workers. I called them, and sent them pictures of their unsatisfactory work. I would ask them to come back and correct their work in five days. Try hiring contractors with a good rating, with a license. Make sure the contractor has a written contract. The best way to solve problems is not to get the cheapest person to do your work.
