News Release
NPS Photo
News Release Date: October 3, 2019
Contact: NewsMedia@nps.gov
WASHINGTON - From the Mary McLeod Bethune Council House in Washington, D.C. to the Seventh Ward of New Orleans, the struggle for racial equality is told through powerful places, people, and moments in history. Yesterday the National Park Service announced 22 sites and programs that commemorate, honor, and interpret the significant time period between 1939-1968 as parts of the African American Civil Rights Network (AACRN).
The National Park Service formally announced 18 national park sites and programs, and designated four more resources as part of the AACRN. The 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama; Leona Tate Foundation in New Orleans, Louisiana; Rhode Island Historical Society’s “20th Century African Heritage Civil Rights in Rhode Island” webpage from Providence, Rhode Island; and the Civil Rights Movement Veterans Website join the AACRN, a growing group of federal and non-federal properties, facilities, and programs (collectively called resources) that commemorate, honor and interpret the history of the African American Civil Rights movement between 1939-1968.
“The National Park Service preserves and interprets all Americans’ stories, from the complex transformation efforts of the Reconstruction era to the milestone events in social justice and civil rights,” said National Park Service Deputy Director David Vela. “Through the African American Civil Rights Network, we will share a more inclusive history of the trials and victories that shaped the modern civil rights movement.”
The AACRN, sponsored by Congressman William Lacy Clay and signed into law by President Donald J. Trump in January 2018, was established to recognize the importance of the African American civil rights movement and the sacrifices made by the people who fought against discrimination and segregation.
Discover the Network
Twenty-eight sites currently exist on the AACRN, 18 of which are owned or administered by the National Park Service. For a full list of sites on the AACRN, visit https://www.nps.gov/subjects/civilrights/discover-the-network.htm.
National Park Service sites and programs that are part of the Network:
Anacostia Park (Washington, D.C.)
Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument (Birmingham, Ala.)
Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site (Topeka, Kans.)
Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site (Washington, D.C.)
Freedom Riders National Monument (Anniston, Ala.)
Lincoln Memorial (Washington, D.C.)
Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site (Little Rock, Ark.)
Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park (Johnson City, Tex.)
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial (Washington, D.C.)
Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park (Atlanta, Ga.)
Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site (Washington, D.C.)
Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial (Martinez, Calif.)
Pullman National Monument (Chicago, Ill.)
Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail (Ala.)
Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site (Tuskegee, Ala.)
Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site (Tuskegee, Ala.)
Recently Designated Network Resources:
16th Street Baptist Church (Birmingham, Ala.)
Civil Rights Movement Veterans Website
Leona Tate Foundation (New Orleans, La.)
Rhode Island Historical Society’s “20th Century African Heritage Civil Rights in Rhode Island” webpage (Providence, R.I.)
Join the Network
The inclusion of properties, facilities, and programs (collectively called resources) in the Network is an opportunity to ensure that the history of the civil rights movement and the sacrifices made by those who fought for its cause are told and commemorated. Eligible resources are encouraged to apply to be part of the network. To learn about AACRN eligibility, review model applications, and submit nominations, visit go.nps.gov/AACRN.
Last updated: October 3, 2019