Understanding African-American History Through Preservation

Preserving historical sites was the topic of this year’s African – American History Month keynote lecture at UNC.

Dr. Bettye Collier-Thomas spoke Monday about recognizing African American historical sites. As Chancellor Carol Folt noted, Collier-Thomas has been apart of that history herself.

“She studies history, but she is in fact a piece of history,” said Folt.

Dr. Bettye Collier-Thomas. Photo via Temple University

Collier-Thomas is a professor of history at Temple University. Her work has focused on African-American women’s history and the preservation of important sites. Collier-Thomas has personally worked to have certain sites added to the national registry. But deciding what is historically significance is not simple.

“The central questions that get raised are – what constitutes history? And what deserves to be preserved? And who gets to decide what and who is important and what is historic?”

Throughout most of American history those question have been answered by governments who were reluctant to embrace the realities of African American history said Collier-Thomas.

“[Sites] that are considered too controversial and raise questions about the nature of American democracy that white dominated local and state governments do not want to address,” said Collier-Thomas.

According to Collier-Thomas, out of the 90 National Historic sites only 10 recognize African Americans. Out of the 57 national memorials, 2 honor African Americans, the African-American Civil War Memorial and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, which was privately funded.

Collier-Thomas mentioned a historical tour she took in New Orleans. She recounted questioning the host why they went to the sites they did. The host responded that they simply followed a script. That concerned Collier-Thomas because that script ends up shaping historical perceptions.

“What the public who travel to these historic cities see, they see what those tour companies and people decide they should see and it’s not sites about black people,” said Collier-Thomas.

Gentrification is an issue for the ongoing efforts of preserving sites important to African-American history.

“Many of [the sites] are in urban areas that were once black strongholds but are now gentrified areas that are predominately white and know little about black history,” said Collier-Thomas.

Collier-Thomas said sites usually get recognized because someone in the community is advocating for its preservation. She urged young African Americans to get involved with preservation and to learn more about their local history.

“I hope the black millennials, in particular, will embrace this history and recognize the importance of preserving these important properties to the collective memory of African Americans, their identities and their communities,” said Collier-Thomas.

Understanding African-American History Through Preservation

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