Pacific Northwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU)

January 7, 2025

NPS Funding Opportunity: Prepare National Historic Landmark Nomination(s) Associated With African American Civil Rights in California

PWR_Civil Rights_RLI_2025_FINALDownload

REQUEST FOR LETTERS OF INTEREST FOR A PROJECT TO BE INITIATED THROUGH THE COOPERATIVE ECOSYSTEM STUDIES UNITS (CESU) NETWORK

PROJECT TITLE: PREPARE NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK NOMINATION(S) ASSOCIATED WITH AFRICAN AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS IN CALIFORNIA

The National Park Service (NPS) is seeking the assistance of principal investigator(s) for a project to nominate a property (site, building, structure, object or district) as a National Historic Landmark (NHL) related to African American civil rights history.

ELIGIBILITY:
This opportunity is open to non‐federal members of the CESU National Network. Information on the CESU National Network can be accessed at https://www.cesu.org.

Background:
The NPS, Interior Regions 8, 9, 10, and 12 Preservation Partnerships Program (PWR‐PPP) wishes to nominate a property as a National Historic Landmark (NHL) related to African American civil rights history. Until recently, much of the history about the Western United States focused primarily on Westward Expansion, prioritizing European American settler colonialism, and tended to marginalize or exclude minority communities, including those of African Americans. There is a growing body of scholarship on the role and importance of African Americans in the West. Concurrently, there have been efforts to address the underrepresentation of historic properties associated with African American history that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places or Designated as National Historic Landmarks. People of African descent formed vibrant and active communities with life experiences that included, perseverance, self‐determination, racial discrimination and the overall fight for civil rights. There are important places that represent this history.

FUNDING: The project will be funded up to $43,770. This project will be administered by the National Park Service through a Task Agreement at the CESU Network IDC rate (17.5%). Applicants must have a Master Cooperative Agreement with NPS in place at the time of award.

DEADLINE: The deadline for responding to this letter of interest is February 28, 2025, by 5:00pm Pacific.

For more information, please see the attached PDF.