Each year, the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office (PA SHPO) recognizes the hard work and dedication of outstanding organizations, municipalities, agencies, and individuals whose work embodies the theme of Pennsylvania’s statewide historic preservation plan, #PreservAtionHappensHere, with a PA SHPO Community Initiative Award.
Continue readingCategory: African American history (Page 6 of 7)
October is the opportunity to explore the arts in your local community as part of National Arts and Humanities Month. This month-long celebration was established to honor of the founding of the National Endowment for the Arts in 1965.
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400 Years of African American History
It’s been 400 years since the documented arrival of African people in America. In August 1619 the first enslaved Africans were brought to the English colonies at Point Comfort, Virginia. To recognize the contributions and commemorate the resilience of African Americans, the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission (PHMC) will be sharing highlights from the Pennsylvania Historical Markers dedicated to African Americans and the contributions they’ve made to Pennsylvania’s rich and diverse heritage.
Continue readingEarlier this month, PHMC approved 18 new historical markers to the collection of over 2,500 for subjects that run the gamut from notable athletes to a late 19th century African American archaeological site in Mercer County. Continue reading

Showing the Love for Crawford Grill No. 2, a Once Swinging Hot Spot in Pittsburgh
Like many urban areas, Pittsburgh had a vibrant nighttime music scene presenting fabulous music of all genres. But it was jazz music that flowed freely from one major venue, the Crawford Grill. In our second post this Black History Month, read on about this amazing place. Continue reading

Offbeat Outing: The Green Book in Philadelphia
Some of my colleagues are known to check their Facebook accounts while they drink their morning coffee, and on more than one occasion that has resulted in a Facebook message or email with the subject line “I have a great idea…” One of these great ideas led to one of the more interesting, informative, and eye-opening surveys I’ve done – Green Book locations in Philadelphia. Continue reading

Caring for African American Cemeteries with PA Hallowed Grounds
Throughout Pennsylvania, African American burial grounds are often lost or destroyed due to lack of permanent markers and documentation, dwindling community presence and awareness of the cemetery’s existence, vandalism, land ownership disputes, and a host of other issues to which their sensitive nature renders them vulnerable. Continue reading

What do Slinky, the Wizard of Oz, poinsettas, and a Rev War personality have in common?
You win the prize if you said, “They will all have historical markers in PA!”. The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission recently approved 16 new historical markers! This year’s selections deliver another eclectic mix of pop culture, military, African American, film, and medical subjects. Continue reading
Each year, the statewide nonprofit Preservation Pennsylvania puts out a call for nominations to its Pennsylvania At Risk list, made up of sites determined to be among the commonwealth’s most endangered historic resources. In 2018, four remarkable places that are part of Pennsylvania’s history were added to the list and will become Preservation Pennsylvania’s work priorities for the year. Continue reading

Studying African American history in Pennsylvania
February is national African American history month. All over the country, communities are discovering, celebrating, and acknowledging the places that tell the stories of African American history and experience. This is the perfect time for us to talk about one of our newest initiatives to study African American history in Pennsylvania. Continue reading
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