For the 12th annual HALS Challenge, the Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) invites you to document historic Black landscapes. Black people have built and shaped the American landscape in immeasurable ways. Examining these histories and spaces will expand our understanding of America’s past and future. From plantations to segregated cities, the nation’s landscapes retain the physical manifestations of our racist history. Yet historic Black landscapes also represent creative achievements and reflect Black culture, as seen in residential gardens, parks, and college campuses across this country. Documenting historic Black landscapes will reveal patterns of community that have been built over the course of four hundred years.

 

Some useful and inspiring resources:

 

African American Heritage | U.S. National Park Service

Commemorating 400 Years of African American Heritage | U.S. National Park Service

African American History: Places and People | National Trust for Historic Preservation

Telling Our Full Story | National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers (NCSHPO)