Saving Sites of African American Cultural History

http://soultrain.com/2014/08/07/wsouleo-31/

Hinchliffe Stadium
Paterson, New Jersey
blog.preservationnation.org

Hello Everyone:

After spending sometime over the weekend cheering myself up after writing two obituaries in a row last week, yours truly is rested and ready to go.

Today we're going to look at "The Politics of Preserving African American Historic Sites."  This article comes from On the A w/Souleo, a weekly arts, culture and philanthropy in Harlem column, written by Souleo the founder and president of events/media production company Souleo Enterprises LLC.  This article looks at the efforts of Brent Leggs, senior field officier of the National Trust for Historic Preservation to return sites of African American to their former glory.  The post does offer a brief outline of some of the issues surrounding the preservation of African American cultural history but any real in-depth analysis.  Despite this brief overview, it is important to note that some of these places are located in or near urban centers undergoing transformation.  I say this is important because as our urban centers expand into regional centers, lesser known historic and cultural sites will come under threat unless there is an action plan in place.

Joe Frazier's Gym
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
nytimes.com

Currently, places like Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson, New Jersey are suffering from deterioration and vandalism.  However, if Mr. Leggs has his way, Hinchliffe Stadium and others places will find new lives.  One example is the Philadelphia gymnasium where boxing legend Joe Frazier once trained is now a discount furniture store. Villa Lewaro, the former home of Madame C.J. Walker the first self-made million, stands vulnerable to destruction.  Hinchliffe Stadium, once a site of Negro League baseball is also a target for destruction.

For Mr. Leggs, it is obvious that these are significant places of African American cultural history.  He is also aware that it will take some convincing of the general public to understand why these sites should be saved. This is particularly true for less important places which have gone unrecognized or no longer in use to their communities, where they often end up abandoned. "We are constantly asking what is the higher purpose for what we do?  How can preservation help to improve conditions in a blighted and predominantly diverse community?  We know that our responsibility is not just to save buildings but also to save lives...These sites should be anchors with a social justice component that addresses contemporary issues."  To this end, Mr. Leggs envisions a cultural and educational center for Joe Frazier's gym that also pays tribute to the boxer's legacy in the local community.  Mr. Leggs also envisions a center that could include a health and wellness component.

Villa Lewaro
Irvington, New York
en.wikipedia.org

One of the hinderances to preserving sites of African American culture is the dreaded g-word: gentrification.  In cities across the United States, gentrification is a controversial issue with one of its most intensely argued subjects being the demolition of historic sites and replacing them with more lucrative luxury condominium developments. According to Mr. Leggs, the razing of less publicized sites could be avoided by educating developers on the value of historic preservation and the tax incentives available to them.  Brent Leggs stated, "Many sites of diversity are places that, on the outside, don't appear to hold historical significance.  Thus, developers and investors that come in can easily consider the demolition of these historic places because they don't understand the value.  The thing is making sure we have identified places worth of being preserved."

The home of John Coltrane
Dix Hills, Huntington, Suffolk County, New York
preservationnation.org

Getting sites of diversity recognized usually involves having them listed on local, state, or the National Register of Historic Places.  Once these sites are designated landmark, they can qualify for federal tax credits that can be applied toward rehabilitation construction costs.  This can be a good incentive in getting developers and investors to preserve historic sites.  More than getting a historic site landmarked, Mr. Leggs advocates that sites become financially secure by developing a strong business model. According to Mr. Leggs, "The real challenge has been in the proper preservation planning to identify financially sustainable redevelopment strategies.  With the big issue being funding we have to create a new paradigm to have sites consider being a for-profit business and think about financial sustainability."

At the moment, Brent Leggs is working with a team to to create plans for Villa Lewaro.  The team's goal is generating ideas that will consider the revenue potential and establish the estate as a cultural attraction, not just a house museum.  To aid this goal, Toyota recently presented the National Trust with $10,000 at the 2014 National Association of Black Journalists Convention and Career Fair in Boston. Choice of location for this year's NABJ was a deliberate one as the organization wants to attract more media awareness for greater support and ultimately more funding.

In 2011, the NABJ received an anonymous $50,000 donation and pro bono architectural services to protect the Dix Hills, New York home of jazz great (and personal favorite) John Coltrane.  Mr. Leggs credits this sizable donation to media interests that stemmed from the home's inclusion on the annual "America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list.  "The media has been an effective tool to reach the audience.  Once people are aware of the issue they generally take action to support our efforts."