Photo by Garrett Cashman
Shiloh Baptist Church in Alexandria
This week, the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund announced a $13.5M grant to 30+ historically Black churches across the country — its largest investment to date.
Shiloh Baptist Church, a historically Black church located in Alexandria, received a $360,000 grant to enhance its worship space and preserve its structural integrity. This iconic landmark was founded by formerly enslaved African Americans in 1863 on the site of a contraband camp for enslaved people escaping to the Union during the Civil War.
Founded in 1863, the church is located at 1401 Jamieson Ave. Taft Quincey Heatley currently serves as the 12th senior pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church.
"We are honored to support the stewardship of Shiloh Baptist Church's sacred worship space through the Preserving Black Churches initiative," said Brent Leggs, executive director of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund.
"This investment will help to address structural issues in Shiloh’s historic sanctuary and continue to preserve its legacy as a gateway to freedom for enslaved African Americans during the Civil War," he said. "Preserving sites like Shiloh is essential to telling the full story of America."
As America celebrates its 250th anniversary this year, the Action Fund’s Preserving Black Churches program underscores the Black churches’ role in preserving American history. Black churches have played a significant role in strengthening social justice movements, creating the foreground for communal advocacy and fostering democratic leadership.
This announcement comes at the end of the 100th celebration of Black History Month providing an opportunity for American citizens to reflect on the various contributions of Black religious institutions that are often overlooked.
Black History Month, which began Feb. 1, marks 100 years since historian Carter G. Woodson helped launch a national effort to recognize and teach Black history in the United States, and 50 years since the observance was formally recognized at the federal level.
