Preservation of the Black Religious Heritage Project surveys

ca. 1989-1990

The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture launched its Preservation of the Black Religious Heritage Project in January 1989 with a $300,000 grant from the Lilly Endowment, Inc. The second project grant of $250,853 was awarded in October 1990. In undertaking this initiative, the Schomburg Center recognized the pivotal roles played by religious bodies in acting on social and economic concerns within the African American community, in addition to their spiritual functions. The goal of the project was to create a more comprehensive base of Black religious resources at the Schomburg Center and serve as a catalyst for preserving such resources in churches, religious bodies, and other repositories. The Schomburg Center wanted to develop collections that provided a strong foundation for the study of the spiritual aspects of the Black religious experience while documenting the role of the church in Black economic, political, and social life through survey answers. Additionally, the Schomburg Center sought to be the permanent home for these institutions' collections. A seven-member Scholars Advisory Council was organized, as well as an interdenominational National Advisory Board, along with project archivist Victor Smythe. Two major symposia brought together interdenominational and interfaith audiences composed of scholars, seminarians, clergy, and lay persons from across the country to address historical and contemporary concerns.

Surveys of historical records were completed in 70 churches in 12 cities across the country, encompassing 16 different denominations and faiths. Surveys were initiated in an additional 43 churches. Churches were recruited through mailings, direct contact by the project archivist and advisory committee members, newspaper articles, and radio interviews about the project.