Have you ever walked past an old building or cemetery, wondering about the untold stories it holds? Across America, countless historical sites linked to African American heritage risk being lost forever—not just to demolition or neglect, but to the simple passage of time as their stories remain untold. One organization has been fighting to change that, and their latest innovation is bringing these stories to your fingertips.
The Foundation With a Mission to Remember
The African American Heritage Preservation Foundation, Inc. (AAHPF) is a not-for-profit organization with a mission to preserve, maintain, and raise awareness of little-known African American historical sites located primarily in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast Regions of the United States.
AAHPF founder, E. Renée Ingram undertook the effort in the early 1990s to get her family’s cemetery (The Stanton Family Cemetery) placed on the Commonwealth of Virginia Landmarks Register and National Register of Historic Places.
The Stanton Family Cemetery became the first free African American privately held family cemetery to be placed on these registers in 1993. As a result of these efforts, Ingram was inspired to do the same for similar sites around the country and in 1993 founded the African American Heritage Preservation Foundation.
In the 27 years since its inception, AAHPF has continued to successfully engage and gain recognition for these endangered and little-known African American sites. Today, the Foundation also serves as a resource center for community groups, preservationists, and many others in terms of research and connection.
Creating an app as a mobile and online presence for the Foundation to raise awareness was a natural next step in helping expand AAHPF’s resources, as well as expanding access for communities.
With the app, the Foundation continues to serve groups such as community groups, genealogical societies, non-profit organizations, and government entities in new ways.
The Challenge
African American historical sites face multiple challenges that threaten their existence. "So many African American endangered sites face immediate threats from demolition, deterioration, environment, surrounding development, or infrastructure projects," Ingram notes. What makes these threats particularly insidious is how they compound over time—lack of recognition leads to lack of maintenance, which accelerates deterioration.
The Foundation's board had discussed developing a mobile app focused on endangered sites for several years. Surprisingly, the COVID-19 pandemic created an unexpected opportunity to turn this idea into reality.
"Ironically, the pandemic provided us with the opportunity to focus on the mobile app and expand the scope to include other African American sites to engage and appeal to a larger audience," says Ingram.
Like many organizations during lockdowns, AAHPF recognized the critical importance of virtual engagement. As they explored the possibilities, they realized a digital app could dramatically expand their reach beyond their traditional regional focus to encompass the entire nation.
— E. Renée Ingram, AAHPF FounderThe end user has so many options and flexibility of ease in this app. It provides a summary of the site, direct links to the documentation of the site, virtual tours, and educational lesson plans where applicable.
The Solution
Working with the STQRY app building platform, the Foundation created African American Sites—a comprehensive mobile application featuring over 1,700 African American heritage sites throughout the United States and its territories. The app represents a technological breakthrough for historical preservation in several ways.
Before the app, finding information about these sites often required navigating multiple disconnected websites. Now, users can access everything in one place. Each listing includes a concise summary of the site's significance along with relevant links to:
- Virtual tours
- Educational lesson plans
- Historical documentation
- Location information
"The end user has so many options and flexibility of ease in this app," Ingram explains. "It provides a summary of the site, direct links to the documentation, virtual tours, and educational lesson plans where applicable."
The app's scope extends far beyond endangered sites alone. Users can explore heritage trails, military sites, landmarks, and museums—getting a comprehensive understanding of how African American sites have shaped American history.
To build this extensive database, the Foundation collaborated with the Smithsonian, the National Park Service, state and local organizations, and even private property owners.
The Result
The app's popularity quickly led to a second, enhanced version featuring advanced capabilities like geofencing. This innovative feature notifies users when they're physically near a historical site, creating a seamless connection between digital exploration and real-world visits.
"The STQRY platform has been very easy to use as an administrator for updating and adding sites to the app," Ingram says, highlighting the importance of having user-friendly tools when managing such an extensive information database.
Beyond raising awareness, the app has created new opportunities for the Foundation's mission. "The app has provided us more visibility and hopefully more financial support to maintain and add features to the app, and to achieve our goals," notes Ingram.
One of those goals is particularly exciting: developing a Historic Preservation Bricks and Mortar Fund. This 2022 grant program will provide funding to eligible 501(c)(3) organizations for projects that restore endangered African American properties and foster their economic development within communities.
Create Your Own Storytelling App with STQRY
STQRY makes it easy for organizations to preserve and share cultural history through mobile apps. No coding required—just an intuitive platform and expert support to help bring your vision to life.
Want to amplify your mission like the African American Heritage Preservation Foundation? Try the STQRY Builder for free and start sharing your story today.