Amistad Research Center Receives Prestigious Award from the National Archives

Data News Staff Edited Report Recently, the National Archives awarded the Amistad Research Center $150,000 for the long-term preservation and digitization of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge Masons records, the most complete set of historical records relating to Prince Hall Freemasonry in Louisiana. These records highlight the significant role African American freemasonry played as part of Civil and Political Activism to attain equal rights from Reconstruction, through the Jim Crow Era, the Modern Civil Rights Movement, and beyond into the late 20th Century. The National Archives Grants Program is carried out through the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC). The purpose of NHPRC is to promote the preservation and use of America’s documentary heritage essential to understanding the nation’s democracy, history, and culture. “In February of this year, the Amistad Research Center (ARC) and the Louisiana Prince Hall Masons engaged in a Conversation in Color Public Program to discuss the Masons’ involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. This NHPRC Grant helps the ARC reach its mission to provide public access of rare documents to our stakeholders worldwide,” said Kathe Hambrick, the Amistad’s Executive Director.