North Hempstead receives grant to preserve civil rights history
North Hempstead Town Hall is seen in this undated photo. Credit: Town of North Hempstead
The National Park Service has awarded a $50,000 grant to North Hempstead to go toward preserving the town’s sites and stories related to the nation’s civil rights movement.
North Hempstead was one of two New York State communities to receive the federal grant, along with the Weeksville neighborhood in Brooklyn. The agency will fund 38 other civil rights projects in 20 states across the nation, for a total of more than $7.5 million, NPS officials said in a news release.
North Hempstead’s grant money will be used to film and record “Long Island Luminaries,” an oral history of how the town played a role in the civil rights movement.
The footage will be digitally stored and used to create an accessible library hosted on the town’s website. Town officials said they hope to partner with local schools, libraries, historians and community groups to launch the interviews.
Former and current town residents who were part of the civil rights movement will be asked to participate in interviews, officials said. Town residents who want to share their stories should call the town’s 311 call center.
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