Preserving African-American history in America's national parks!

From historic sites that preserve the legacies of the Tuskegee Airmen and Frontiersmen at Nicodemus, to ones that tell the stories of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Mary McLeod Bethune, George Washington Carver and Maggie L. Walker, among others, our national parks are rich with African American history!

Many aspects of African American history and the national park sites that reflect diverse history and culture are well-kept secrets because of limited visibility and funding, which are often barriers to greater youth, community and visitor engagement.

Our mission at the African American Experience Fund (AAEF) is to connect all Americans to the considerable contributions of African Americans throughout our country's history that are commemorated and brought to life in our national parks.

As a program of the National Park Foundation, the official charity of America’s national parks, AAEF is working to reverse barrier access to culturally diverse sites to ensure the untold and under-told stories they tell are shared with future generations. Since 2001, we have raised private funds to support educational, volunteer and community engagement programs in the national parks and historic sites that honor the African American experience.

Through our work and private support, AAEF is helping to cultivate future generations of African American history storytellers, archivists and preservationists in our national parks. A visit to an AAEF site can be a life-changing experience! Support the AAEF and our historic sites here!