Phylicia Rashad exudes black excellence. She has gifted us with her fine acting for over four decades, and earned the undisputed title for best TV mom of all time. Now, she is teaching us the importance of preserving our roots.

When a school in her mother Vivian Allen’s hometown of Chester, South Carolina was threatened with foreclosure Brainerd Institute, Allen reached out to her daughter with concern. The prestigious school, which was built for freedmen in 1866, was attended by both Rashad's mother and mother's parents. 

In an interview with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a DC-based nonprofit that took on the challenge of upholding Brainerd's history, Rashad said she was unsure of how to approach the possible closure of the historical institution. But she knew preservation of the landmark was something she had to act upon. 

The institute, which began as an elementary school, eventually became Brainerd Junior College, and produced many teachers until its closing in 1939. When the property up for sale in the late 1990s, Allen contacted her daughter to tell her "someone must do something."

The $25 million dollar initiative, The African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund–which Rashad serves as co-chair–is led by the NTHP, a DC-based nonprofit committed to preserving overlooked historic places, and advocating for underrepresented communities. According to the NTHP's website, the action fund is the "largest preservation campaign ever undertaken on behalf of African American history." It's mission is to highlight incredible stories centered around centuries of African-American activism and achievement, and to tell real versions of American history–not the colonized edition.

"All through my childhood, all through adolescence, and even womanhood, through my journey as a parent, my mother talked to us about Brainerd Institute. She talked to us about the disciplines. She talked to us about the education, the quality of the education," Rashad said. 

Rashad purchased the property in order to keep its story alive. 

 

Rashad wants to inspire stories of African American resilience.

"When people speak of our history, African American History, it's so laden with heaviness and gloom. and there's just not enough about the achievement and activism. And this is part of the truth that needs to be told." She exclaimed.

Here's a look at Rashad's interview with NTHP. 


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