AL.com reports that twenty African American heritage sites have been named to the 2018 World Monuments Watch List. The announcement was made during a press conference at Historic Bethel Baptist Church early this week.

The list helps preserve sites with historical importance that are danger of being destroyed due to neglect or development. The African American sites date back both to the Reconstruction era and to the civil rights movement.

Birmingham Civil Rights Institute President Andrea Taylor said that the designation is an "unprecedented commitment to save 20 churches, hotels, schools and homes that were places of inspiration, shelter and comfort in Alabama."

It was the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute that nominated the sites to be included on the list, with the hope that inclusion on the list would bring donations to help with the restoration and upkeep of the historic locations.

After nominating the sites, the Institute joined with other organizations to form the Alabama African American Civil Rights Heritage Sites Consortium, which work on projects related to the redevelopment and promotion of the sites. The first project will be creating a library of oral histories related to the sites during the civil rights movement.

"Now it is time to take our stories back," said project consultant Georgette Norman.

Joshua David, the president and CEO of World Monuments Fund praised the efforts to the Consortium after the watch list was announced.

"The Alabama Civil Rights Sites Consortium embodies World Monuments Fund's efforts to support conservation work that can drive positive social change for communities around the world," David said. "The churches, homes, and meeting places we have recognized represent our best and most treasured human values. We aim to celebrate and share these inspiring stories of courage and resolve, paving the way for a sustained legacy of action and social justice."

The next step, according to Alabama Civil Rights Sites Consortium director Priscilla Cooper, is to collect oral histories of the sites, to build a web presence and to get young residents involved.

Check out the complete list of Alabama's 2018 World Monuments Watch List sites below:

In Birmingham

Old Sardis Baptist Church

Sixteenth Street Baptist Church

Historic Bethel Baptist Church

St. Paul United Methodist Church

The Ballard House

In Selma and Black Belt

Brown Chapel AME Church

First (Colored) Baptist Church

Jackson Family Home

Tabernacle Baptist Church – Selma

Jackson Family/SNCC Compound – White Hall

Safe House Black History Museum – Greensboro

In Montgomery

Ben Moore Hotel

Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church

Dexter Avenue King Parsonage

First Baptist Church

Dr. Richard Harris' House

Jackson Community House and Museum

Mt. Zion AME Zion Church

Old Ship AME Zion Church

United (formerly Trinity) Lutheran Church Parsonage

african american heritage

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