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PRESS ROOM: The Conservation Fund Saves Historic Edistone Hotel from Wrecking Ball

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — The hotel links stories from the Civil War to Civil Rights and will be reimagined as a gathering place in Selma, Alabama.

Published

12 months ago

September 10, 2025

Oakland Post

The hotel links stories from the Civil War to Civil Rights and will be reimagined as a gathering place in Selma, Alabama.

SELMA, ALABAMA — Today, The Conservation Fund announced the protection of the historic Edistone Hotel. Built in 1855, the site links together stories of American tragedy, triumph, and perseverance. Before the Civil War, the site served as the location for Dallas County’s largest market for enslaved people. During Reconstruction, it housed the Freedman’s Bureau, which was established by Congress after the Civil War, to provide food, clothing, and shelter for newly freed African Americans. In the 1870s, the hotel proprietor offered equal accommodation to patrons, regardless of race. The Edistone hotel is steps from the Edmund Pettus Bridge, where in 1965 more than 500 civil rights marchers were beaten on their way to Montgomery, now memorialized as Bloody Sunday. The hotel was set to be demolished until The Conservation Fund stepped in, saving it from the wrecking ball. The organization is now working to secure its long-term protection and plans for this historic site.

“It’s unfathomable that the Edistone Hotel, a place so rich in American history, came so close to being lost forever,” said Phillip Howard, Manager of the Legacy Places Initiative for The Conservation Fund. “As the site of the Freedman’s Bureau after the Civil War, you can imagine that the Edistone Hotel was one of the first places a formerly enslaved person in the South would have been treated like a human. By saving the Edistone Hotel, we’re not just protecting the physical location. We’re protecting the stories and legacies of all those that passed through its doors, or stood at this site, and are ensuring those stories live on as part of our shared American history.” There are thousands of historic African American sites across the country that are at risk of being lost forever — to time, development, or indifference. The Conservation Fund is working with local communities and partners to identify these important places, such as important civil rights sites across the South, homes and farms that made up the Underground Railroad, and locations where priceless American culture — art, music, literature — was created.

“The journey to preserve the Edistone Hotel has been a rollercoaster of delight and despair,” said Sarah Aghedo, Executive Director of the Selma Redevelopment Authority. “Since 2022, when the National Trust for Historic Preservation provided funding for the hotel’s structural documentation, we have wondered if this Alabama ‘Place in Peril’ would be restored to tell its multi-layered history. We are grateful that The Conservation Fund was able to purchase the hotel, supporting the many private efforts to secure its future.” The Conservation Fund worked with MASS Design Group, a Boston-based architecture firm that specializes in projects that promote justice and human dignity, to develop renderings of the site. Based on feedback from community listening sessions, the renderings reimagine the Edistone as a museum, co-working space, and grocery store as part of Selma, Alabama’s downtown revitalization.

“The Edistone Hotel is part of the people’s public memory in downtown Selma and has the potential to be a collaborative case for how memorializing the past can be a catalyst for our shared futures, delivering resources and amenities for city residents and visitors, while honoring and acknowledging the location’s profound history,” said Jha D Amazi, principal at MASS Design Group. “We are honored to work with The Conservation Fund to help make this historical location a place to honor memory while revitalizing and activating the site in ways that build new collective capacities for the community.” The Edistone Hotel is the latest African American heritage site protected by The Conservation Fund. Other projects include Zora Neale Hurston’s final home, the Chattahoochee Brick Company Memorial Park in Georgia, the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Monument, the protection of formerly segregated beaches in Maryland, and the Freedom Riders National Monument in Alabama.

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Youth-Led Black August Event Brings Past to Present at East Oakland Boxing Association

The mission of Youth Alive! Is to “break the cycle of violence, heal trauma, and uplift a thriving community of leaders, to save lives in Oakland and beyond” by serving “as mentors, youth leaders, counselors, case managers, intervention specialists and violence interrupters,” working “to help violently wounded people heal themselves and their community.”
The post The mission of Youth Alive! Is to “break the cycle of violence, heal trauma, and uplift a thriving community of leaders, to save lives in Oakland and beyond” by serving “as mentors, youth leaders, counselors, case managers, intervention specialists and violence interrupters,” working “to help violently wounded people heal themselves and their community.” appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

7 days ago

August 29, 2026

Oakland Post

By Jana Lang Propel Youth Reporter

Youth-Led Black August Event Brings Past to Present at East Oakland Boxing Association

The East Oakland Boxing Association (EOBA) and Youth Alive! came together on Aug. 21 to share with their community all that Black August means to them.

Held on EOBA’s patio at 816 98th Ave. in Deep East Oakland, the two organizations hosted their second annual Black August Experience, featuring a food tasting, financial literacy and mindfulness workshops, and voter registration with the League of Women Voters Oakland (LWV).

Black August is known as a time to uphold the legacy of prisoners who protested their conditions by fasting, fighting, and educating themselves on the economic and political circumstances that contributed to their incarceration.

According to its website, “EOBA is a multi-service youth and community development hub that goes far beyond the ring. While rooted in the discipline of boxing, for nearly 40 years EOBA has also integrated robust programs in workforce development, food justice, afterschool enrichment, financial literacy, mentorship, and wellness.”.

The mission of Youth Alive! Is to “break the cycle of violence, heal trauma, and uplift a thriving community of leaders, to save lives in Oakland and beyond” by serving “as mentors, youth leaders, counselors, case managers, intervention specialists and violence interrupters,” working “to help violently wounded people heal themselves and their community.”

Through Coro California, another leadership organization serving young people across the state for 80 years, they gained a broader understanding of Black August.

EOBA Executive Director Dawna Williams spoke about how much she learned about Black August from the youth who created it. “I let them educate me,” she said. Instead of talking about prison reform and mass incarceration, Williams and youth interns found that Black August meant so much more. “We would have done a disservice if we had just focused on who the people were and what their situation was…We tried to take their message from back in the day and make it relevant to the young people today. What do they need to know?”

Youth interns created and placed posters around the patio to help participants understand how traditional Black foodways, civic engagement, financial literacy, and the power of education are relevant to Black resistance today.

An EOBA member described Black August with Youth ALIVE! as “a whole vibe. “This year we added the Fun Zone for the kids, because you really cannot go wrong with a Fun Zone. I also loved seeing everyone chillin’ in the outdoor lounge, catching some Vitamin D and just enjoying a Friday evening together.”

The food tasting, a popular event from last year, featured traditional Black foods such as black-eyed peas, johnny cakes, and fried chicken. Led by Williams, the tasting included a talk about how these traditional foods were made and why they are forms of Black resilience.

The “‘Plate of History’ was a favorite of the online writers. “Fun, educational, and did I mention delicious? Our Taste of History cook, Angela Southall, served up some good eats while connecting food to history and culture.”

The writer also commended the “League of Women Voters Oakland for their civic leadership and for getting our young people informed, ready, and registered to vote.”

Overall, it was a “good Friday event in East Oakland,” the writer said.

Upcoming Black August events: Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS), will host “Black August: The Arc of Liberation” at Oakland City Hall on Sat. Aug. 29, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The websites for East Oakland Boxing Association, Youth Alive! and CORO are sources for this report.

Jana Lang is an Oakland resident, teacher, gardener and poet participating in the Propel News Initiative.

The post The mission of Youth Alive! Is to “break the cycle of violence, heal trauma, and uplift a thriving community of leaders, to save lives in Oakland and beyond” by serving “as mentors, youth leaders, counselors, case managers, intervention specialists and violence interrupters,” working “to help violently wounded people heal themselves and their community.” appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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EV Home Charging Warning: What Dealerships Won’t Tell You! #shorts

Is your home EV charging setup ready? Dealerships may not warn you about critical outlet and circuit needs. Find out before you plug in!
The post EV Home Charging Warning: What Dealerships Won’t Tell You! #shorts appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

1 week ago

August 29, 2026

Oakland Post

Dealerships won’t tell you: charging this big battery at home isn’t always simple. Verify your outlet capacity, circuit, and setup before assuming level one or basic outdoor outlets will suffice.

Watch the full video: https://youtu.be/A9Cd2SspoaQ

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The post EV Home Charging Warning: What Dealerships Won’t Tell You! #shorts appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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Car Buying Secrets: Dealership Traps & How to Avoid Them #shorts

Don’t get tricked at the dealership! Learn essential car buying secrets to secure the best deal and avoid hidden traps.
The post Car Buying Secrets: Dealership Traps & How to Avoid Them #shorts appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

1 week ago

August 29, 2026

Oakland Post

Before stepping into a dealership, secure bank pre-approval for your financing rate. Then, get the out-the-door price in writing. Never discuss monthly payments until that number is fixed. Test road noise and rear visibility yourself. Decline add-ons with a simple ‘Not today’. Check backseat space with your tallest household member.

Watch the full video: https://youtu.be/maAOBjO1puY

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The post Car Buying Secrets: Dealership Traps & How to Avoid Them #shorts appeared first on BlackPressUSA.