New attention is being drawn to the lack of preservation efforts for the homes of Black literary legends. 

According to an in-depth report from The Guardian, the homes of writers such as Toni Morrison and Langston Hughes are showing signs of dilapidation, despite being designated as historical sites. However, no moves have been made to secure that status for the properties.  

"My initial reaction was, 'Why isn't anyone doing anything here?' Even to this day, I wonder why Northeast Ohio feels so stuck," said Tara L. Conley, an assistant professor at Kent State University's School of Media and Journalism. According to The Guardian, she experienced fury and frustration firsthand in 2019 when she visited Morrison's childhood home in Lorain, Ohio, just 30 miles from Cleveland. She says the house is unmarked and rapidly deteriorating.

 "And if you talk to other Black folks who grew up here, you might hear the same thing," Conley told the outlet. 

The home is privately owned, as evidenced by the political signs she noticed around the property, according to the report. The Guardian states that there are currently no initiatives to place a historical marker or preserve the home in any way. 

Similarly, Hughes' Cleveland property has seen several changes since its intended demolition in 2009, including a refurbishment before being sold for $85,000 to a private owner in 2013. Being privately held means that the owner is responsible for any historical markers or other designations of its status, if they choose to pursue them at all. These dwellings, however, illustrate a far bigger pattern of ignoring Black writers' crucial legacies, even after they have died.

The statistics on the preservation of African American historical sites reflect this. Only 2% of the 95,000 entries in the National Register of Historic Places are about the lives, experiences, and cultures of African Americans.

In response to this dismal figure, the National Trust for Historic Preservation established the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund in 2017. The goal, led by architect and preservationist Brent Leggs, who now serves as executive director, was to focus intently on accumulating these Black touchstones and recognizing them as valuable.

He told The Guardian, "What's so beautiful about the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund - as we're eight years in as an emerging social movement advocating for an increased recognition and celebration of Black people and Black history - is that we're creating a big tent of advocates.”