Black in Historic Preservation’s
Preservation + Belonging Lab
Mission:
To produce research that interrogates the status quo in the preservation enterprise and that supports a sense of belonging in the field
Research Initatives
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(un)Redact the Facts
Narrative change for a sense of belonging in the built environment
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Preservation + Belonging Survey (2025)
An IRB-approved national survey about being Black and belonging in historic preservation.
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Beyond Integrity in (X)
Narrative change about what belongs on a landmark register and is worthy of historic landmark designation
FAQ
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September 2025. Read the press release, click here.
The announcement is also on Instagram: click here.
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The Principal Investigator (PI) is Black in Historic Preservation Founder and Program Director k. kennedy Whiters. In 2025, she completed Human Subjects Protection (HSP) Training, offered by the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI), an Independent Review Board (IRB)-approved training program from a US-based academic institution.
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Starting September 10, 2025: BRANY IRB, an Institutional Review Board (IRB) consultant that is AAHRPP-accredited, reviews and approves studies issued by the Lab.
Although IRB review is not required for the Lab’s research, as of September 2025, its home organization, wrkSHap kiloWatt, has hired an IRB consultant to review and approve its studies to ensure that the Lab practices ethical research practices.