The African American Civil Rights Grant totals $33,500 and It will fund research into sites that could be added to a list of Illinois' African-American historic places.
Charles Pearson is the consultant in charge of surveying the city to find historic sites. He says the Rock Island County Court House was a center of protests during the Civil Rights era.
"But also historically at the court house, you had lynchings on the side of the court house. So it's just a lot of various stories and history that still is significant when it comes to educating the local community."
Some sites, like Douglas Park, might also be designated as tourist opportunities--with self-guided walking tours and bike routes between historic sites as early as next year.
"So that way when it comes to the economy and having people want to spend money to get a black experience, we want to be prepared for that when it comes to the summer season."
Pearson says the city of Rock Island deserves credit for recognizing the neglected stories of its African-American population and embracing them as part of the city's history.
The grant comes from the National Park Service's Historic Preservation Fund.
