Chicago's Wabash YMCA is still telling the story of African American history

An historic YMCA building in Bronzeville is getting $50,000 to help preserve its place in telling the African American story.

Why it matters: The Wabash Avenue YMCA at 3763 S. Wabash was a critical destination during the Great Migration and during the Civil Rights Movement, but it closed more than 50 years ago.

• Carter G. Woodson first announced Negro History Week, which became Black History Month, at the Wabash Y.

Driving the news: The National Trust for Historic Preservation announced Thursday that the Wabash Avenue YMCA is a recipient of an African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund grant.

Zoom out: The fund was created in 2017 to help preserve places and cultural assets that ensure the African American experience is documented in the re-telling of American history.

Zoom in: The Wabash YMCA building is now run by Renaissance Collaborative, Inc ., and the grant will establish art exhibits and tours about its history.

What's next: After restoration of the building and new programming, Renaissance Collaborative expects to re-open the building in the first half of 2025, a spokesperson tells Axios.