The mission of the Curtis H. Sykes Memorial Grant's funding body, the Black History Commission of Arkansas (BHCA), is dedicated to the preservation of African American history, culture, and heritage in Arkansas. This commitment is demonstrated through advocacy, education initiatives, and supporting the inclusion of African American history in academic curricula. The grant program is named after Curtis H. Sykes, a dedicated community activist, historian, and educator, reflecting his lifelong commitment to historical preservation and education.
The Curtis H. Sykes Memorial Grant Program focuses on supporting projects related to African American historic and historical preservation as well as public programming within Arkansas. The grant welcomes applications year-round and encourages projects that include historical research, exhibits, workshops, publications, oral history interviews, documentary films, and cemetery preservation and documentation. The grant program evaluates applications based on criteria such as the applicant's track record with previous grants, the feasibility of completing the project within the proposed timeline and budget, and the project's alignment with the grant's broad goals of preserving and promoting African American history and culture in Arkansas.