The National Park Service (NPS) is seeking the services of a consultant through a cooperative agreement with the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) to produce 20-25 historically accurate, well-researched, and well-written profiles of individuals, organizations/groups, publications, places, etc. associated with the history of African Americans and the National Park Service, 1872-1965.

This project requires a consultant with a deep knowledge of the African American experience and Civil Rights history as well as prior experience researching, writing, and producing government reports, especially as related to NPS interpretive histories, historic contexts, or theme studies. The project is to be completed within the period of performance, ending October 2025. This project is meant to complement a larger Special History on the topic.

Interested consultants should submit a proposal and cost estimate in response to this RFP to ASALH no later than January 10, 2025, at 5 pm EST. Electronic copies of proposals must be submitted to [email protected].

PROJECT BACKGROUND

Several national, regional, and park level studies have been completed that look at the history of African Americans and the National Park Service. While these studies have filled in important gaps in this history including the agency’s own complicity in institutionalized racism, they are predominately from an administrative perspective and therefore absences remain about how African Americans engaged with the National Park Service from their own vantage points including how they responded and confronted the racism experienced either at the Parks themselves or in the gateway communities. The absences of these perspectives limit understanding this history, especially as it relates to how African Americans constructed their relationships with the agency and its units despite the prevalence of racism and segregation.

Despite popular constructions, African Americans have had a long history and engagement with national parks. African American newspapers dating back to the late 19th century include advertisements for and discussions of national parks. Earliest are for Yellowstone, the first national park. Society pages and gossip columns are filled with reports of trips to national parks for vacations and honeymoons. African American clubs and other organizations also sponsored trips to national parks. National Parks and gateway communities appear in African American travel guides. Even the National Park Service/Department of Interior published its own travel guide called “The Directory of Negro Hotels and Guest Houses” in the late 1930s and early 1940s.

African Americans were also an important part of the agency’s workforce. For instance, one of the early historians at Gettysburg was Louis King.

This project will contribute to the production of a special history that looks at the history of the African American experience and engagement with the National Park Service at a national level through the following lenses:

  • African American visitation to national parks, focusing not just on experiences within parks but also in travel to and in gateway communities.
  • The employment of African Americans in the National Park Service and other related work programs such as the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) that supported parks.
  • The establishment of national park units specifically designated for their connection to African American History.
  • The role of African Americans in the preservation, conservation, and establishment of existing units and sites that eventually became units of the National Park Service.

REQUIRED CONSULTANT QUALIFICATIONS
The selected consultant must have demonstrated experience in and successful preparation of publications similar to the project component. Ideal candidates will also possess the following desired qualifications:

  1. A scholarly research focus in African American history and
  2. Prior experience researching, writing, and producing government reports, especially as related to NPS interpretive histories, historic contexts, or theme studies.
  3. Contractors debarred, suspended, or proposed for debarment are excluded from receiving contracts.

SCOPE OF WORK

Completion of 20-25 profiles of individuals, organizations/groups, publications, places, etc. associated with the history of African Americans and the National Park Service, 1872-1965. Each profile should be self-contained.

Task/Deliverables shall also include:

  1. Attend regular meetings with ASALH and/or the NPS, including a project kick-off meeting.
  2. Identification of potential individuals, organizations/groups, places, publications, etc. representing both chronological and geographical diversity of the topic based upon research and survey.
  3. Selection of 20-25 subjects for profiles to be chosen in collaboration with the consultants leading the other project components, ASALH, and the NPS.
  4. Submission of 3 profile samples (1 individual, 1 organization, 1 place). Profiles should include:
  1. Title
  2. 700–1000-word narrative that provides brief description and overview of the subject including how it relates and helps to better understand the African Americans engagement with or role in the National Park Service.
  3. List of associated NPS unit(s)/program(s), where applicable.
  4. Illustrations: 1-2 illustrations should accompany each profile. Wherever possible, the consultant should choose illustrations that are in the public domain. The consultant is responsible for the cost of all reproductions and for securing copyright permission, where applicable. All illustrations should be labeled with captions that fully identify the subject, where published (if published), and provide credit lines identifying where the original can be found. Copies of permission agreements, grouped together and clearly labeled, must be included in the research materials that are turned over the park at the completion of the project. (Note: ASALH will assist in the coordination of image permissions.)
  5. Citations and bibliography in Chicago Manual style.
    1. Completion of additional profiles. Consultant can elect to write the profiles themselves or solicit authors through invitation and/or call. All contributors should receive full authorial recognition.
    2. Submission of full draft of profiles and recommendations for future research in latest version of Microsoft Word.
    3. Submission of edited drafts of profiles latest version of Microsoft Word which responds to NPS comments.
    4. Submission of final profiles in latest version of Microsoft Word, copyedited with image permissions. (Note: ASALH will assist in the coordination of copyediting).

(Note: NPS Comments will be provided within 45 days of receipt of any submissions.)

PROPOSAL SUBMISSIONS

For evaluation purposes, proposals should provide sufficient information as to assist ASALH and the NPS in determining the most qualified consultant for the project. Consultants interested in bidding should submit a written proposal that includes the following elements:

  1. Name of the individual(s) that would be working on the project and their proposed area(s) of If proposing the services of more than one individual describe the proposed staff structure and how it is organized to provide the services requested by this RFP.
  2. Description of the specific, relevant education, experience, and qualifications of the principal investigator and any project staff, demonstrating experience in oral history projects. Include specific dates and types of service provided, and highlight success in meeting work schedules, project budgets, and product deadlines.
  3. Project proposal that summarizes strategy, approach, and special capabilities, timelines, roles and responsibilities of personnel, specific tasks to be conducted, and deliverables. Please be as specific as possible and include the following:
  4. A list of references (at least three, but not more than five) that may be
  5. A short narrative that responds to the scope of work as described in this RFP, which demonstrates the consultant’s proposed approach to the project and capability to accomplish the desired goals.

Please Note: It is expected that the consultant will complete this project with a budget of $25,000 to $30,000. Project proposals should be within this dollar range. Budget should include consideration of the following items: Personnel Services (including labor, Travel (travel costs must be factored into the budget; there is not a separate fund source for research trips), Compensation for contributors, Other Project Expenses. Please note that this project budget does not allow the inclusion of overhead or indirect cost line items.

All proposals must be received no later than 5:00 pm EST on January 10, 2025. They should be prepared simply and economically, providing a straightforward, concise description of the consultant’s qualifications and capabilities to satisfy the requirements of this RFP. Proposals may be submitted via email in electronic format (MS Word or PDF format) to [email protected]. All submitted proposals, should use the following naming convention in the subject line of the email: NPS-AA Profiles RFP_ [CONSULTANT NAME].

ASALH will confirm receipt of submissions. However, if there are any issues (e.g., with attachments working correctly), the consultant is responsible for resolving these issues with an alternative submission method acceptable to ASALH and the NPS. Successful and unsuccessful proposals should expect to receive notification on or about January 24, 2025.

SELECTION CRITERIA
Submittals will be evaluated and ranked based on the following factors, presented in no particular order:

  • Qualifications of consultant.
  • Overall quality of the proposal.
  • Responsiveness of the proposal to the project’s purpose and scope of
  • Demonstrated prior experience/record of performance, including capability of meeting projected deadlines and successfully completing contracts of this type.
  • Ability to meet stated period of performance.
  • Past performance and
  • Schedule and

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

  1. Consultants who submit proposals in response to this RFP and who are academicians must apply as independent consultants and not a part of a university or other institution.
  2. ASALH reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, and to waive minor irregularities in any proposal.
  3. ASALH reserves the right to request clarification of information submitted, and to request additional information from any consultant.
  4. ASALH and NPS shall not be responsible for any costs incurred by consultants in preparing, submitting or presenting its response to this RFP.
  5. Any and all rights to work produced through this project will be vested in the Department of the Interior, National Park Service, including any copyrights.
  6. The selected consultant must also adhere to the Department of Interior Standard Terms and Conditions located at: https://doi.gov/grants/doi-standard-terms-and-conditions. (Please use version 3, starting June 1, 2023)
  7. Upon selection, consultant must submit a detailed performance schedule that includes calendar dates for deliverables taking into account required reviews and reporting

QUESTIONS

Respondents are invited to submit written questions requesting clarifications or explanations of the information contained in this RFP. Please direct all proposal or contract-related questions to ASALH at [email protected]. Questions pertaining to the African Americans and the National Park Service, 1872-1965 Project may be directed to Déanda Johnson, NPS, National Historic Landmark Program at [email protected].

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