(Richland PIO) – The Richland County Conservation Commission announces the launch of the ENRICH Tour, a self-guided, mobile audio tour celebrating the rich African American heritage embedded in the County’s cultural and physical landscapes. Using a smartphone, tablet or laptop, people of all ages can enjoy this carefully curated audio tour that delivers unique, high-quality content and includes a user-friendly interactive map and GPS-triggered audio narration, along with text, images and weblinks.

This content is accessible anywhere, on site and remotely, and users can travel at their own pace.  Audio, text and virtual exhibit halls of images and links attract and orient visitors, inviting them to explore, stay longer, and support the County’s mission.

How the Tour Was Born

With increasing numbers of guests traveling to South Carolina to visit the International African American Museum in Charleston, Richland County saw a need to highlight awareness of the County’s deep African American roots. This heritage spans from the dark era of slavery, through Reconstruction, Jim Crow and the Civil Rights Movement.

Over many years, Richland County’s Black farmers, educators, entrepreneurs, leaders and activists helped to shape the world we experience today.

The ENRICH Tour will guide visitors through this profound history, telling the stories of remarkable people and events in the homes, schools, churches, neighborhoods, monuments and other landmarks that still stand.

Tour Highlights

• The African American History Monument, on the South Carolina Statehouse grounds, showcasing the wide span of history
• The Museum of Reconstruction at the Woodrow Wilson House, highlighting newly found citizenship rights for African Americans after the Civil War, while debunking common myths about the era
• Randolph Cemetery, established during Reconstruction as the final resting place for generations of African American community leaders
• Zion Baptist Church, a gathering space of solidarity during the Civil Rights Movement
• The home of Modjeska Monteith Simkins, a human rights activist
• The forests of Congaree National Park, which provided refuge for enslaved people seeking freedom
• Harriet Barber House, an enduring example of African American land ownership for newly freed people during Reconstruction
• Pine Grove School, which highlights the role that segregation played in education

This tour offers the chance to experience a deeper understanding of South Carolina’s heritage, while  uncovering the powerful stories rooted in Richland County.

To participate, download the ENRICH app online.