Columbia’s Sharp End Heritage Committee announced the completion of the historic African-American Heritage Trail today in a virtual ceremony.
The trail features 22 markers along a two-mile stretch in central Columbia.
The trail showcases the rich history and contributions that African-Americans have made in the Columbia community and beyond.
Historic Black figures such as Annie Fisher, ragtime musician Blind Boone and MU agriculture teacher Henry Kirklin are featured on the trail along with other historical institutions and businesses.
Barbara Horrell, the vice chair of the Sharp End Heritage Committee, said the trail’s history will help create a better and diverse future for the city.
“I believe that the trail offers a powerful opportunity to honor the Columbia Black past, while at the same time it gives us a working together knowledge of going forward as a city,” said Horrell.
Rev. Clyde Ruffin, the president of the John William Blind Boone Heritage Foundation and pastor of the Second Missionary Baptist Church, said that the trail signifies what Dr. Martin Luther King envisioned.
“The significance of the African-American Heritage Trail, for me, is that it provides a tangible, visual symbol of the profound vision of Dr. Martin Luther King. That all life is interrelated,” said Ruffin.
The trail’s completion has been five years in the making.
The last marker will be placed at Flat Branch Park in a few days.