Welcome
to the newly redesigned website of
The Renaissance Foundation – we want to thank you for your patience as we strive to develop the best and most effective web experience for our visitors, partners and supporters. 

Our Foundation was established in 1996 and officially became a 501c3 non-profit organization in 2001. Our mission is to provide cultural diversity, outreach, resources, partnerships and initiatives within the community in order to bridge the gaps of disparities and to provide a sustainable platform to address these challenges.

In pursuit of our mission, The Renaissance Foundation is
committed to preserving a South Carolina gem - Historic Bethel -
by transforming it into a Cultural Arts Center. This Historic Landmark and National Heritage Tourist Site - built in 1921 and designed by “Dean of Negro Architecture” John Anderson Lankford, (the first registered African-American architect in the United States) is too important not to preserve.

Join us, and contribute by clicking any of our "Donate" buttonsas we make history together, by preserving history together.


The Renaissance Foundation
P.O. Box 5037
Columbia, SC 29250-5037
Telephone: (803) 733-5634
Fax: (803) 851-5348
www.rfoundationsc.com

"the rich history of our past for future generations.."

Aligned with the Foundation’s mission, the Cultural Arts Center will be committed to embracing diversity in the arts and to preserving the rich history of our past for future generations.

“I have always felt that if America was to live up to its promises to all people, I thought the law would be the basis for change.”


Coming soon! A first look at our
Museum branding prototypes


Join Us

"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or if we wait for some time. We are the ones we've been waiting for."
_______________

Barack Obama
 
Our Vision

A Green Book Tour of
Historic Bethel -
A South Carolina Gem


For 30 years, a New York City mailman by the name of Victor Green wrote and distributed the Green Book—a travel guide for African American motorists. The Green Book helped black travelers navigate the dangers and constant humiliations that racial segregation posed. The book included everything from gas stations that would serve African Americans to restaurants, barber shops, churches, beauty salons and safe places to stay. This treasured guide is significant to the Foundations Civil Rights Museum efforts because Historic Bethel was listed in the first edition of the Green Book. We are pleased to share that an authentic copy of the original Green Book has been pledged to the Museum for display among its growing number of treasured historical artifacts. Read more. 

"...If there is no struggle, there is no progress"


Fredrick Douglas

STOLEN,
THEN RETURNED:
BETHEL CHURCH HISTORICAL MARKER
TO BE REINSTALLED

When the historical marker for Historic Bethel AME Church in downtown Columbia was stolen in April 2017, the congregation (now worshipping in the nearby Shandon community) prayed for answers and were hopeful for its eventual return.

Renaissance Foundation Executive Director Mary Skinner-Jones, recalls
praying in the church for its return on a 
Friday last year, and receiving an unexpected call the following Monday to alert her that the historical marker had been recovered.

“I got the call that we got the marker back. I asked for a sign and the marker was returned– the one that was taken down – so a prayer was answered,” Jones said.


Historic Bethel Marker Unveiling Ceremony

A proud day for all - Executive Director Mary Skinner Jones stands with esteemed members of the community next to the newly erected Historic Bethel Marker.

Historic Bethel, founded in 1866, was one of the first separate African American congregations established in Columbia after the Civil War. The sanctuary, a Romanesque Revival design, was built in 1921 and was designed by noted African American architect John Anderson Lankford (1874 – 1946). Historic Bethel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 and a National Heritage Tour Site.

A prayer is answered

Less than two weeks after its theft was reported, the historical marker was returned to the South Carolina Department of Archives and History. Historical Marker Coordinator Dr. Ehern Foley was surprised to find that the marker had been returned near the place where it was stolen and soon thereafter transported to the department.

"All children
from difficult circumstances."

When he was sworn in, Justice Finney expressed hope that his tenure on the state’s highest court would have “a ripple effect, so that not only black children, but all children from difficult circumstances, can grow up believing they can be what they want to be.”

Cultural Arts Center

Aligned with the Foundation’s mission, the Cultural Arts Center is committed to embracing diversity in the arts and to preserving the rich history of our past for future generations.

Civil Rights Museum

The Chief Justice Ernest A. Finney Jr. Civil Rights Museum and Art Gallery, will document the history of the Reconstruction Era, South Carolina Civil Rights Movement, Ecumenical African American Faith Community and The United Black Fund of the Midlands’ South Carolina Black Hall of Fame inductees.

Performing Arts Amphitheater

A state-of-the-art 500- to 600-seat Performing Arts Venue to fill the number one need identified by the Columbia Arts Task Force

Join our growing community of partners

and like-minded citizens committed to preserving and enhancing
a true South Carolina gem.

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