Greenville-based ScanSource makes $250K pledge to International African American Museum

The International African American Museum is set to receive a $250,000 donation from Greenville technology company ScanSource, according to an announcement Thursday  from the museum.

The landmark museum will be built at Gadsden's Wharf in Charleston, the site where many enslaved Africans first arrived on American soil through the transatlantic slave trade. 

The museum is now within $1 million of reaching its goal of $25 million in private donations, said Michael Boulware Moore, president and CEO of the museum.

Groundbreaking is expected to be late this year or in early 2019, ahead of a target opening date sometime during 2021, Moore said.

ScanSource will also assist in the planning, designing and building stages of the museum using the company's technology solutions expertise, according to a statement.

More:African American museum in SC will stand where 100,000 slaves took first steps on American soil

“We are honored to have ScanSource’s support — not only through this generous leadership pledge — but through the invaluable hands-on involvement of its associates,” Moore stated.

The museum is planned to be interactive for visitors. It will include eight exhibition districts that guide visitors from the 17th century in West Africa to present-day communities, and will feature the Center for Family History, an immersive genealogical archive that will provide resources to help visitors trace their ancestry. 

“As a provider of technology products and solutions, we knew this would be a meaningful opportunity for us to tap into our resources and business partnerships to help outfit the museum and give visitors a powerful, engaging experience,” ScanSource CEO Mike Baur said. “We’re grateful to be a part of such an important initiative that will continue to give back for generations to come.”

Staff writer Manie Robinson contributed to this report.