NATCHEZ — If all goes as planned, tourists to Natchez will soon have a new way to connect with history.

A number of city and National Park Service employees are working to craft a new African-American heritage tourism brochure.

The last such brochure was printed roughly 10 years ago, Natchez National Historical Park Superintendent Kathleen Jenkins said.

The city and the park service are working together under an NPS grant for $20,000 to create the brochure, which will be geared at self-led tours.

“One way we’re updating it is we’re adding more information about the U.S. colored troops and prominent figures associated with reconstruction and the Civil Rights movement in Natchez,” she said. “I think the original brochure was a really good first attempt. That focused more on houses. I think we can go further in looking at the lives of people who impacted Natchez.”

The human factor is exactly what Darryl White, who is leading the re-design, is after.

“We’re calling attention to the rich historical past of the African-American community in this area,” White said. “It’s a rich history that has been somewhat overlooked.”

White said he hoped the brochure would add balance to the city’s antebellum draw.

“We are told of the affluent planters that built these fine homes, and we can look at the trappings of wealth,” White said. “But very little mention is made of the contributions of individuals responsible for helping maintain it all.”

Both people, such as early political figures, and significant physical locations, will be highlighted.

The goal is to have 20,000 brochures printed, ideally in time for the Fall Pilgrimage, White said.

Anyone with ideas or thoughts on what or who should be included in the brochure should contact White at the NAPAC Museum at 601-445-0728.