Memphis, Tennessee
In association with: Brand USA
Follow in the footsteps of those who paved the way for equal rights, in this Road Trips USA itinerary from Brand USA
From the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis to monuments at the University of Mississippi, the civil rights history of the American South is documented across the region.
The Civil Rights History Trail itinerary from Brand USA takes your clients to many of the key locations, all with short driving times – perfect for those who want to explore as much as possible – so they can learn all about this important period in US history.
Start in Nashville. The city is mostly known for its live music, but in 1960 there were some important sit-ins here to protest segregation. Visit the sites where these happened, and view artwork depicting key events on the ‘witness walls’ by the city’s courthouse.
Next, head to Memphis, where the country’s civil rights journey is incredibly well-documented in the National Civil Rights Museum. It’s located next to Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King Jr was fatally shot on the balcony in 1968. For a look into African-American culture across the city, visit Stax Museum of American Soul Music, and head to Beale Street after dark, for some great live music.
Venturing south into Mississippi, make stops at small towns such as Oxford, where there’s a monument dedicated to James Meredith, the first African-American to attend the University of Mississippi, and Jackson, the state capital, to visit the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum.
Neighbouring state Alabama has stories of its own, including in Tuscaloosa, where black students were initially banned from entering the University of Alabama in 1963, and Selma, where right-to-vote marches were held. Montgomery, famous for being the place where Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus, is just under an hour east of here.
In Georgia, head to the coast and charming Savannah, where more sit-ins took place, before travelling to state capital Atlanta. The King Center is a must-see, as the final resting place of Martin Luther King Jr, before hearing some of the pastor’s sermons at Ebenezer Baptist Church.
Then back in Alabama, stop in Birmingham, where some of the most significant marches, sit-ins and boycotts from the civil rights movement took place, before returning to Nashville.
Download the itinerary in full here.
To book this itinerary for your clients, call Gold Medal on 0800 014 7777, or visit goldmedal.co.uk
Win a £100 John Lewis voucher
To be in with a chance of winning a £100 John Lewis voucher, answer a question about this itinerary. For more information, how to enter and terms and conditions, visit: travelweekly.co.uk/brandusa
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PICTURES: Brand USA; Amon Focus