United States Civil Rights Trail

The United States Civil Rights Trail

The United States Civil Rights Trail is a heritage trail in the Southern United States that provides visitors with stories about the civil rights movement stories at various landmarks. The Civil Rights Trail links historically important Black churches, school museums, civil rights leaders’ residences, courthouses, and other landmarks of the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s and the creation of the U.S. Constitution’s 13th, 14th and 15th amendments.

## History

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United States Civil Rights Trail Map

Following the Dalai Lama's 2014 tour of the Birmingham Civil Rights District,[1][2][3] U.S. President Barack Obama instructed the National Park Service to create more diversity among the nation’s UNESCO World Heritage sites, with particular focus on civil rights.[4][5] At Alabama’s request in 2016, a Georgia State University team led by Glenn T. Eskew researched and identified 60 civil rights landmarks as potential UNESCO candidates.[6][7] This initiative evolved into the Alabama Civil Rights Trail.[5]

State tourism departments from Alabama,[8] Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina,[9] South Carolina, Tennessee,[10] Virginia,[11] and West Virginia,[12] collectively known as the Atlanta-based Travel South USA trade association, added more sites and formed a parallel U.S. Civil Rights Trail.[13][14]

Work on the trail began in 2017[15][16] with the web site CivilRightsTrail.com launched on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2018.[17][18]

The Trail includes more than 100 landmark sites in 15 states, several of which are operated by the National Park Service (NPS).[19][20][21][22][23] In 2017, President Obama conferred NPS designations to establish the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument; the Freedom Riders National Monument in Anniston, Alabama; and the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park in Beaufort County, South Carolina.[24][25][26] In 2017, the home of Medgar Evers and Civil Rights Trail landmark in Jackson, Mississippi was designated the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument.[27][28][29]

On November 5, 2019, the International Travel & Tourism Awards named the U.S. Civil Rights Trail as Best Regional Destination Campaign its first year of eligibility.[30][31][32][33]

In January 2021, the Smithsonian Institution and The New York Times became the first two national cultural organizations to sponsor escorted tours of the trail,[34][35][36][37] followed by international firms Abercrombie & Kent and Trafalgar Travel.[38][39]

Also in January 2021, Moon Publishing released Moon U.S. Civil Rights Trail, a travel guide by Deborah D. Douglas.[40][41][42] The guide focuses on 16 cities with sites representative of the civil rights movement and includes history lessons and interviews with activists and important figures.[42][43]

The Official United States Civil Rights Trail Book, by Alabama tourism director Lee Sentell, was published in June 2021 as a companion book to the U.S. Civil Rights Trail.[44][45][46]

## See also

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* Meridian Civil Rights Trail, Mississippi

## References

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1. ^ Lama, The 14th Dalai (2022-07-30). "Neuroplasticity & Healing in Birmingham AL & a…". The 14th Dalai Lama. Retrieved 2022-07-30.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
2. ^ Times, Birmingham (2014-10-30). "The 14th Dalai Lama visits Birmingham". The Birmingham Times. Retrieved 2022-07-30.
3. ^ "Dalai Lama commences visit to Birmingham at UAB scientific symposium". UAB News. Retrieved 2022-07-30.
4. ^ Birmingham, Mailing Address: Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument 1914 4th Street North Suite 440; Us, AL 35203 Phone: 205-202-3757 Contact. "Presidential Proclamation – Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved 2022-07-30.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
5. ^ a b "U.S. Civil Rights Trail companion book a showcase for Alabama history". Alabama NewsCenter. 2021-07-27. Retrieved 2022-07-30.
6. ^ "GSU leading effort to get U.S. Civil Rights sites on the World Heritage list". SaportaReport. 2018-03-19. Retrieved 2022-07-30.
7. ^ "U.S. Civil Rights Trail Embraces Forward Thinking". The Group Travel Leader | Group Tour and Travel Destinations, Attractions & More. 2020-03-01. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
8. ^ Lam, Sophie (2022-07-27). "Alabama finds ways to narrate complex and painful Civil Rights history with new cultural sites". inews.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
9. ^ "Topsail Island Beach Becoming Part of NC Civil Rights Trail". June 12, 2022.
10. ^ "Celebrate Memphis' Civil Rights Legacy at Stax Museum". Choose901. 2022-07-26. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
11. ^ "Virginia Included in Newly-Launched U.S. Civil Rights Trail". pressroom.virginia.org. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
12. ^ "Media | Travel South USA". industry.travelsouthusa.com. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
13. ^ "The sites in this guide are a key part of understanding America's story". WUSF Public Media. 2022-07-30. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
14. ^ "The New U.S. Civil Rights Trail Lets You Walk in the Footsteps of Social Justice Heroes". Condé Nast Traveler. 2017-11-06. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
15. ^ Staff report. "Poster for civil rights trail earns award". The Tuscaloosa News. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
16. ^ "Art Meripol: US Civil Rights Trail". Wonderful Machine. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
17. ^ staff (2018-01-17). "Launch of the U.S. Civil Rights Trail". Moton Museum. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
18. ^ Bourque, Katie (2021-01-13). "Get a Closer Look at the Life and Legacy of MLK Jr. With a Virtual Tour of the U.S. Civil Rights Trail". Good Housekeeping. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
19. ^ "Civil Rights Trail". Elevate Tuscaloosa. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
20. ^ "N.C. Civil Rights Trail Announces Three New Markers". www.ncdcr.gov. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
21. ^ "Georgia Civil Rights Trail". Georgia Historical Society. 27 August 2013. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
22. ^ WAFB Staff (February 2022). "9 La. Civil Rights Trail stops to be recognized on US Civil Rights Trail". knoe.com. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
23. ^ "$50K grant awarded for Louisiana Civil Rights Trail Project". BRProud.com. 2021-09-30. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
24. ^ "FACT SHEET: President Obama Designates National Monuments Honoring Civil Rights History". whitehouse.gov. 2017-01-12. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
25. ^ TODAY, Melanie Eversley, USA. "Obama designates 3 civil rights sites as national monuments". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2022-07-31.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
26. ^ Gonzales, Richard (2017-01-12). "Obama Honors Civil Rights Movement With New National Monuments". NPR. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
27. ^ Thompson, Bennie G. (2018-11-15). "Text – H.R.4895 – 115th Congress (2017–2018): Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument Act". www.congress.gov. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
28. ^ "Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home Named National Monument". Historic Natchez Foundation. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
29. ^ "Medgar Evers' home now a national historic monument". The Commercial Appeal. December 12, 2020. Retrieved 2022-07-31 – via PressReader.
30. ^ "Luckie, Alabama Tourism win global award for U.S. Civil Rights Trail campaign". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
31. ^ archyw (2020-10-01). "Winners of the International Travel & Tourism Awards". Archyworldys. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
32. ^ Thornton, Henry (2020-01-06). "State of Alabama wins international tourism award for marketing civil rights trail". Yellowhammer News. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
33. ^ "16 winners at International Travel & Tourism Awards". ttnworldwide.com. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
34. ^ "Travels With Darley: Alabama's Civil Rights Trail". smithsonianassociates.org. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
35. ^ "Smithsonian and New York Times Market Alabama Civil Rights Tours | Travel South USA". industry.travelsouthusa.com. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
36. ^ Ross, Sean (2020-12-30). "Smithsonian, NY Times to offer 2021 tours of Alabama's civil rights landmarks". Yellowhammer News. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
37. ^ "The New York Times and the Smithsonian Institute [sic] will offer tours of Alabama's civil rights landmarks | Bham Now". bhamnow.com. 2021-01-02. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
38. ^ "Journey Along the Civil Rights Trail". www.trafalgar.com. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
39. ^ "Trafalgar Launches USA Civil Rights Itinerary". TravelPulse. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
40. ^ "Travel guide: US Civil Rights Trail from SC to Mississippi and more". al. Associated Press. 2021-03-22. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
41. ^ "Civil Rights Trail From NC to MS – The Carolinian Newspaper". 21 March 2021. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
42. ^ a b Clifton, Derrick (2021-03-15). "A guide to the sites of the civil rights era encourages travelers to engage with Black history". NBC News. Retrieved 2024-01-15.
43. ^ Silver, Kate (2021-03-19). "A new guide leads travelers through U.S. civil rights history". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2024-01-15.
44. ^ "Civil rights trail book aims to make history easy to digest". AP NEWS. 2021-06-23. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
45. ^ "'Footprints' Of History: New Civil Rights Trail Book Prominently Features Atlanta Sites". WABE. 2021-06-23. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
46. ^ "State Tourism Director Has Book Signing for His New Civil Rights Trail Book". Alabama News. 2021-08-19. Retrieved 2022-07-31.

## Further reading

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* Sentell, Lee (2021). The official United States Civil Rights Trail : what happened here changed the world. Art Meripol (First ed.). Birmingham, AL. ISBN 978-1-57571-993-1. OCLC 1265302407.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
* Douglas, Deborah D. (2021). Moon U.S. civil rights trail : a traveler's guide to the people, places, and events that made the movement. Bree Newsome Bass, Avalon Travel (1st ed.). Berkeley, CA. ISBN 978-1-64049-915-7. OCLC 1153664052.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

## External links

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* Official website