“Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh,eat, worry and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.”- Maya Angelou
When you plan your future trips, why not include learning about the black history in that location? Almost everywhere you go, there have been pivotal black history events that you can learn about. There are dozens of cultural attractions in Detroit Michigan, Louisiana, Alabama, Virginia, South Carolina, and almost every other U.S. State.
Alabama
Walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama and feel the experience of 25 year old future congressman John Lewis had in 1965. I am stunned to discover that this bridge was named for the head of the Alabama Ku Klux Klan!
In 1965, 50% of the population there was black but only 2% were registered voters. The four day march from Selma to Montgomery led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965. While these attractions may not as provide as much excitement as the Las Vegas strip, it is important in order to open up your horizons and expand your perspectives.
Louisiana
If you want to see slave life on plantations, Louisiana is a good place to target many sights on the same trip. Most slaves worked sunup to sundown. Life was hard. You will find the majority of the plantations had slaves work the sugar cane fields, Tobacco, indigo plants for dye, and cotton.
There are a bunch worth visiting between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. St. Joseph Plantation, Whitney Plantation, Laura Plantation and Evergreen Plantation all tell different stories of plantation life so you will get a well rounded view. Evergreen even has 22 slave cabins on the property.
You will either have a guided tour or a self-guided tour. There are tour companies based out of New Orleans and Baton Rouge that will do all the driving for you and take you to multiple plantations in one day. That is probably the most efficient way to do this type of trip.
Chicago
To learn about slavery and African-American injustice, you need to visit several cultural highlights and landmarks in the city of Chicago. One of the most important historical sites in Chicago is the Pullman Historic District. Pullman is a historic, industrial town that was originally founded in May 1880. Its founder, George M. Pullman originally planned the town to create a model community for working-class citizens. Within the district today, there are several sites, memorials, and monuments commemorating the town’s history. When you visit, be sure to check out the Pullman factory and Hotel Florence. At the same time, you need to stop by the A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum, which is dedicated to teaching the history of African-American labor in the United States.
South Carolina
As you plan a historical trip to educate you about African-American history, you need to pay a visit to South Carolina. Visiting South Carolina, you need to visit the Old Slave Mart Museum in Charleston. At one point in time, Charleston was the point where roughly 35% to 40% of African slaves entered the United States. Many of the employees who work at the Old Slave Mart Museum, are able to trace their family lineage directly back to Charleston slaves. When you visit, be prepared to spend at least half a day soaking in the different images, artifacts, posters, and excerpts that fill the museum. Also stop by the Avery Research Center in Charleston to learn all about southern slavery. The McLeod Plantation will show you how slaves lived through the generations. Coming in 2022 is the International African-American Museum at Gadsdens Wharf. This was the landing spot for over 100,000 Africans who were then sold into slavery. If you are in Charleston on a Friday, celebrate Black Food Fridays where Black-owned restaurants are highly suggested to support.
Virginia
In order to further educate yourself about African-American history and culture, you need to visit historical attractions in Virginia. In Virginia, not far from Norfolk and Virginia Beach, head to the Hampton University Museum. Enter the African-American fine arts galleries and you are in for a treat. Here you will encounter something unique. You will see the history of Black America through art. Africans brought distinctive artistic traditions and skill to this country. In this museum are excellent examples of paintings by some of the early 20th century artists. They were true pioneers in their struggles to overcome discrimination in their profession, in opening doors for the generation which followed them.
One of the most important attractions you can visit is the Freedom House in Alexandria, VA. The Freedom House was built in 1812, and served as a residence for Brigade General Robert Young. After 16 years of ownership, the property was leased to the slave dealing firm Franklin and Armfield. Under their ownership, the Freedom House became a slave pen, holding enslaved men, women, and children that were traveling to plantations. In the modern era, the Freedom House serves as a museum sharing exhibits, perspectives, interpretations, and other unique artifacts.
Florida
To learn more about slavery and African-American history, there are additional historic sites to visit in Florida. Visiting Jacksonville, Florida, one of the most important attractions you can see is the Kingsley Plantation. The plantation is named after its former owner, Zephaniah Kingsley, who lived there for 25 years. Visiting Kingsley Plantation, you are able to tour the full property, including the 23 slave cabins, barn, waterfront, kitchen house, interpretive garden, and plantation house from 1798. It is approximately 39 miles from Jacksonville. In addition to the Kingsley Plantation, there are several additional sites commemorating African-American history in Florida. Other sites in Jacksonville include the Bethel Baptist Institutional Church and the American Beach Historic District. Bethel Baptist was church of choice for many slaves who worked nearby on the plantations. Of course they needed to get permission to attend from their master. American Beach was one of the few resort/beach areas in the U.S. for African-Americans. When your visit, be sure to check out the Howard Thurman House and Mary McLeod Bethune Home in Daytona Beach. Howard Thurman was one of the original thinkers of the Civil Rights Movement and was an influence on Dr. King. They offer tours there on Friday and Saturday every week. While your in town, you can additionally pay a visit to Kennedy Space Center and Florida Space Coast.
Washington D.C.
How about a museum focused on black history and civil rights? The National Museum of African-American History and Culture in Washington DC is the only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African-American life, history, and culture. The Museum opened up in 2016 as the 19th and newest museum of the Smithsonian Institution.
Tennessee
The fantastic National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis takes you at the end through the attached Lorraine Motel room balcony where Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. Very powerful museum. You will need many hours to go through the permanent exhibits. They cover Slavery, Student Sit-Ins, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Freedom Rides and Black Power. If you are planning a trip, read our complete post-COVID travel guide to help eliminate some of your vacation stress.
Georgia
Speaking of Dr. King, head to Atlanta to see everything KIng. The Martin Luther King,Jr. National Historical Park consists of his boyhood home, his Ebenezer Baptist Church, monument, rose garden and his tomb. In the church’s sanctuary you can hear some of his sermons and speeches. Allow 2-3 hours.
The Herndon Home in Atlanta is also inspirational. Alonzo Herndon was born into slavery, eventually freed, opened up a string of barber shops, purchased failing insurance companies and ended up being one of the wealthiest black men in Georgia. See his incredible story.
The National Center for Civil and Human Rights Museum in Atlanta will blow you away. You learn about the history of the Civil Rights movement in the U.S. and around the world. Allow for two hours minimum.
Heading south three hours from Atlanta you arrive in Albany, Georgia. Plenty of pivotal Black History there. Start at the Ray Charles Memorial. It is located downtown and you will see a revolving, illuminated, bronze statue of Ray Charles seated at a baby grand piano. As water streams down the sides of the statue, his music plays in the park there. Georgia made his “Georgia On My Mind” the state anthem in 1979.
The statue is next to two walkways designed as keyboards with benches. The walkways connect to the Albany Riverwalk.
Ray Charles Robinson was born in 1930 in a section of Albany then known as “Flower City”. At age seven, he lost his eyesight to glaucoma. He was orphaned at age 15. Ray Charles persevered and went on to become one of the most successful performers of his time, applying his own style to blues, jazz and big band as a vocalist, pianist and saxophonist.
His success is reflected in his 12 Grammy Awards, Kennedy Center Honor and becoming one of the first inductees in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The Albany Civil Rights Institute really tells a different story. Most civil rights memorials celebrate minor or major victories.
There was no triumph here. This is the city where Martin Luther King Jr. lost. But his failure in 1961 to integrate this city played a crucial role in the progress of the Civil Rights Movement. King learned from his mistakes and honed his non-violent protest strategies.
It’s also the city where the Civil Rights struggle literally found its voice. Next door you will find Mt. Zion Baptist Church. This is where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke to a crowd of thousands in 1961. The first mass meeting of the Albany Movement was held in Old Mt. Zion Church on 11/17/61. One month later he spoke to a crowd of 1,500 that overflowed the church, filling the streets and the Shiloh Baptist Church. After the meeting, he walked across the street to Shiloh Baptist Church and started Albany’s Famous Civil Rights March to the Trailways Bus Station.
That brings us to what became known as the Albany Movement. King was invited to town to help what was a broad protest against segregation. By December 1961, there were more than 700 protesters sitting in jail cells across the region. The conditions in the rural county jails were atrocious, making the ordeal harder on those arrested. From King’s perspective. he failed. But he did not fail. This attempt attracted the nation’s attention in the first mass movement in the modern civil rights era with the goal of desegregation of an entire community.
Mississippi
In Jackson, Mississippi you will find the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum as well. It shows the stories of the movement in the state that changed the country. You will see eight interactive galleries that lead you through history. $ 15 adult but free on the third Saturday of every month.
Arkansas
Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site in Arkansas is the only High School designated as a historic landmark. This is where nine Black High School students tried to go school for the first time in a white school with tremendous courage facing an angry mob of over 300 white people. The Governor ordered the military to stop them from entering the school on Sept 4, 1957. After the federal government stepped in, after tremendous pressure, the “Little Rock Nine” went into the school unescorted and protected on Sept 25. Learn the stories there of these brave young students and their parents.
Kansas
The Brown vs. Board of Education National Historic Site in Topeka, Kansas commemorates the U.S. Supreme Court decision that ended racial segregation in public schools. Start in the auditorium where a 30 minute movie traces the history of racism and segregation.
There are other exhibits that walk you through the barriers Blacks faced while trying to receive a formal education from the early 19th century to the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision. You can see seven different short films and the Hall of Courage, which displays historic film footage.
While in the city, stop by the Great Wall Of Topeka murals. You will see incredible works of art depicting some of the black history of the city, including the landmark Brown vs Board of Education decision.
Missouri
Of course, you will need to pay a visit to Missouri in order to complete your slavery education travel journey. There are several major historical landmarks to visit in Missouri. In the city of St. Louis, you can visit the Shelley House, which commemorates the focus of one of the most famous equal protection cases in all of history. While you are still in the city, be sure to stop by the Old Courthouse, where many landmark Civil Rights cases were tried throughout history. If you still have some time on your trip, it is absolutely vital to head over to Independence, Missouri. Here, you can visit the Harry. S Truman Presidential Library & Museum, which reflects on many landmark events in the struggle for Civil Rights.
Other Major Museums & Historical Centers
Other major museums to explore the African-American experience are The Harvey Gantt Center in Charlotte and the Charles Wright Museum of African-American History in Detroit. Exhibits in both of those museums are always changing. Harvey Gaant was the first black student admitted into Clemson in 1963 (his wife was second) and he was Charlotte’s first black mayor.
The relatively new Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg, Canada will blow you away. It has seven floors and will take at least half a day to go through. It covers all types of global injustice that has taken place .
To educate yourself about the history of African-American racial inequality, injustice, and slavery in the United States, there are several historical sites to visit. Start your trip by visiting Selma, Alabama, home of many historical movements combating racial injustice and voting rights. Pay a visit to Louisiana where you can visit dozens of historical attractions, museums, and memorials. At the same time, you need to visit several historical sites in the city of Chicago. In addition, consider visiting historical sites in Virginia and South Carolina. Moreover, there are dozens of cultural attractions to visit in Florida. You can likely even find several historic sites to add to your New Mexico roadtrip travel itinerary. Consider the above sites and attractions to learn about how you can support Black Lives Matter through travel.
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