Civil Rights Trail – Chapter One: Introduction

Food, Music and Enlightenment

The Civil Rights Trail Chapters

Join us in this seven-part series as we share our once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

• Chapter One: Introduction
• Chapter Two: Emmett Till
• Chapter Three: Juke Joint Festival – Clarksdale, Mississippi
• Chapter Four: Mound Bayou – Mississippi
• Chapter Five: New Orleans
• Chapter Six: Montgomery, Alabama – The Epicenter of The Movement
• Chapter Seven: Final Thoughts

Posted January 18, 2024 – Narrated by Carmen

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Every year of Living in Beauty is memorable and different.

Some years are spectacular and adventurous from start to finish.

Other years are simply focused on relaxing color and scenery,

or romance and celebration.

Spring, Summer, and Autumn ’23 on The Civil Rights Trail with side trips through The Great Smoky Mountains and The Blue Ridge was definitely our happiest year on the road.

I understand if you think I misspoke. How on earth can nine months of immersion into the story of a people’s bloody struggle to restore and maintain their lives, dignity, faith, and patriotism, against all odds, be a happy thing?

Honestly, we’re still trying to figure that out.

Living in the present is our usual style. Only seldom do we go to museums. The Civil Rights Trail gave us our first taste of history-tourism and we’re hooked.

We were children in the 50’s and 60’s during the historic years of The Movement, and at the time – as white military kids growing up in a multi-racial community in California – we had little exposure, knowledge or concern (to be honest) about Americans who suffer from the effects of racism, injustice and exploitation.

Like many Americans our age, the landmark 1977 mini-series Roots saved us from almost complete ignorance about slavery. During that time, when we were working minimum wage jobs, President Jimmy Carter raised our awareness about Civil Rights and the slow incremental nature of democracy.

The next phase of our education about Civil Rights began when we entered the University of Living in Beauty, The Road Campus.

On The Civil Rights Trail we learned about good people – old and young, of every color and from all religious affiliations – who tested, proved, and continue to preserve the work of non-violent passive resistance.

Sure, we could have just read a book …

but covering eight states and thousands of miles in our usual slow 4-3-2 style …

we quickly discovered that the Civil Rights Trail is many things.

It’s a Scenic Trail.

And, it’s a Music Trail

It’s also a Food Trail.

And, most importantly, it’s a Truth Trail.

From Ground 0 we were enlightened by the facts concerning violence committed by American citizens against American citizens. These historic moments were presented most professionally, artistically and lovingly.

Active listening gave us a sense of belonging and healing.

If we were old folks, we’d say, “It was a balm.”

Now we can see America’s path more clearly and understand how civil rights and the democratic process defines every aspect of what it means to be an American.

The Civil Rights trail, was time well spent.

We were happy to be there and are still glowing with memories we are eager to share.

The Bill of Rights. The Civil War. Jim Crow. This important American history holds the center of gravity in The Deep South.

Yet no museum, historical film or classic southern novel can fully capture the atmosphere of this region where the elderly are still seen and loved; where the front porch is not mere ornamentation but an institution of storytelling, music, and homemade ice-cream.

The charm of the South is no myth. Even if a town’s population peaks at 20 – the hair salon will find a way. Formal wear window displays adorn nearly every corner of downtown. Honey, if you have a mind to wear a ball gown to the office you will receive nothing but compliments, and anyone rude enough to ask “What’s the occasion?’ will be bustled into the copy room for a discrete talking-to.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in his Letter From A Birmingham Jail called this region his “beloved Southland” because those familiar with The Deep South know there’s so much here to love.

I’m always crushing on that wink-and-a-smile Southern humor, dryer than a Walmart on a Sunday morning.

And I adore the shameless dusk when gardenia perfume belly-dances on the swamp’s sultry breath while the old oaks sway their gray beards and the moon rises over the bayou as if Earth is having an out-of-body experience.

Then, the fireflies, those warriors of reality, scrimmage from the deep recesses of the woods to slay every scrap of good sense your mama gave you.

In the South there’s magic in the air.

In fact, the moment Jim and I cross the Mississippi River we experience a physical metamorphosis. First, our skin softens. It’s the moisture. That Gulf Stream hydration is like a free 24-hour facial.

Second, our speech changes. We say things like “I reckon they’re over yonder fixin’ to have supper.”

Third, we sprout a set of good manners. It’s all please n’ thank you and yes Ma’am n’ no Sir. Then we shift into slo-mo – stop to hold doors for strangers; smile and make eye-contact.

When the small talk wears us out we hunt down a meat-and-three where (praise-the-Lord) mac and cheese is a vegetable and order a plate lunch with a side of debris or gumbo. Then, quick as you can say Crisco we gain twenty pounds. Thus, our Southern transition is complete.

Living in Beauty is an education. Jim and I relish the opportunity to see places we’ve never been, sample the regional cuisine, toast with the local hooch and dig on the vibe, the views, the architecture and then come here and blab about it.

The Civil Rights Trail delivered all those consumer experiences and more even as we stood in awe before the undeniable truth of America’s original sin.

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The promise of a more perfect union called us to the Civil Rights Trail to be listeners – students of destiny – to tool-up from an abundance of love and join America’s collective journey toward human rights for all.

If you want to see the exact route we travel, click here.

*photos in this post (unless otherwise noted) were taken and copyrighted by Living In Beauty.

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