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 December 15, 2024 – Narrated by Jim
In his book, The Black Church: This is Our Story, This is Our Song, Henry Louis Gates Jr. calls Montgomery, Alabama, “The Epicenter of the Civil Rights Movement”
In 1955, Martin Luther King Jr. was the pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery when, Rosa Parks, just down the street, refused to surrender her seat on the bus to a white passenger.
Rosa Parks bravery – in response to the brutal murder of Emmett Till three months’ earlier – activated the Civil Rights Movement.
Montgomery, Alabama
With so much to learn and see in the Montgomery area, we easily filled two weeks with sightseeing, museums, restaurants and lectures.
Here we will share our visits to The Legacy Museum, National Memorial for Peace and Justice, Rosa Parks Museum, Freedom Rides Museum, Civil Rights Memorial and Center, Selma’s Edmund Pettus Bridge, the Capitol Building, and the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site.
The Legacy Museum
Other than the capitol, The Legacy Museum draws the most visitors to Montgomery. In 2018, this museum opened two separate sites, both hailed world-wide as architectural masterpieces.
These museums combine art and facts to guide visitors through the hidden but undeniable history of slavery, abolition, the Civil War, reconstruction, Jim Crow, Civil Rights, and the mass incarceration of Black people.
You can leave this museum, but it will never leave you.
(Stock photo since photography is not allowed inside the museum)
Here is a short video introduction.
Their website states:
“On the site of a cotton warehouse where enslaved Black people were forced to labor in bondage, the Legacy Museum tells the story of slavery in America and its legacy through interactive media, first-person narratives, world-class art, and data-rich exhibits.”
Alabama is Carmen’s birth-state where her family roots run deep in the beautiful red clay. Since our visit to Montgomery, we have a more clear-eyed view of the staggering price of racism and the social dysfunctions it perpetuates from gender inequality to the collapse of the middle-class.
(Stock photo since photography is not allowed inside the museum)
This museum is like a difficult sermon we needed to hear. The evidence is stacked to convince and confront without anger or malice.
(Stock photo since photography is not allowed inside the museum)
Like the sacraments, the ugly truth is exposed and lain out with loving hands. And, there is healing in it.
Life sized sculptures and images evoke empathy and, sometimes the need to turn away to explore the wall exhibits where even more powerful and shocking archived data corner you with no place to run.
(Stock photo since photography is not allowed inside the museum)
This museum is an essential stop on the Civil Rights Trail.
The stunning artistry, architecture and cinematic media made our four hour visit feel like a journey, and us the better for it.
(Stock photo since photography is not allowed inside the museum)
(Stock photo since photography is not allowed inside the museum)
(Stock photo since photography is not allowed inside the museum)
(Stock photo since photography is not allowed inside the museum)
(Stock photo since photography is not allowed inside the museum)
Entrance to the Legacy Museum includes a visit to the:
National Memorial for Peace and Justice
This six-acre outdoor memorial is dedicated to the legacy of Black Americans who were executed without legal representation by mobs acting under the pretense of serving justice.
We took about two hours here to walk through the site and study the sculptures and engravings. We wish we had scheduled more time.
The purpose of lynching is to invoke terror.
The names of the lynched men and women are engraved on more than 800 steel monuments…
one for each county where a racial terror lynching took place.
This memorial documents nearly 6,500 racial terror lynchings in every American state between 1865 and 1950.
Rosa Parks Museum
We were the first generation to be taught the Rosa Parks story in grade school and how making “good trouble” can change the world.
Utilizing a replica of the actual bus and a series of videos located in each bus window, the museum dramatically recreates the arrest of Rosa Parks on December 1, 1955 as she refuses to surrender her seat in the dedicated ‘colored’ section, to a white man.
Four days later, Rosa Parks’ refusal to obey Jim Crow law set off the famous Montgomery Bus Boycott, a one-year protest heralded as the first large-scale demonstration against racial segregation in the United States.
The Rosa Parks Museum honors her role in the Civil Rights Movement, and her dedication and leadership in the decades that followed.
Here’s a short video of the museum.
Freedom Rides Museum
The Freedom Rides Museum is located in the old Greyhound Bus Station.
Here is where The Freedom Riders – 20 young college students, black and white – arrived on May 20, 1961 to peacefully protest segregation by exchanging assigned BLACK and WHITE waiting areas.
Well schooled in the technique of non-violence, they were as prepared as they could be when they stepped off the bus and were immediately attacked by an all-white mob. Many were beaten – some to unconsciousness – and wounded.
A little more than a year later, the federal government declared: “No longer did African-Americans have to sit separately or use separate waiting rooms and restaurants.”
While exploring the museum we asked Dorothy Walker, the director, if she knew our San Diego friend, Taran Gray, co-writer of the new hit musical The Freedom Riders, nominated for a Grammy Award. Of course she knew him. Name-dropping is fun.
Discussing the Freedom Riders watershed event, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. declared, it was “a psychological turning point in our whole struggle.”
Civil Rights Memorial and Center
The Civil Rights Memorial and Center is located in the middle of downtown Montgomery.
The Civil Rights Memorial is a fountain in the form of an asymmetric inverted stone cone.
A thin veil of water flows over the base of the cone engraved with the 41 names of civil rights martyrs, including a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Inside, the “Wall of Justice” displays names as they cascade down a room-size screen in a simulation of the water flowing over King’s words on the Memorial outside. Each name was added by someone who has made a personal decision to work for justice in their own life.
The four inside galleries focus on the martyrs stories and a quiet space for prayer and reflection.
Selma’s Edmund Pettus Bridge
54 miles away from Montgomery, in Selma, a bridge crosses the Alabama River. It is named for Edmund Pettus, a former Confederate general and the Grand Dragon of the Alabama Ku Klux Klan.
In 1965, the bridge became the site of three historic marches and, most notably, the horrible events on a march known as Bloody Sunday.
On March 7, 1965, as 600 unarmed voting rights advocates, led by John Lewis and Hosea Williams, marched peacefully across the bridge,
a wall of state troopers, wearing white helmets and wielding billy clubs stretched across Route 80 at the base of the span.
The event was nationally televised by news media.
Troopers used tear gas, clubs, whips and ropes, horses and attack dogs to turn back the peaceful, unarmed demonstrators.
John Lewis remembers Bloody Sunday, the seminal violent event that shocked a Nation and sent 17 marchers to the hospital and dozens more treated for injuries.
As we walked over the bridge, we could sense the historical significance of good trouble walking toward bad trouble. The fear of expressing your power by holding your ground, knowing that your constitutional rights must be certified in order to transfer those rights to the next generation one bloody step at a time. Freedom is not free.
Eighteen days after Bloody Sunday, March 25, 1965, protesters marched 54 miles from Selma to downtown Montgomery.
Capitol Building
At the end of the march, a crowd of 25,000 gathered around the steps in front of the Capitol building…
As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. made his famous “How Long Not Long” speech.
We wanted to feel those steps beneath our feet and imagine the excitement of that day when truth confronted power with unconditional love and unwavering purpose.
Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site
While not directly associated with the Civil Rights Movement, forty miles from downtown Montgomery is the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site at Moton Field.
The Tuskegee Airmen were the first Black military unit of aviators in the U.S. Army Air Corps (AAC), a precursor of the U.S. Air Force.
Trained at the Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama starting in 1941, they flew more than 15,000 individual sorties in Europe and North Africa during World War II.
The museum offers the opportunity to hear their stories, some in the voices of the actual airmen who were still alive when the museum opened.
Colonel Charles McGee stated in 2005, “They said we didn’t have the intelligence, demeanor, the courage to be combat pilots. They learned different. All we needed was a chance and training.”
Their impressive performance earned them more than 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses, and helped encourage the eventual integration of the U.S. armed forces.
Southern Cooking
We’d be lying if we said we went on The Civil Rights Tour for the history alone. Even before we left California we knew how this would go down. If you go to Montgomery – and we hope you do – eat with love and abandon. It’s all part of the healing process. And if you visit one of the restaurants below, please give them a hug for us.
In conclusion
As children in the 60’s, we watched these events on television and over the years it all became a blur.
Montgomery helped us to sort out the details and fill in the gaps of our memories.
Each museum specializes in a specific area of the struggle for civil rights, and together, they hold an epochal human rights crisis in stasis so visitors can examine the social value of intentional nonviolence.
We were struck by the difference between the number of lives lost in The Movement (41) and the human toll of the Vietnam Conflict (2.5 million). If civil wars were measured in the least blood spilled and the most constructive political and social reforms, then the war for Civil Rights is certainly a success story for the ages.
Though The Civil Rights Trail is about Black History and the struggle for basic human dignity, it is also a map to America’s armory where the world’s most potent and effective defender of democracy is kept, ready for action: People Power.
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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So moving. Motivated to make a trip following your lead, our first trip east from CO. I love your site. Keep up the great work!
Cindy, we hope you find a similar fulfilling experience as we did if you do indeed decide to follow the Civil Rights trail. While it was difficult many times to hear about this history, we are in a much better position to understand the past and current struggles of those in our society who are marginalized and ignored. Thank you for following Living in Beauty. Jim
Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I did not live during the 60s, but of course I have read about the Civil Rights movement many times. I have been following you for years, and have enjoyed your series of this time in America’s past, even though it is painful to see how we have treated each other. Looking around, I can see we have accomplished much, but I can also see we still have a long way to go. Thank you
Mark, so glad to hear you have found some value in our blog posts over the years. Even though Carmen and I were born in the 50’s and lived, as children, though the 60’s, traveling this journey was such an emotional and educational experience. If someone has the time, we highly recommend the Civil Rights Trail. It is life changing. Jim
Thank you for the history lesson, Jim and Carmen. Merry Christmas and a very blessed New Year.
Kathy and Steve, thank you! Glad you found merit in this blog post. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Jim
Thank you for writing this! So many people want to forget all about these events or try to claim it never happened. What’s that famous 1905 quote by George Santayana, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Yep, oh so true! Write on!!!!!!!
Dewayne, we appreciate your comments. Jim
Thanks for the great information. We are planning a spring trip to visit the Civil Rights sites. You added things to my list.
Glad we could help! Jim
Amazing place!
Melinda, it is a beautiful town and the whole experience of being there was life changing for us. Thank you for your comment. Jim
Hi again after a long absence. We hit the road shortly after 9-11. It was a 7 month journey of discovery and learning down the east coast and included all of the sites you hit with the exception of the newer museums. Our experience was so much like yours. We speak of it in hushed tones and deep respect to this day. I still ask how I could have known so much yet it took touching those very spots for it all to click in place…. We have been privileged to tour Auschwitz its sister camp Birkenow. These lessons of truth in our faces makes us better people. It wakes us up. It rattles us. And we need a lot of that as we face the next phase here at home. Hugs to both of you. Our paths will cross again..
Susan and Ed
Susan and Ed, it is always wonderful to hear from you two. It is hard to believe it was way back in April of 2019, (5 years ago) that our paths crossed in New Orleans. Carmen and I mention your names every so often as folks we have met on the road who we felt we made a close connection. You two are delightful people and we are so happy we met you. I know what you mean about coming to a deep respect for the people who tried, and at times were successful, in changing the way they were treated in society. Reading about it and being there, where it happened, is a completely different experience. I wish everyone would be able to take the time to follow The Civil Rights Trail. Thank you for sharing. Stay safe out there! Jim
Powerful stuff my friends! Thanks for sharing your perspective and experience with us. Wishing you both a Merry Christmas!
Jerod and Andrea, thank you for your comment. It was a powerful experience to travel this trail for almost a year. Montgomery was one of the most influential stops along the trip. Merry Christmas to you both. Jim
I read this three times before I decided to comment. I lived through the civil rights movement while in my early twenties. Although I did not live in the South, the television brought the events rights into our living room. I will admit while I was angry with how I saw blacks being treated, I personally did nothing about it. I did not protest, I did not write letters to my representatives, I did not go to any meetings, and I basically did not do anything to help the oppressed I vividly saw in the news. I am deeply disappointed in my lack of empathy and action back then. I have read all of your articles on your Civil Rights trip and this one really hit home. If I can’t go to all the spots you have discussed, I must go visit Montgomery. Somehow I feel it will help me understand why. Why did this all happen and how can I, so many decades later and so much older, begin to heal from my lack of inaction back then and be a better and more empathetic person to oppressed people today. Thank you for what you do and I hope you continue to write about your adventures.
Joseph, thank you for your honest and personal comment. We are taken aback by your openness and appreciate your willingness to express your feelings. Glad you are a follower of LIB and happy to hear you find value in our writings. Jim
Joseph, Montgomery is all about healing. No judgement, just facts and testimonies. Take a good appetite. Southern hospitality is a real thing. Happy Holidays!
Once again you hit a home run. Thanks for an insightful presentation of a difficult time. You two are the best. Wishing you a Happy New Year
Bill, thank you for your comment. It was a challenging trip, but very fulfilling. Merry Christmas back at ya! Jim
I’m so disappointed we didn’t get to visit these places when we were on the road. We visited the Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, but all these incredible spots in Montgomery remain on our “to-see” list. I hope we, as a country, are not about to take a step back toward all these horrors. Thank you for the powerful tour.
Laura, great to hear from you. Hope things are going well for the three of you in Lisbon. We do feel traveling the Civil Rights Trail is something people should have on their bucket list. It was life changing for us. It brought what we saw on TV in our childhood to life and allowed us to ‘be there’ where so much of it happened. From walking over the Edmund Pettus bridge to standing on the steps of the Alabama capitol, to see the thousands of names of those who were lynched, to standing in front of the Greyhound Bus station where the Freedom Riders were attacked… it all comes together to paint a picture of what hate and bigotry did to America for so many years. Sadly so many people just want to forget about that time and what happened, but it must be remembered. While we are still on the road, after almost 9 years, we are slowing down. Not traveling as far as past years, but still moving around in our Airstream and having a blast. One of these days maybe our paths will cross again. Carmen and I have talked about an extended visit to Europe someday. Who knows?!?!?, Stay safe out there and thank you for staying in contact with us! Jim
“Absolutely great content! Truly appreciate the effort and creativity you’ve put into this. Keep up the amazing and inspiring work!”
Okey, thank you for your nice comment. Jim
Thank you for the great info on the area. We’re at Gunter Hill right now. We got to see the Legacy sites last weekend and are looking forward to seeing more next weekend. We try to follow your 4-3-2 rule as much as possible since I still work as we travel full time in our Airstream. We use the weekends to explore the areas we’re in as much as possible and having info you provide makes it that much easier to know where we want to go. Thanks to your writings we’re off to explore the Great Lakes this summer and we’ll be spending 2 months at Gulf State Park next winter.
Steve, thank you for your comment and glad we are able to provide information for your travels. I know you are traveling full-time in your 30′ Globetrotter Airstream. Isn’t Gunter Hill a beautiful place! There is so much to see and do in the Montgomery area. You mentioned Gulf State Park next winter. Just FYI. We spent two months there, December 2023 to January 2024. It was a very different experience for us than when we stayed there back in December 2020. In 2020, the weather was basically perfect every day. Mostly in the mid to high 70’s. But… in December 2023-January 2024, it was very cold almost every day. We were able to cycle and kayak a few times, but of the 60 days we spent there, I would say 40 of them was almost too cold to even stand outside. Everyone there said it was the strangest winter they had ever experienced in the area. Our water and sewer hose even froze up one night. We still loved our stay, but it wasn’t the same as 2020. Just a warning to watch the weather. Stay safe out there and happy travels. Jim
Gunter Hill is beautiful and I understand they re-did the sites in the Catoma Loop in the last few years. The concrete pads and full hookups are really nice. And we found out the laundry here is free! We stayed in Gulf Shores at an RV park in December when we found out we had to make reservations at the state park a year in advance. December 2024 was not bad, but we were in Brunswick in January when the ice storm hit. We missed the 6-8” of snow they had in Gulf Shores, but we had 2” of ice in Brunswick and got to listen to tree limbs break all around us all night long. Luckily no limbs fell on us, but one hit as close as the picnic table in our site. We were at Blythe Island County Park. We lost power for 12 hours. Glad we weren’t at Jekyll Island SP as we heard they were out of power for a couple of days. At least in Gulf State Park we won’t be under any trees so we’re thankful for that if they do have another bad winter storm when we are there. I have definitely gotten used to turning off our water and running off our fresh water tank this winter. Getting ready for another week of it now with lows headed into the low 20s this week. I’m ready for winter to end.