Civil Rights Tour
Greetings from The Heart of Dixie! After a year away from the blog, I am excited to be back and doing what I love -- traveling, learning and spending quality time with my girls! Over the past five years, the Metz Girls have had some amazing adventures -- swimming with dolphins in Hawaii, viewing glaciers by seaplane in Alaska, and exploring the wonders of Yellowstone National Park, to name a few -- but a difficult question for me this year was "where to next?!" A close look at a map of the United States plotted against our earlier adventures made it hard to ignore the fact that we had yet to visit the Southern United States. As I researched numerous itineraries that would take us through parts of the South, the one constant was the diversity of sites that chronicle the Civil Rights Movement and so an idea began to take shape -- develop an itinerary that would take us to as many of these sites as possible! Herewith is a summary of our Civil Rights Tour through Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama. Heavier subject matter for sure, but vitally important. I hope you're excited to take this journey with us and, with any luck, you will be inspired to visit one or more of these sites!
MEMPHIS
Memphis is the birthplace of rock 'n roll, home of the blues and one of the most iconic streets in America -- Beale Street -- and many other points of interest, but our main focus was the National Civil Rights Museum, which was the first stop on our Civil Rights Tour.
National Civil Rights Museum
“There is no such force in the world as the force of a person determined to rise. The human soul cannot be permanently chained.”
—W.E.B. DuBois
The National Civil Rights Museum encompasses the Lorraine Motel, where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968, as well as two other buildings and adjacent property that were connected with the assassination. The tour begins in the parking lot of the Lorraine Motel, where a wreath marks the approximate spot of where Dr. King was standing when an assassin's bullet took his life, and ends in Room 306, the room Dr. King checked into on April 3, 1968 -- the day before his assassination. In between these two bookends, the museum takes you through the history of the civil rights struggle in the United States, from the beginning of the resistance during slavery, through the Civil War and Reconstruction, the black migration, the rise of Jim Crow, the sit-ins, the Montgomery bus boycott, Freedom Riders, and the seminal events of the late 20th century that inspired people around the world to stand up for equality. We spent several hours exploring each exhibit and learning about the courage of ordinary people to effect change in the face of overwhelming odds. It was a deeply moving and educational experience, one that allowed for some great conversations amongst the three of us.
Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike
Other Points of Interest
While the National Civil Rights Museum was the main draw for us in Memphis, we still managed to enjoy other sites and tastes, including a stroll down Beale Street, dinner at Gus's World Famous Hot & Spicy Fried Chicken (tasty, even if they didn't have Tabasco sauce (smile)), and a lovely evening watching the sunset and enjoying dinner at The Kitchen, which is located in Shelby Farms Park, one of the largest urban parks in the country. Another highlight was a visit to the Withers Museum Collection Museum and Gallery, offering a glimpse into 60 years of American history through the eyes of renowned historian and photographer Dr. Ernest C. Withers. Dr. Withers photographed the Civil Rights Movement, Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays and other Negro League baseball players, as well as legends of the Beale Street blues, soul and R&B music era, including early performances of Elvis Presley, B.B. King, Ike and Tina Turner, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and so many more. Photography is not permitted, but it was nice to view the collection. The museum is conveniently located on Beale Street.
Another highlight of our time in Memphis was getting to spend time with our very special friends, Carl and Lynn, each of whom showed us a fabulous time in Memphis. You are both great ambassadors!
LITTLE ROCK
Little Rock Central High National Historic Site
The next stop on our Civil Rights Tour was Little Rock Central High ("LRCH"), which is recognized for the role it played in the desegregation of public schools in the United States. In September 1957, nine black students enrolled in formerly all-white LRCH testing a landmark 1954 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional. The court had mandated that all public schools in the country be integrated "with all deliberate speed" in its case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. Unfortunately, resistance throughout the country and in Little Rock, especially, was intense (an understatement, to say the least) and the "Little Rock Nine" -- who had been recruited and vetted by Daisy Gaston Bates, the president of the Arkansas NAACP -- were initially turned away by National Guardsmen (10,000 in total!) and, therefore, did not start school until the conclusion of various legal proceedings, culminating with President Eisenhower ultimately having to federalize the National Guard and send in 1,200 federal troops to escort the Little Rock Nine into the school on September 25, 1957, which was several weeks after the start of school. The fist day of school was just the beginning for the Little Rock Nine, as several faced near-constant harassment and all of them were prohibited from participating in extracurricular activities; however, Ernest Green, the only senior among the Little Rock Nine, became the first African-American graduate of LRCH. Dr. King was in attendance. Sadly, and less often discussed, is the fact that the intense resistance did not let up and one year after LRCH was integrated, Governor Faubus closed all of Little Rock's high schools for the entire year, pending a public vote, to prevent integration. The measure passed overwhelmingly. Little Rock's high schools reopened the following year but, by that time, only two of the remaining Little Rock Nine returned to graduate. The others completed their high school careers via correspondence or at other high schools across the country.
In 1998, President Clinton signed legislation designating the school and visitor center across the street as a National Historic Site. And in 1999, President Clinton awarded each member of the Little Rock Nine with Congressional Gold Medals. Today, LRCH is the only operating high school in the nation to receive a national historic designation.
We were fortunate enough to have been able to visit the visitor center, as well as tour LRCH with a National Park ranger. To experience the school, complete with students who were registering for Fall classes, was remarkable. And, to imagine what the Little Rock Nine and their families endured was awe-inspiring, especially when you consider that the youngest student was only 14 years old at the start of school. We learned so much during our tour and visit but, simply put, the history and legacy of LRCH and the Little Rock Nine is extraordinary and the Little Rock Central High National Historic Site is a must-see!
William J. Clinton Presidential Center & Park
No visit to Little Rock would be complete without a visit to the William J. Clinton Presidential Center & Park, located on the banks of the Arkansas River. Opened in 2004, the Center is home to the William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum, the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, and the Little Rock offices of the Clinton Foundation. Our visit focused on the library and museum, which showcases artifacts from Clinton's two terms as president and includes full-scale replicas of the Clinton-era Oval Office and Cabinet Room. We enjoyed our time at the library and, no matter your politics, it is fascinating to recall Clinton's first presidential run when he was down by 20 points in New Hampshire and rallied to a second-place finish in the primary, leading the press to coin the phrase "The Comeback Kid".
Overall, we enjoyed our time in Little Rock, a fun and interesting city that is filled with history!
HOLLY SPRINGS
Ida B. Wells-Barnett Museum
The next leg of our journey took us to the Ida B. Wells-Barnett Museum in Holly Springs, Mississippi.
It is a small museum located at the Spires Bolling House, the site of Ida B. Wells’ birth as a slave in 1862. Although both of her parents were also slaves, they were literate and taught Ida how to read at a young age. Ida continued her studies and soon became a teacher, eventually working in Memphis. While there, one day changed her life forever. In 1884, Ida sued the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad because they forbade her from sitting in the ladies coach. Ida subsequently wrote an article about the experience. The success of her article about the case influenced her career change from teacher to journalist. As injustices against former slaves raged throughout the South and a reign of terror began, Ida’s sense of indignation and quest for justice was fueled. She decided to use her pen to expose the motives behind the violence. She advocated for both an economic boycott and a mass exodus. She traveled throughout the United States and England, writing and speaking about lynching and the government’s refusal to intervene to stop it. In addition to her anti-lynching crusade, Ida was very active in the suffragist movement and became one of the founding members of the NAACP and the National Association for Colored Women.
Ida B. Wells — anti-lynching cusader, women’s rights activist, passionate crusader against racism, journalist and teacher who spoke on racial issues, civil rights pioneer and one of the founders of the NAACP. In short, an extraordinary woman!
Although the museum is quite small and sorely in need of additional funding, we were happy to have visited and to have gained a more in-depth understanding of the formidable legacy and undaunted courage and tenacity of Ida B. Wells-Barnett in her fight against racism and sexism in America.
BIRMINGHAM
I will admit to being intrigued by the next and final stop on our Civil Rights Tour -- Birmingham. After all, it was in Alabama that civil rights activists faced the most determined resistance, with a governor who declared "Segregation now! Segregation tomorrow! Segregation forever!" And, it was Birmingham that had earned the nickname "Bombingam" during the Civil Rights Movement due to the 60 dynamite explosions that occurred in the city between 1945 and 1963. However, I am excited to report that Birmingham is a city that has come a long way in the past 50-plus years and I thoroughly enjoyed its energy, diversity, and willingness to honor and learn from its violent past!
16th Street Baptist Church
Just three weeks after Dr. King delivered his inspirational "I Have a Dream" speech, the 16th Street Baptist Church was bombed before a Sunday service, killing four girls — Addie Mae Collins, Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley and Denise McNair — and injuring several others. This murderous act shocked the nation and galvanized the Civil Rights Movement, with President Kennedy responding by saying "If these cruel and tragic events can only awaken that city and state — if they can only awaken this entire nation to a realization of the folly of racial injustice and hatred and violence, then it is not too late for all concerned to unite in steps toward peaceful progress before more lives are lost." Four suspects eventually emerged, but it would take close to 40 years to bring them all to justice.
When I was planning our time in Birmingham, I was excited to realize that we would be there on a Sunday and what better way to experience the present-day 16th Street Baptist Church than by attending Sunday service?! We were not disappointed, as the minister’s message was both uplifting and inspirational! We truly enjoyed the fellowship. As an added bonus, Doug Jones — Democrat for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Jeff Sessions — was in attendance and, as district attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, he led the re-investigation of the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church and successfully convicted two of the remaining suspects. As he said, justice may have been delayed, but it certainly wasn’t denied.
On May 24, 2013, President Obama awarded a Congressional Gold Medal posthumously to the four girls killed in 1963, presenting the medal to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
Located in the Civil Rights District, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute is now part of the new Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument, designated by President Obama in January of this year. The rest of the sites that make up the Birmingham National Civil Rights Monument include A.G. Gaston Motel, Bethel Baptist Church, 16th Street Baptist Church and Kelly Ingram Park, all of which served as the headquarters for a civil rights campaign in the spring of 1963. The direct action campaign — known as "Project C" for confrontation — spearheaded by Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, headed by Dr. King, challenged unfair laws designed to limit the freedoms of black people and ensure racial inequality. The turning point for the campaign was when images of snarling police dogs unleashed against non-violent protesters and of children being sprayed with high-pressure hoses appeared in print and television news across the world, sickening many and elevating civil rights from a Southern issue to a pressing national issue. Local businesses eventually caved to the national and local pressure and made a pact with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, removing their "whites only" signs, desegregating lunch counters and hiring black workers, and the city repealed its Jim Crow laws eventually desegregating the library, city golf courses, public buildings, and finally the schools.
We enjoyed our tour of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, as it gave us an in-depth look at Birmingham’s tragic and triumphant contributions to the Civil Rights Movement, focusing not just on the past, but also on the continuing national and international struggle for human rights.
Kelly Ingram Park
Directly across the street from the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, Kelly Ingram Park served as the central staging ground for large-scale demonstrations where protesters, many of them children, were violently disrupted by police dogs and powerful water cannons. It is now a beautiful park that commemorates the history of the demonstrations with sculptures and also serves as the trailhead for tour routes along the Heritage Trail, which marks significant locations along the 1963 Civil Rights march routes with life-size plaques containing pictures, quotes and lesson assignments. It is a self-guided tour, with many plaques featuring audio narration via cell phone. I loved exploring the park and chatting with many locals who vividly remember the demonstrations during that time period.
CONCLUSION
I know this was a lengthier post than in the past, with far fewer pictures, but I found it difficult to convey our experience without providing appropriate detail and context. Hopefully, you will be inspired to embark upon your own Civil Rights Tour or to visit at least one of these significant historic sites during your travels! In the meantime, stay tuned for my next post that will cover our exploration of the national parks and historic monuments of South Dakota.