Photography courtesy of the Civil Rights Trail
Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama
St. Louis is among the cities along the Civil Rights Trail, which consists of 16 states with historical significance to Civil Rights. The Old Courthouse and Shelley House are two of the stops on the trail, as well as the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum in Independence. Another important stop on the trail, Memphis offers historic Beale Street and the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel. (Read this article to learn more about what to see in Memphis.) And consider a trip to Atlanta, where you can visit the National Center for Civil and Human Rights and take the Martin Luther King Jr. History Walking Tour.
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum | Kansas City
A group of former Negro league players founded this privately funded museum in 1990 to honor and share the legacy of these baseball heroes. A visit to the museum begins with an introductory film and continues through interactive exhibits sharing the progress of the Negro leagues, featuring such memorabilia as signed balls, jerseys, and informational placards. Tickets are free this month in recognition of Black History Month. 1616 E. 18th, Kansas City.
America’s Black Holocaust Museum | Milwaukee
In 1930, Wisconsin native James Cameron survived a lynching that took the lives of his two friends, Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith. After serving five years in prison, Cameron became a civil rights advocate and founded America’s Black Holocaust Museum in 1988. This historical and memorial museum is accessible online and on-site in its new physical location, which reopened in February 2022. 401 W. North Avenue, Milwaukee.
National Museum of African American Music | Nashville
The National Museum of African American Music preserves more than 50 musical genres created and influenced by African Americans. In its five permanent galleries, the museum shares the history of music from the post-slavery beginnings of blues to modern-day jazz. 510 Broadway, Nashville.
Charles H. Wright of African American History | Detroit
The Wright, as this museum is often called in Detroit, has four permanent and two rotating exhibits. The ‘And Still We Rise’ exhibit shares stories of resilience from the Middle Passage, the Civil Rights Movement, and more. If you visit on the third Thursday of the month, then don’t miss live poetry, music, and tours, which take place from 5–9 p.m. 315 E. Warren, Detroit.
National Memorial for Peace + Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration | Montgomery, Alabama
The National Memorial for Peace and the Legacy Museum share a campus. The memorial, with its 805 suspended steel beams, shares the horrific history of lynchings in the South. Each beam represents a county where a lynching took place. The names of the victims and the counties are engraved into the beams. The museum provides a comprehensive look at the history of slavery in the U.S. 417 Caroline, 400 N. Court, Montgomery.
