GET THE NEW, OFFICIAL
U.S. Civil Rights Trail Book
TAKE A JOURNEY. COME BACK CHANGED.
What happened here changed the world.
The fight for American civil rights spanned more than two decades and 15 states. And the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement is still relevant today.
Get the new, official U.S. Civil Rights Trail book and take a journey through school integration, protest marches, freedom rides and sit-ins. Explore historic sites from Topeka, Kansas, to Memphis, Tennessee, from Atlanta, Georgia, to Selma and Birmingham, Alabama, all the way to Washington, D.C., and see how the places on the trail can build hope for the future.
JOURNEY IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF GIANTS
The U.S. Civil Rights Trail is a collection of churches, courthouses, schools, museums and other landmarks in the American South and beyond where fearless activists played pivotal roles in advancing social justice in the 1950s and 1960s. It was the movement that changed America.
EXPLORE A VISUAL TIMELINE
Follow in the footsteps of a courageous generation that fought for the promise in the Declaration of Independence that “all men are created equal.” Start at the beginning, using this timeline to navigate your way through the years of nonviolent, though often dangerous, protests. Then, plan your visit to sites along the trail where you can walk in the footsteps of the courageous men and women who brought about change.
LEARN ABOUT HISTORIC LANDMARKS
Access a complete list of historic landmarks organized by city and state. These are the places where ordinary people with extraordinary courage put their bodies, families, homes and livelihoods at risk, and bravely, slowly dismantled America’s legal system of Jim Crow White supremacy.
DISCOVER KEY DESTINATIONS
Delve into the detailed history of the tiny towns and big cities where the battles for the soul of America raged. Where those who would no longer accept living as second-class citizens worked to end racial discrimination and gain equal rights under the law.
BE MOVED BY PHOTOGRAPHY
Experience the long, difficult road to equality through imagery both triumphant and disturbing that marked much of the 1950s and 1960s. These stunning photos capture vivid moments in time that allow you to truly feel the journey toward civil justice. The accompanying historical accounts tell of the struggles of great activists and leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks and John Lewis and give context to important moments in our history that ultimately led to the election of the first Black man as president and the first Black woman as vice president of the United States.
About the Author
Lee Sentell is among the nation’s longest serving state tourism directors, having led Alabama’s agency for nearly two decades. He launched the Alabama Civil Rights Trail, the first in the country, in 2004. After tasking a major university to inventory civil rights landmarks open to the public, he founded the U.S. Civil Rights Trail with his fellow Southern state tourism directors. The trail features more than 120 landmarks in 15 states and Washington, D.C. His Alabama agency and the Luckie & Company advertising agency received the International Travel & Tourism Award in London for best regional destination marketing.
Sentell was director of marketing at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, during the first decade of Space Camp. He served as tourism director at the Huntsville Convention & Visitors Bureau until appointed to his current state leadership position. He is past chair of Travel South USA, the nation’s largest regional tourism marketing agency, and has served on the boards of the National Council of State Tourism Directors and other organizations.
Get the Book. Share the Journey.
