Sponsored Content
Tennessee has 15 stops along the U.S. Civil Rights Trail. Learn the stories of brave men and women who brought words to action through peaceful protests and legal actions to secure their civil rights. Plan your itinerary, listen to the podcast and learn more at tncivilrightstrail.com.
The National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, located at the historic Lorraine Motel where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, gives a comprehensive overview of the Civil Rights Movement from slavery to present day. Interactive exhibits immerse visitors. The museum provokes thoughtful debate with its public forums, book talks, speakers and conversations with icons and new movement makers. The Legacy building, opening in 2026, will explore the Movement after Dr. King’s assassination and look at activism today. Stax Museum of American Soul Music, located on the original site of Stax Records studio, pays special tribute to the artists and soul legends who recorded there. Many artists and musicians who recorded at Stax were from the surrounding neighborhood, local churches and schools. In a time when racial tension was high, the studio was integrated from day one, focusing on producing its own sound, a Memphis sound. Explore Stax virtually here. The Withers’ Collection Museum & Gallery on Beale Street features breathtaking photographs of the Civil Rights Era. Hop on the Memphis Discovery Tour with Backbeat Tours to explore Black history and culture.
Step inside the Nashville Public Library’s Civil Rights Room with black-and-white photographs of the events surrounding Nashville during the 50s and 60s. Sit at the symbolic lunch counter to see the Ten Rules of Conduct protestors adhered to during their peaceful sit-ins, as well as a timeline of local and national events. Explore the Civil Rights Room’ virtual collection, including more than 100 oral history interviews. Follow in the steps of those who took a stand by taking a seat on the Nashville Sites Civil Rights Sit-ins Walking Tour. Woolworth Theatre’s Beyond the Counter photo exhibit depicts scenes from the Movement in downtown Nashville. The theatre also serves as a one-of-a-kind entertainment venue. The National Museum of African American Music preserves and celebrates music genres created, influenced and inspired by African Americans. The “One Nation Under a Groove” gallery is focused on how music inspired the Civil Rights Movement and evolved with the issues of the day. Educational programs and events spotlight the achievements and influences of Black music. Visitors can write their own blues song, sing with a virtual gospel choir, participate in a rap battle and learn dance moves by the decade.
At the Green McAdoo Cultural Center in East Tennessee, learn about the courageous stories of the Clinton 12, who bravely fought for equal access to public education. Step inside a 1950s classroom and see what life was like under “Jim Crow” laws. Follow the chronological story of the desegregation of the Clinton High School, the first integration of a public high school in the South, with life-size photographs and narratives.
