Civil Rights: A Journey to Freedom

The Alabama cities of Montgomery, Birmingham and Selma birthed the national leadership of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s when tens of thousands of people came together to advance the cause of justice against remarkable odds and fierce resistance. In partnership with the non-profit Alabama Civil Rights Tourism Association and in support of local businesses and communities, we invite you to experience the people, places, and events igniting change and defining a pivotal period for America that continues today. Dive deeper beyond history's headlines to the newsmakers, learning from actual foot soldiers of the struggle whose vivid and compelling stories bring a history of unforgettable tragedy and irrepressible triumph to life.You will:

• Journey through the Deep South accompanied by your Travel Director to gain an enhanced understanding of the historic and continued struggle for racial equality in the United States.
• Visit prominent locations integral to the Civil Rights Movement many have only read about in books, including Kelly Ingram Park in Birmingham and the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma.
• Retrace the footsteps and learn more of central figures, including Dr. King, Rosa Parks, and Rev. Fred L. Shuttlesworth.
• Treasure the opportunity to hear first-hand the powerful accounts of foot soldiers' struggles and triumphs with interactive discussions.
• Meet quiltmakers from Gee's Bend to discuss their art. 
• Join choir members for a musical program that outlines the origins of traditional African American spirituals and how these songs were integrated into the first independent black churches and how choirs supported Dr. King on his trips around the U.S. Afterward, enjoy a delicious dinner with the group.
• Visit the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice—two institutions that have taken diverse and complementary approaches to tell the rich and moving stories of the Civil Rights Movement and of America's history of racial inequality.
• Gather together at Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church.
• Celebrate the accomplishments of pioneering African American aviators at the Tuskegee Airmen Historic Site.
• Delight in a farewell lunch accompanied by true southern hospitality at the private restored antebellum home of Ms. Sandy Taylor, the retired Superintendent of the National Park Services Tuskegee Site.