Touring company Trafalgar has debuted “Journey Along the Civil Rights Trail,” a new itinerary for 2021-22, which brings to life the “struggles and triumphs, music and milestones, legends and heroes of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement.”
The itinerary highlights the events and acknowledges the people involved in the ongoing fight for equality and freedom while enjoying “the magic, music and hospitality that is synonymous with America’s Southern states.” The trip focuses on the pioneers of the period, particularly Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., starting in Memphis, where he was assassinated, and ending in Atlanta, the city of his birth. Along the way, guests will connect with local communities and meet a number of prominent activists and speakers who share their personal stories of growing up Black in the segregated South.
Across nine days, guests will visit historical locations along The Mississippi Freedom Trail, including Birmingham, Selma, Montgomery and just outside Greenwood, where the murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till at Bryant's Grocery & Meat Market in 1955 is widely recognized as being catalyst for the movement.
Other key sites that pay tribute to the trailblazers include the Rosa Parks Museum, The Historic Mason Temple (where Dr. King delivered his famous last speech, “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop”), the National Civil Rights Museum, the Slave Haven Underground Railroad Museum and National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery. Guests will take a moving walk across Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, the sight of the tragic “Bloody Sunday” beatings of March 7, 1965. They will also enjoy a performance by Alabama’s Carlton Reese Choir, with an insight into how the choir supported the work of Dr. King on his visits to the state before dinner and a live jazz performance with the music of greats, like Sun Ra and Erskine Hawkins.
In addition, Trafalgar guests will enjoy a signature “Be My Guest” brunch of Southern favorites in the restored antebellum home of Sandy Taylor and her husband, Harvey, as well as an exclusive, after-hours experience at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music.
“2020 made vividly clear just how harmful, hurtful and deeply divisive racial inequality is and continues to be,” said Gavin Tollman, global CEO of Trafalgar, in a press statement. “Our eyes were again opened to the important work that still needs to be done and the stories that need to be told.”
He continued: “It’s impossible to walk in someone’s shoes, however. I, therefore, believe one of the best ways to broaden the mind and gain compassion and understanding is through travel. We’re in a privileged position to help tell these stories through this itinerary, which recognizes the events and honors the people in these historic locations.”
The first departure of the trip is in September 2021, with prices starting at $2,675 per person and includes eight nights’ hotel accommodations, 14 meals, all sightseeing experiences and local encounters as per the itinerary, transportation and the services of an expert travel director, driver and wellbeing director team.
The trip will be operated in accordance with a rigorous set of enhanced hygiene, physical distancing and on-road protocols, adapting to and complying with all requirements by relevant government authorities. Trips with over 20 guests will be accompanied by a dedicated wellbeing director, ensuring daily adherence to all wellbeing protocols and extra peace of mind to guests.
For more information and to book, visit www.trafalgar.com.
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