Civil Rights Museums Only a Drive Away from Nashville

Image Credit: Equal Justice Initiative

Nashville is a city steeped in Black History. National Museum of African American Music; HBCUs like Fisk and Meharry; and Woolworth Theatre, where SNCC leaders Fannie Lou Hamer, Diane Nash, Stokely Carmichael and James farmer organized famous lunch counter sit-ins of the ‘60s; are all filled with interactive experiences to immerse visitors in the history of our people in our city. Yet, if you and your family or friends-like-family have a full day – or better yet, a weekend – available to learn and explore, consider taking a short road-trip to explore Civil Rights museums outside of Middle Tennessee. Each of these museums is just a 3 to 4-hour drive from Nashville.

National Civil Rights Museum | Memphis, Tennessee

The National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis could be deemed “ground zero” for anyone studying the Civil Rights Era. Established in 1991, the museum is located at the former Lorraine Motel, the very place where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968. The museum covers a tremendous amount of our country’s history – American slavery, Reconstruction, the Jim Crow era, the Civil Rights Movement, and much more. Featured speakers and special exhibits keep the museum fresh for repeat guests. Perhaps the most poignant feature is the tour’s finale – a live view of the actual hotel room where Dr. King stayed on the fateful day he was assassinated on the hotel balcony. When entering this exhibit, the atmosphere feels surreal, as if guests are walking on hallowed ground.

The Legacy Museum | Montgomery, Alabama

The Legacy Museum is the brainchild of civil rights attorney Bryan Stephenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, dedicated to the fight against mass incarceration, excessive punishment, and racial and economic injustice. The 4-hour drive to Montgomery can make it tempting to plan a single-day tour here, but this site is filled with history that spans across three experiences – the Legacy Museum, the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, and the newest installment, the Freedom Monument Sculpture Park. Established in 2018, the Legacy Museum immediately takes the visitor on a journey from slavery to racial terrorism to segregation to mass incarceration. The message is clear – Black people have been subjected to enslavement since we were brought across the waters in the 1600’s. The difference has been only the name and strategy of the chains that bind us.

National Center for Civil and Human Rights | Atlanta, Georgia

Of the three sites mentioned here, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, established in 2014, is perhaps the least visually intense. For traveling families, this site makes for a good starting point for children and preteens studying the historic Civil Rights Movement, as well as justice movements that exist today. This museum is notable for its glimpse into global human rights movements – illuminating for guests a view of the collective suffering of marginalized people around the world. Additionally, one notable section lifts up the voices of the LGBTQ+ community, placing a lens on the ongoing struggles of this marginalized people group in the US and in many cultures around the world. This museum, smaller than the previous mentions, makes for a great one-day visit for folks visiting Atlanta.

To get more guides and stories of the people behind the culture and soul of Nashville, subscribe to our weekly newsletter HERE.