Trafalgar has launched a new itinerary for 2021-2022—Journey Along the Civil Rights Trail. It focuses on 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, coupled with 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 visit local communities and meet prominent activists and speakers who’ll share their personal stories of growing up as African-Americans in the segregated South.
During a 9-day journey, guests will visit historical locations along The Mississippi Freedom Trail including Birmingham, Selma, Montgomery, and the outskirts of 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 visited include the Rosa Parks Museum, The Historic Mason Temple (where Dr. King delivered his 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 walk across Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, the sight of the tragic “Bloody Sunday” beatings of March 7, 1965. They will also take in 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 featuring the music of Sun Ra and Erskine Hawkins.
Guests will also get to experience other musical styles and local treats such as soul music, blues and Southern home-cooked dishes. In addition, they’ll participate in a Be My Guest brunch of Southern favorites in the restored antebellum home of Sandy Taylor and her husband Harvey, and take part in 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. Our eyes were again opened to the important work that still needs to be done and the stories that need to be told,” said Gavin Tollman, Global CEO of Trafalgar, in a press statement.
“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. It’s a journey of enlightenment, and one which I welcome our guests to join against the backdrop of courageous characters, the context of history, Southern hospitality, and of course, music,” added Tollman.
The first departure of the trip is scheduled for September 2021, with prices starting at $2,675 pp and including eight nights’ hotel accommodation, 14 meals including a signature Be My Guest dining experience, 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 robust 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.
For more information and to book, visit trafalgar.com. For more tour options, check out.
