Freedom Road: A Journey Through the Civil Rights South

On this five-day journey through the South, students will explore powerful stories of the Civil Rights movement while experiencing the culture, music, and energy that make these cities special. The trip begins in Atlanta at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Park, where students will see Dr. King’s childhood home and learn how his dream of nonviolence took root. In Birmingham, the 16th Street Baptist Church highlights the courage of young people who stood up for justice, reminding us of the important role youth played in history. In Selma, students will walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge and visit the National Voting Rights Museum, connecting with the bravery of marchers who fought for the right to vote. Then it’s on to Montgomery and a stop at the Legacy Museum, where students will reflect on the journey from slavery to freedom and the work still to be done. The journey ends in Memphis, where students will take in the sights and sounds of Beale Street and explore the Memphis Rock ’n’ Soul Museum, celebrating how African American music shaped American culture. Throughout the week, students will see how the determination of ordinary people created extraordinary change. This trip is a powerful experience that combines reflection, inspiration, and discovery, showing how history, culture, and community connect in the ongoing path toward freedom.

Day 1

Today we left Denver really early and flew to Atlanta. We visited the Ebenezer Baptist Church and learned about how important Martin Luther King, Jr and his family were. We also took a walk to his childhood home where both he and his mom were born. Then we went to the Centennial Olympic Park, which was made for the 1996 Olympic Games. We finished the night with dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe, where our waiter treated us to some magic tricks.

By: Ellie, Audrey, and Aliya

Day 2

Today’s theme was courage, especially that of young activists. We spent today in Birmingham and learned about the Children’s March that took place in May of 1963. We also paid homage at the memorial at the 16th Street Baptist Church where 4 young girls were killed later the same year as the result of a racially motivated bombing. We also visited some cultural sites such as the Negro Southern League baseball museum and the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame.

Day 3

Today was a very impactful day. We left Birmingham and drove to Selma where we walked across the Edmund Pettus bridge in the footsteps of the Selma Marchers. We then visited the Voting Rights Institute where we had a tour given by a very passionate and powerful speaker. We learned about unfair voting practices. After reflection time at a visitor center we continued on to the Legacy Museum in Montgomery, where we learned about the history of slavery in the United States and got to take a voting test which asked impossible questions such as, “How many jellybeans are in this jar?” We visited the National Memorial for Peace and Justice where we saw the names of many lynching victims throughout the south. We took a boat ride across the Alabama River to a sculpture garden and learned about the history of slave trade from ports to inland cities by rivers and railroads. After a delicious home cooked soul food dinner we ended the day at the Alabama State Capitol, which was a fitting end to the day because it was where the third and final Selma March ended.

Day 4

Today we drove from Montgomery to Memphis. Along the way we stopped at Elvis’ birthplace in Tupelo, Mississippi and saw a statue of what Elvis looked like when he was the same age as our students. When we arrived in Memphis we visited the National Civil Rights Museum and the Lorraine Motel, where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr was assassinated in 1968. We finished the evening by visiting vibrant Beale Street and enjoying some live music with dinner. Tomorrow we’ll visit the Rock n Soul museum then travel back to Denver. We have all learned a ton about our nation’s civil rights history this week.

Day 5

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