The historic protests following the death of George Floyd in police custody couldbecome a pivotal moment in the nation’s long struggle for equality for AfricanAmericans.
It’s also an opportunity for Americans to educate themselves about the history of civilrights — especially non-black Americans who may be just beginning to understand theissues.A number of museums and landmarks throughout the country serve thatpurpose.
Some are dedicated to prominent civil rights leaders. Others memorializeAfrican Americans killed in lynchings. Still others pay tribute to civil rights victories or tothe groundbreaking achievements of individual black Americans.
Many are located in the South, where much of the struggle occurred. But racism wasby no means confned to the region.
As the country begins to emerge from the coronavirus crisis and travelers hit the roadfor the summer, here are just some of the signifcant sites in the civil rights movementand African American history and culture to visit. (Some may not yet be open again, socheck before you go.)
While many of the museums and sites remain closed due to the coronavirus, somehave online resources about race, racism and racial identity, such as this portal fromthe Smithsonian.
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USA Today writes the following about BCRI:
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
The institute, in downtown Birmingham, Alabama, is in the heart of one of the most violent civil rights battlegrounds. Just across the street, on Sunday, Sept. 15, 1963, a bomb planted by white supremacists exploded under the steps of the 16th Street Baptist Church, killing four black girls. Martin Luther King Jr. sent a telegram to Alabama’s segregationist Gov. George Wallace, which said, “The blood of our little children is on your hands.” King himself was jailed in Birmingham for leading civil rights demonstrations, and the notorious Sheriff Bull Connor turned firehoses and dogs on peaceful protesters. The institute remains closed due to the coronavirus.
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