Experience Alabama's Civil Rights Trail.
March 2022
In two 25-minute episodes of Travels With Darley, Darley Newman takes viewers to some of the most historic sites along Alabama’s Civil Rights Trail. She interviews those who participated in the movement as well as those who are making an impact in shaping the Alabama of today. She begins her journey in Birmingham, Alabama where she familiarizes viewers with Birmingham’s Civil Rights District and the city’s other attractions where she speaks to historians about what happened in the 1960s. From there she visits Selma where she speaks with Civil Rights activists who participated in the Selma to Montgomery march and who were victims of Bloody Sunday. She ends her journey in Montgomery, where Dr. Martin Luther King served as a preacher and made his speech at the Alabama State Capitol. Below are some of the stops we highly recommend and that Travels With Darley made on her trip along Alabama’s Civil Rights Trail.
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
Birmingham
This state-of-the-art, multi-media facility houses exhibitions of historical events from post-World War I racial segregation to present-day racial progress. BCRI stands as the cornerstone of the civil rights story, a living memorial with an ongoing mission to enlighten each generation about civil and human rights by exploring our common past and working together in the present to build a better future.
Railroad Park
Birmingham
Railroad Park is a 19-acre park that is located on 1st Avenue South between 14th and 18th streets that celebrates Birmingham’s industrial and artistic heritage. Known as Birmingham’s living room, the park serves as a local venue for family activities, concerts and cultural events.
Post Office Pies
Birmingham
Post Office Pies is a stylish restaurant located in an old post office in the Avondale neighborhood in Birmingham. The owner, John Hall traces his roots to making pizzas in his Brooklyn, New York apartment. His Avondale restaurant combines simple ingredients with a New York flare. The Swine Pie is a must, and it is listed on the 100 Dishes to try in Alabama.
Tabernacle Baptist Church
Selma
Tabernacle Baptist Church is where Civil Rights activists from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference held the first mass meeting for voting rights in the basement of the church.
The Coffee Shoppe
Selma
Today’s Coffee Shoppe was a 1960s diner, The Thirsty Boy, which was a segregated diner where blacks were served through a display window because they were not allowed to enter the diner. This coffee shop is located in the heart of downtown Selma near the Edmund Pettus Bridge. They serve the best coffee in the area and are known for their pastries. The shop also has Wi-Fi, books and magazines to enhance the coffee house experience.
The Freedom Rides Museum
Montgomery
The Freedom Rides Museum is located in the former Montgomery Greyhound Bus Station. On May 20, 1961, an integrated group of 21 young college students from Nashville arrived at the historic Montgomery Greyhound Bus Station. These Freedom Riders met mob violence with non-violence and courage. Their actions helped end racial segregation in all interstate transportation. The Freedom Rides continue to evoke the power of nonviolent protest to change unjust laws. An award-winning exhibit on the building's exterior traces the Freedom Riders’ history.
Montgomery Riverfront Park
Montgomery
Riverfront Park has an amphitheater where family activities and concerts are held along the Alabama River. The Harriott II Riverboat offers riverboat rides and is the site of the Riverfront Stadium, the home of the Montgomery Biscuits Baseball team.
You can watch the full Travel With Darley Alabama Civil Rights Trail episodes in two parts: Part 1 and Part 2.
