News Release:
Recreation Trail For Civil Rights Cause
Travel South USA Reports On A Civil Rights Themed Hiking Trail Which Opened On The Day Of The MLK Holiday This Year.
ATLANTA, GA - January 15th is not only the day we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.'s holiday in the United States; it is also the day that the U.S. Civil Rights Trail debuted. The trail spans almost 15 southern states, including Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky and more, all promoted by Travel South USA. Developed over the past twelve months, this trail is a collection of more than 100 churches, courthouses, schools, museums and other landmarks that played a pivotal role in advancing social justice in the 1950s and 1960s. A few sites include MLK's Boyhood Home and Tuskegee Airmen Historic Site. These sites within 14 states and the District of Columbia will allow visitors the ability to witness the destinations and landmarks that defined the settings of the American Civil Rights story. "The civil rights movement encompassed the entire South, and this trail gives visitors one source for all the sites that tell that story today," said Wit Tuttell, director of Visit North Carolina & Chair of the TSUSA Board. "We worked with historians and scholars to curate this trail to showcase how the civil rights movement changed the South, the U.S. and the world."
While southern U.S. states produce the bulk of where the landmarks reside, there are several states outside of the southern region that have key Civil Rights sites, including Kansas, Delaware and the District of Columbia. TSUSA has created the U.S. Civil Rights Trail Marketing Alliance, LLC to oversee the administration of this Trail. This Alliance is led and funded by the directors of each state's tourism organization. Kevin Langston, deputy commissioner of economic development for tourism at the Georgia Depart-ment of Economic Development (GDEcD), mentioned, "In recent years, the South has grown to become a top destination for travelers seeking authentic experiences that bring them closer to a place's past and present. The U.S. Civil Rights Trail connects tra-velers to the U.S. Civil Rights movement through historic landmarks and cultural institutions that played a vital role or help preserve the memory of our civil rights past. At every point along the trail, people will be walking where members of the Civil Rights movement walked, connecting them at an intimate level to this important story.""The Civil Rights Trail is an essential step in telling the important stories of this pivotal time in both our state's and nation's history," said Tennessee Dept. of Tourist Development Commissioner Kevin Triplett. "Through the partnership of these 14 states and D.C. in highlighting the significance of these locations, visitors will be immersed in history, often walking in the footsteps of those who participated in the movement including ones who led the charge. The year 2018 is an important milestone, as it marks 50 years since Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination on the balcony of Memphis' Lorraine Motel; this path will help to mark a time that defined an essential part of American history. "Launching at this time is especially fitting coming in conjunction with MLK50 commemorating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Tennessee is proud to be a part of a vital initiative and we look forward to welcoming guests from all over the world to learn more about the people and places of this time,"Triplett offered.
For more information, and even an interactive map of the trail, visit the Civil Rights Trail website.
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