Montgomery, Alabama – Visiting family and learning about the Civil Rights Movement

Travel dates :: January 29 – February 9, 2016

After wrapping up our time in Florida (see Florida panhandle post here) we jetted north to Montgomery, Alabama. This was on our list for a LONG time and it was a bit of a relief to roll into town. We had 10 days scheduled in Montgomery while we spent time with Jeremy’s brother and sister-in-law and their two adorable kids who are close to our kids ages. Jeremy’s brother is in the Air Force and he was able to sponsor our stay in the Family Campground on the Air Force Base. The sites were clean, well-maintained and included FULL hook-ups for $180 for 10 days – a steal at $18/day. We are so grateful to stay here during our visit.

While in Montgomery we spent a LOT of time just playing with our sweet cousins. We have a small extended family – just 3 cousins and two of them are in Montgomery, so this is a big deal. It was a special time to bond and hang out. We went to our nephew’s basketball games, bought girl scout cookies from my niece – and watched the Super Bowl over at their place.

The kids spent a lot of time playing outside in the sunshine. Riding bikes, playing Nerf guns and playing with the neighbor kids. It was so much fun.

But during the work week – while they were at work and going to school – we spent a lot of time exploring the local area. Most especially we spent a lot of time exploring places of historical importance.

Selma to Montgomery National Historical Trail – We took a full day and drove the hour from Montgomery to Selma, Alabama along the general route of the Selma to Montgomery National Historical Trail. The 54-mile trail symbolizes so much about the Civil Rights movement and has three interpretive centers along the route. Our first stop was at the Selma Interpretive Center – right on the corner in downtown Selma after you cross over the famous Edmund Pettus Bridge.

Part of the National Parks system it is a small visitor’s center, but has some important displays . . .

and it was here that our kids completed the Junior Ranger badge (the same badge is available along the whole route).

You can walk across the street to the site of “Bloody Sunday” attack at the Edmund Pettus Bridge. On March 7, 1965 a group of 600 African Americans peacefully marching were attacked on this bridge by local law enforcement. 50 people were hospitalized. Two weeks later another group would start their march here and ultimately make it to Montgomery.

Our second stop along the route was the Lowndes Interpretive Center, located in the middle between Selma and Montgomery. This is a very nice facility (built in 2006) with beautiful and informative displays.

Hadley standing in the empty footsteps as part of the march exhibit
at the Lowndes Interpretive Center

It was here that we watched the 25-minute film, Never Lose Sight of Freedom, an incredibly moving documentary about the civil rights movement and the events that took place in the Selma and Montgomery area. I definitely recommend watching the movie.  Although many of the visuals in the  movie are intense – especially for young kids – we feel it’s important our kids fully comprehend how troubling this time was in our nation’s history. We believe that by fulling understanding the history we will have greater understanding, compassion and empathy for creating a better future.

We had many wonderful conversations about civil rights during the 2-hour round trip drive.

Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site – About a 40 minute drive from Montgomery, Alabama the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site is definitely worth the drive. You’ll arrive at the airfield and the hangars where the famous Tuskegee Airmen were trained before they would valiantly fight for our country in World War II.

While you are there, don’t miss the moving documentary in Hangar 2 – they interview surviving Tuskegee airmen and it does a beautiful job telling the story about these heroes. If you visit with young children they could do the Junior Ranger program – our kids were proud to earn their Tuskegee Airmen Jr. Ranger badges!

Rosa Parks Museum and Children’s Wing – Located in downtown Montgomery, I definitely recommend visiting the Rosa Parks Museum.

The museum has fantastic exhibits about the legacy of Rosa Parks and tells a detailed story of that famous day when she refused to give up her seat on the city bus. The story is told through videos and detailed exhibits – it’s as if you’re transported back to that day.

We especially loved the Children’s Wing of the Rosa Parks Museum where you hop aboard the Cleveland Avenue Time Machine (similar to a 1955 Montgomery city bus) and you head back in time to the early “Jim Crow” era and then you travel forward through history learning about Rosa Parks, E.D. Nixon, Jo Ann Robinson, Fred Gray, Claudette Colvin, Dred Scott, Harriet Tubman and Homer Plessy – and others  who played a role in our country’s Civil Right’s movement. The bus shakes around a little, has lighting effects and makes you feel like you’re really in a time machine.

Wall of Tolerance {Southern Poverty Law Center} – After the Rosa Parks museum we walked over to the Southern Poverty Law Center. An incredible organization. . . it’s dedicated to fighting hate, teaching tolerance and seeking justice. How cool is that?  We spent time reading the exhibits and watching a very, very good documentary about our country’s civil rights struggle. It brought me to tears – the stories of innocent people who have been killed because of their skin color, their religion, their sexual orientation, their beliefs.

While you are the Southern Poverty Law Center you can see the Wall of Tolerance. . . . The Wall of Tolerance digitally displays the names of more than half a million people who have pledged to stand against hate. They pledge to work for tolerance and justice in their daily lives. The names continuously scroll down the 20-by-40 foot wall.

We all proudly took the pledge – the kids and us – adding our names to the Wall of Tolerance. And I admit, I got a bit teary watching my kids pledge to work for justice, equality and human rights. For them it seems like a no-brainer, they’ve never known anything but love for their fellow human beings – but instead of just assuming this, we discuss it and we make it a priority. It’s that important to us.

Civil Rights Memorial {Southern Poverty Law Center} – Outside the Southern Poverty Law Center is the Civil Rights memorial.

I recommend visiting this AFTER you’ve watched the documentary. The names listed on the memorial carry a lot more meaning when you know their stories.

It was a very moving memorial. . .especially after we had driven along the Selma to Montgomery historic trail, had been to the Rosa Parks museum, and toured the Civil Rights museum.

Montgomery Capitol Building – While you’re downtown, make a point to stop by the capitol building! You can take a guided tour if you want or just go through and view the building. It’s in front of this building that the march from Selma to Montgomery ended in 1965.

View of the ceiling inside the capitol building. It’s beautiful inside!

Chris’ Hot Dogs – And just down the street from the capitol building and the Southern Poverty Law Center is Chris’s Hot Dogs. We stopped in for lunch. If you were just walking by, you probably wouldn’t stop in. . .it isn’t much to see from the street. But this place has been serving food in Montgomery for 99 years. . . can you believe that!? We had their famous hot dogs and a burger. The place was packed with locals – everything from people in suits to people in sweatpants. It’s a place to gather and get your grub on. We loved the burgers but the hot dogs have an “original” chili sauce that is a bit of an acquired taste. Try it and tell me what you think!

We had a wonderful time in Montgomery. Being from the Pacific Northwest we had never been so immersed in the history from our country’s civil rights movement. Yes, we studied it in school and Jeremy, as a history and social studies teacher, has taught this history to his students.

But to stand where heroes stood, fighting for equality – it’s different.

To walk were people marched for the right to vote – it’s different.

It changes your understanding and I believe it broadens your empathy because your eyes are opened just that much more. This is a big part of WHY we are traveling with our children. We want them to see firsthand our country so that they can have a better understanding of our country’s history.  We want them to be surrounded by people of different cultures, different backgrounds, different “hometowns” and to see that we all bring something to the collective table of humanity.

Being right there beside my kids, learning about these dark times in our country’s history, helps us to shine a light to make a brighter future. I believe that now more than ever.

Sponsored portions of this post:: The Montgomery Visitor’s Bureau provided us with complimentary admission to the Rosa Parks Museum and free lunch at Chris’ Hot Dogs. All photos, opinions and content are our own!