Visit These 6 Southern Cities with African American Heritage Trails

The history of the South is integral with African American heritage and culture, as well as Blacks’ fight for freedom over many centuries. From Georgia to Mississippi to North Carolina, these six cities and towns created in-depth trails delving into stories of resilience, triumph and innovation.

© DistiNCtly Fayetteville

Black History Walking Tour in Marietta, Georgia

Curated by Cobb Landmarks, this fascinating tour brings visitors on a journey through time, beginning with the founding of Marietta. The tour ventures through the Civil Rights Movement, stopping at sites like Zion Baptist Church, Lemon Street School and Old Marietta Colored Cemetery.

Mississippi’s Freedom Trail in Jackson, Mississippi

This trail explores pivotal moments, sites and figures in the Civil Rights Movement, including the Jackson Municipal Library Sit-In, former Greyhound Bus Station, Mississippi State Capitol and Council of Federated Organizations Civil Rights Education Center. You can also visit historically Black colleges and universities like Tougaloo College and Jackson State University, the latter of which was the site of a 1963 sit-in at a Woolworth’s department store.

© Only in Cartersville

African American Heritage Trail, Cartersville, Georgia

Discover the rich history and contributions of the Black community in Bartow County at sites like Noble Hill-Wheeler Memorial Center, historic Summer Hill neighborhood and Euharlee Covered Bridge. This trail also stops at George Washington Carver Park, the first state park for African Americans in Georgia.

African American Heritage Trail, Fayetteville, North Carolina

Showcasing more than 20 different sites, this trail covers a rich narrative of enslaved people, the entrepreneurial spirit of free Black citizens and their service to the nation. Landmarks along this trail include E.E. Sith Monument, Cross Creek Cemetery and the historical marker at Fayetteville State University. Be sure to visit the Triple Nickels exhibit at Airborne and Special Operations Museum, which highlights the first all-Black parachute infantry unit to serve in World War II.

© Visit Jekyll Island Georgia

Wanderer Memory Trail, Jekyll Island, Georgia

A major aspect of Jekyll Island’s history is the tale of Wanderer, a luxury yacht-turned-slave ship that illegally transported more than 400 enslaved Africans to Jekyll Island in 1858. This ship is one of the last documented slave ships to bring captives to the United States, and the memory trail today commemorates the Africans forced onto this ship. The trail consists of exhibits, taking visitors through the story of Umwalla, a young African boy taken from Africa, who goes from captivity to freedom.

African American Heritage Pathway, Athens, Georgia

Created in 2022, this pathway covers notable landmarks representing stories of lost and forgotten Black communities and histories in and around Athens. Aiming to spark conversation about inequality from the past and hopes for change within the current community, this path includes stops like Morton Theatre and The Hot Corner.