U.S. Road Trips That Honor and Celebrate Black History
Road trips have become increasingly popular in recent years, and as travelers look to plan their next cross-country adventure, Travel + Leisure has been curating new routes that honor Black history and culture throughout the U.S.
Below, we mapped out two Black history road trip routes and stops along the way.
Civil Rights Tour Through the Southeast
Start in Atlanta, Georgia, and end in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Atlanta, Georgia: In Atlanta, the birthplace of Martin Luther King, Jr., you can take a self-guided tour of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site, which includes highlights such as Ebenezer Baptist Church, The King Center, and the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame.
Birmingham, Alabama: Road trippers should head to the Birmingham Civil Rights District, one of the locations on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail. The area is home to historic landmarks such as Kelly Ingram Park, which served as a gathering point for demonstrators in the early 1960s, and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, which holds the door and the bars of the cell where Dr. King composed the famous “Letter From Birmingham Jail.”
Memphis, Tennessee: In Memphis, tourists can visit the historic National Civil Rights Museum, located at the Lorraine Motel, where Dr. King was assassinated in 1968. The museum now serves to honor and preserve the legacy of Dr. King through its exhibits, art collections, and special events.
Little Rock, Arkansas: In Little Rock, Arkansas, visitors can use the Arkansas Civil Rights History Audio Tour to find information on more than 35 African American-related sites in the area. Highlights include the Little Rock Nine monument, which honors the nine students who integrated Little Rock Central High School in 1957, and the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, which hosts rotating exhibits.
Black Culture Road Trip Up the West Coast
Start in San Diego and end in Napa Valley, California.
San Diego: Start your road trip in sunny San Diego, where you can visit the WorldBeat Cultural Center, an institution that celebrates African, African American, and other Indigenous cultures related to the African diaspora, and the Casa del Rey Moro African Museum, home to artifacts from more than 10 different African nations.
Los Angeles: In Los Angeles, you can use resources like Black Book LA to find Black-owned businesses, such as fried chicken restaurant Honey’s Kettle in Culver City. Near the University of Southern California campus, you can also visit the California African American Museum, which highlights the important role African Americans have played in the development of California and the West Coast.
Oakland: Visit the African American Museum and Library at Oakland, and check out the Black Power exhibit at the Oakland Museum of California. You can also take a self-guided tour around the city to learn more about the history of the Black Panther Party, which was founded in Oakland in 1966.
San Francisco: San Francisco has lots of Black history and culture. Art lovers should visit the African American Art & Cultur\Complex and the Museum of the African Diaspora; music fans should check out jazz clubs like the Sheba Piano Lounge; and foodies can try Black-owned restaurants like Gumbo Social in Bayview and Eko Kitchen in SoMa for Nigerian food.
Napa Valley: End your road trip in Napa Valley, where you can eat at Black-owned Buster’s Southern BBQ, and visit the Brown Downtown Napa tasting room, owned by the Brown Estate, which claims to be the first and only Black-owned winery in Napa Valley.
