1. National Civil Rights Museum, Memphis

This amazing educational facility/Museum informs of African American beginnings.
It starts with the story of slavery, it's cruelty and lack of regard for human beings (specifically a lack of recognition that the people enslaved were human and therefore worthy of the same respect, and application of "Christian" values, protection by Law and the protections afforded by the Declaration of Independence).
It also showed efforts to maintain connections to African roots (at least initially when slaves were being kidnapped from Africa) as opposed to children born into slavery.
The displays covered changes made to the law to manipulate the use and ownership of slaves, how in spite of subsequent corrective changes to Federal Law these were actively ignored by some Southern states. Also discusses forms of persecution and provides information about civil rights movements (including Dr Martin Luther King who was shot dead by an assassin, on the balcony outside his room at the Lorraine Motel (which is adjacent to the Centre). One of the displays includes looking into the motel room he was staying in (no blood splatter!
I spent a truly sad and informative day which started out very noisy with groups of schoolkids, but I saw them off, I was there so long!Read more