"What fascinates me most about history is how it helps us make sense of the present. Becoming aware of it can then empower us to be more than passive, unwitting participants in events as they unfold around us... It’s one thing to read about history in a book and quite another to find yourself physically present in a space where a certain event occurred, where the walls around you and the land beneath your feet bear witness to what happened and hold palpable energy that propels you forward toward a greater understanding of your own place in time."

Bree Newsome Bass in forward to US Civil Rights Trail by Deborah D. Douglas

We have felt that energy of greater understanding when standing at a site of Khmer Rouge atrocities in Cambodia; walking the grounds of the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland; and looking at the wide Atlantic through the “Door of No Return” at the slave castle in Elmina, Ghana. We must witness and understand what happened at such sites to become as educated and aware as we can be and then, in turn, to help shape our world. 

On two recent trips to parts of the US Southeast, we felt that same propelling energy as we gained insights into a culture and a history much closer to home. We also let the good times roll: opportunities abound for both kinds of travel—the somber and the joyous. We hope that many fellow Servas members will travel on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail and tell its stories. Our own country has beautiful cultures and traditions that enrich our lives, and in following the Servas mission, we have enjoyed increasing our awareness of them. 

New Orleans overflows with parades, joyful music, gourmet meals and regional dishes often served with creative cocktails, and museums full of amazing Mardi Gras costumes. 

This charm of a city and its friendly inhabitants offer more possibilities for fun and entertainment than any visitor has time for. Our favorite was the walking parade of the Krewe of Barkus—dogs and their owners dressed up as kings, ballerinas and whatnot trying to move together in one direction with costumes in place while doing important dog activities like going in circles sniffing each other’s rear ends, chasing treats, and greeting the curbside onlookers. 

In two recent trips to the city, we added a sprinkling of history to the mix. Here are a few things we enjoyed that you might like to explore: 

Barkus Dogs - New Orleans, LA - by Andrea Veltman

Hidden History Tours: Leon Waters (“Mr. Leon”) leads walking and driving tours in New Orleans, highlighting events related to the civil rights struggle.He is a lifelong activist and historian, and a leader of several nonprofits. We appreciated his depth of knowledge, his patient answers to our questions, and his inclusion of a stop for “naked” (no powdered sugar) beignets at the legendary Café du Monde—the best fried dough ever!  (If no tours are scheduled, write or call to request a custom tour. Mr. Leon is very accommodating.) 

A memorial to the 1811 German Coast uprising of slaves

The Whitney Plantation: About an hour out of New Orleans, this is the only restored plantation that focuses on the experience of enslaved people, including their lives after Emancipation as indentured field hands. We also learned that enslaved, indentured and imprisoned African-Americans built many levees, streets, railroads, and buildings all over the U.S.—including the original wall of New York’s Wall Street. Quotes supplied by the Federal Writers Project provide context and insight.¹ In addition to preserved and rebuilt historic buildings, the plantation displays several memorials; sculptures that offer space for reflection; a small indoor museum; and a gift shop with a large offering of books and beautiful, useful handmade items from cottage industries of African and African-American Communities      

We made a list of New Orleans restaurants, museums and sites—see TIPS AND RESOURCES below. These recommendations were provided by our friend Laura Livoti, who fell in love with the city and moved there in 2014. We also had a lovely time and many interesting discussions while staying with two wonderful Servas host couples, but that's a different story. 

Montgomery is about a 5-hour drive from New Orleans, and we were inspired to go there by the book U.S. Civil Rights Trail by Deborah D. Douglas—see TIPS AND RESOURCES below, which dedicates 34 pages to all aspects of visiting Alabama’s capital city. Here are our own top experiences:  

The Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration Opened in 2018, this museum is overwhelming both physically and emotionally, but its value can’t be overstated. Be prepared for many galleries of difficult and sad information from the transatlantic slave trade to domestic slave breeding, from lynching to mass incarceration, and recent examples of police brutality. Care was taken not to spring any disturbing imagery on anyone, so it’s completely your choice what and how much you want to know and see. It's important to spend enough time in the exhibits (4-8 hours). The museum is well organized and includes a theater in each section. We felt compelled to spend time absorbing and mourning the statements by victims, witnesses and newspaper reporters. We came to understand so much better what we had thought we already knew—for example, the direct connection between the Great Migration (1910–1970) and the epidemic of lynchings, which lasted until 1950. Terrorized individuals, families, and whole neighborhoods of Black Americans (appx. 6 million of them) left everything behind—sometimes with just minutes or hours to prepare—in the hope of living more peaceful and productive lives in northern cities or western states. 

Note: You are not allowed to bring food or beverage into the museum. Furthermore, no water is available inside the exhibit area and there are no lockers to store your own drinks. The only way to satisfy hunger or thirst is to depart the museum and re-enter through Security. There's a small eatery adjacent to the museum selling good food in bad Styrofoam (but no coffee in any kind of container!). You might want to plan a break at one of the restaurants or coffee shops within five or six blocks.