5 Important Landmarks On The U.S. Civil Rights Trail In Montgomery, AL

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Montgomery in Alabama is one of the pioneering cities in the USA for civil rights history. It’s where the third march for voting rights from Selma ended, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led thousands of protests, and where Rosa Parks was arrested and jailed.

If you want to learn about the U.S. Civil Rights history, there is no greater city, and in particular, along the Civil Rights Trail Montgomery, a walking trail in downtown that takes you to some of the most important sites and landmarks in this era of history.

In this guide, we share the most poignant landmarks and experiences on the Civil Rights Trail in Montgomery, and show you how you can do a self-guided walk along it.

Montgomery Alabama is a significant stop on the grander U.S. Civil Rights Trail, which extends from New Jersey to Kansas, down to Louisiana and Florida.

In this guide, we focus on the sites in Montgomery specifically. You can read about other cities on the Civil Rights Trail here.

A Brief History Of Civil Rights In Montgomery, AL

“It was the beginning of a flame that would go across America” Joe Azbell, Montgomery Advertiser Reporter

Joe Azbell was reporting on the gathering of nearly 5000 Black Americans in the Holt St Baptist Church in Montgomery.

They were gathering while the courts decided on what they’d do in regards to the arrest of Rosa Parks, a quiet courageous lady who decided she would not give up her seat on the bus to a white passenger, as was demanded of her.

Jo Ann Robinson, a professor and the Alabama college, quickly got the message into the hands of 55,000 Black Americans, and in response, they boycott the buses in protest against the segregation. 

She suggested the new enigmatic leader of her church: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to be the leader of the movement.

Later, 5000 people gathered in the Holt Street Baptist Church to enthusiastically and unanimously decide YES to the Montgomery Boycott and to hear King’s stirring speech advocating action without violence.

The boycott was meant to last for one day, but it turned into 13 months.

The people rallied together to hello transport one another around the city to their places of work. It as an incredible achievement and eventually the won to have the segregation law removed by the US Supreme court.

It as incredible…