5 Things to See and Do on the Civil Rights Trail in Baton RougE

Baton Rouge offers stories that make it an essential site of history for the people living in and around it. Aside from the colorful history it provides, Baton Rouge is also a center for various festivities celebrating culture and history. We listed some of the few sites to visit on the historic civil rights trail.

Louisiana State Capitol
You can start by exploring the site where racial injustice in the state happened. You can see the statue of Pickney Benton Stewart Pinchback at the lobby of the Capitol. He is the first African-American governor and senator in the state of Louisiana. You can cap off your visit by climbing up to the 27th floor to see the entire city from the tallest capitol building in the nation.

Southern University
Southern University is the most prominent black-dominated college in the history in the world. It was established in 1914. Southern students ignited a revolution through sit-ins at local areas to object segregation in the university. Students were under the threat of being expulsed if they continue joining sit-ins or protests. In March 1960, half of the student population threatened to leave the university, and this showed determination in the part of the students and is still being celebrated at the campus today.

Odell S. Williams African-American Museum
The museum is named after Odell S. Williams, a teacher in Baton Rouge. The museum aims to feature the significant past and the vibrant present of the African-American culture of Baton Rouge. The non-profit museum has been in the open for the public for 13 years now, and Sadie-Roberts-Joseph runs it. Inside the museum, you can take a look at the actual bus they used in the 1953 Baton Rouge Bus Boycott. The museum is essential in the community to show that culture binds people together.

River Road African-American Museum
The River Road African-American Museum is a small museum with such great history. The museum is famous for showing actual photographs and images of African-American way of living in the history of Southern Louisiana. You should not miss visiting this place because it showcases jazz music and inventions made by blacks. This center aims to uphold achievements of the black community in the area which makes it an important site to visit.
West Baton Rouge Museum
The West Baton Rouge Museum is situated in North Jefferson Street in Port Allen. It is an educational center dedicated to collecting and preserving historical artifacts, documents and other objects that show the heritage of West Baton Rouge for the general public to explore. It is the only museum in the country that showcases the account of sugar agriculture in the time of Civil Rights. Also, the museum shows us the story of the plantation in the rural areas of Louisiana through tours to French Creole homes. You can also see artifacts that are 300 years old in the museum.

People who love history will have a lot to explore in Baton Rouge. The city is the right mix of culture and history which everyone will find interesting.  Click here for more information

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