Slavery, Segregation, and Civil Rights in the U.S. South
Calling all SHSU honors students. In May 2022, you will have the opportunity to examine the history of slavery, segregation, and civil rights, while touring the U.S. South with professors Jeffrey L. Littlejohn and Kristin Henze. Along the way, you will visit some of the most important historical sites in the country. You'll learn about African American slavery in Natchez, Mississippi; you'll examine Civil War strategy at Vicksburg, Mississippi; and, you'll visit Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. You'll also have the opportunity to visit museums that recount the African American experience, including the Rosa Parks Museum, the Freedom Riders Museum, and the Equal Justice Initiative's Legacy Museum and National Memorial to Peace and Justice. The trip will truly change your view of U.S. history, and you'll receive 3 hours of honors credit!
2021 Article - The Measure
Honors students in the 2021 Slavery to Civil Rights cohort published a collaborative essay that examined the presentation of Black history at Southern historical sites. Based on visits to the Forks of the Road Slave Market, the Vicksburg Civil War Battlefield, the Equal Justice Initiative’s Museum and Memorial, and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, the students drafted a travel narrative that grappled with the many forms of racial discrimination that have shaped U.S. history.
Maps, Media, Blog
Students, their families, and friends may find links to maps, course materials, photographs, blog posts, and other materials here. This section of the website will be updated as the trip progresses.