Memphis Day #1

I've been waiting for the day when I could take the kids to Memphis.  There are places I want to show them and places I wanted to revisit.  After Victoria was Elvis for Halloween two years ago, we have been actively talking about traveling here.  As with many things, the pandemic put a halt on those plans.  Victoria was getting worried that she wouldn't fit into her Elvis costume by the time this trip cam to fruition.  With a bit of luck and planning, we were able to take a mini-vacation a few days prior to school starting. 

We definitely needed a bit of luck as the night prior to flying I received a call that Southwest cancelled our flight altogether.  The kids were disappointed when I broke the news as they thought the entire trip would be canceled.  Luckily we found another flight on Delta and were given travel vouchers for the hassle.

On our first day, we stopped at the Civil Rights museum.  With the division that has plagued our country recently, this was a great place to start in having a conversation with the kids on all topics related to racism and diversity.

The first stop was for a better understanding of slavery; the largest forced migration in history.  Izzy had learned about much of this last year which was helpful in understanding what we were reading and seeing.  The floor was my favorite.  It was a large map showing how the three areas (Africa, North America, and Europe) were intermixed to continue the slave trade.  It is helpful to understand how many countries profited from slavery in order to understand why this was continue for as long as it was - 12 generations of families were sold into slavery.

After the introduction into slavery and it's end following the Civil War, we headed to the majority of the museum which dealt with from that point onward.  This was the most impactful at least for myself.  Learning about Jim Crowe laws / segregation in all aspects including education, medical care, and jobs was worse that anything I have learned previously.  We sat beside Rosa Parks who was pivotal in the Montgomery bus boycott.

We learned about the sit in movement which didn't always end peacefully.

I have always enjoyed the movie Mississippi Burning and knew it was based off of fact.  To read about those event and to see what happened to the Freedom Riders gave me the chills.  I could not imagine being an African American during those times.

The Civil Rights Museum is located at the Lorraine Motel where MLK was assassinated.  You can get a view of his room from the inside during the tour.

We found this mural in the area.  I would not have known what this stood for but now do.  This was the protest of the Memphis sanitation workers and the event that MLK was participating in at the time he was killed.

A few blocks away was Gus's Fried chicken.  My mouth had been watering the minute we were in the vicinity.  The kids didn't quite believe me on how good the fried chicken is here.  They are now believers!

Micah was stoked to have this painting beside him.  Why chickens are his favorite animal, I will never know.