From 1960 to 1974, a tiny movie-theater-turned-recording studio in South Memphis produced a string of hits that stir souls today. Now its offspring – Stax Museum of American Soul Music – is a landmark on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail.
The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development and Travel South announced the Stax Museum’s addition to the trail, which now features 14 Tennessee stops.
The Thursday (Feb. 3) announcement dovetailed with the Stax Museum’s launch of its second annual Virtual Black History Month Tour, which is available at no cost to educators and students throughout the world. Registration is required at https://bit.ly/3s490qW.
“Our launch of the Stax Museum’s Virtual Black History Month Tour couldn’t be more in line with the announcement that the museum is now being added as an iconic location on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail,” said Stax Museum Executive Director Jeff Kollath.
“More than just a label that recorded some of the most indelible, timeless music in history, Stax Records provided a company culture that was inclusive and where people of all races and genders worked together like family at a time of extreme racism and sexism in the United States and particularly in Memphis and the South.”
The U.S. Civil Rights Trail, which debuted in 2018, includes more than 120 sites that were significant to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Among the sites are a collection of churches, courthouses, schools, museums and other landmarks primarily in the Southern states where activists challenged segregation to advance social justice.
The people, locations and destinations included in the Civil Rights Trail collectively provide a way for families, travelers and educators to experience history firsthand and tell the story of how “what happened here changed the world.”
Other locations in Memphis include the National Civil Rights Museum, Beale Street Historic District, the original WDIA Radio Station facility at 112 Union Ave., Mason Temple Church of God in Christ, and Clayborn Temple and I AM A MAN Plaza.
The National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) in Nashville, which opened in January 2021, also was added to the trail on Tuesday.
“What happened in Tennessee changed the world and through the power of music of the movement, visitors can learn about that legacy at world-class destinations like Stax and NMAAM,” said Mark Ezell, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development and secretary/treasurer of the U.S Civil Rights Trail Marketing Alliance.
“Visitors can walk in the footsteps of the brave men and women who stood up for equal rights. Our state’s history and heritage shine a light on the triumphant and impactful stories at these destinations.”
The National Museum of African American Music, which just celebrated its one-year anniversary, is dedicated to preserving and celebrating the many music genres created, influenced and inspired by African Americans. The “One Nation Under a Groove” gallery is focused on how music inspired the Civil Rights Movement and evolved with the issues of the day.
“From the covert messages embedded in ‘Wade in the Water’ to the stirring melodies of ‘What’s Going On,’ African American music has provided the soundtrack for Civil Rights Movements in the United States,” says H. Beecher Hicks, president/CEO of the National Museum of African American Music.
“We are proud to continue our work in preserving and celebrating African Americans’ contributions and influence on the American Soundtrack.”
The Stax Museum opened in May 2003 and will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2023.
“Both our new status on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail in advance of our 20th anniversary, and the launch of our Virtual Black History Month Tour, reflect the role Stax Records played in Memphis’ history and how it continues to do so today,” said Kollath.
(For more information about the Stax Museum on the United States Civil Rights Trail, visit https://bit.ly/34lO1aV. For more information on Tennessee stops, visit www.TNcivilrightstrail.com.)
