Recently updated on July 13th, 2023 at 11:18 am
Leon Burnette is a civil rights activist and co-founder of the Pathways Project, which aims to create opportunities within the travel industry for more diverse voices. He’s also one of the Trafalgar Travel Directors you’ll meet on our Journey Along the Civil Rights Trail tour in the United States that traces America’s Black history.
Leon says that the best way to understand America’s Black history – as well as that of other BIPOC communities – is through authentic tours led by members of those communities. At present, those voices and stories are underrepresented with the travel industry. To truly understand the experiences that minorities have gone through down the centuries, we need to be able to walk, quite literally, in their footsteps.
That’s exactly what guests can do when they join our Journey Along the Civil Rights Trail tour with Leon. This 9-day tour of the American South from Memphis to Atlanta is all about getting immersed in music, art and food, visiting important Black history destinations, and hearing, first-hand, stories from the Civil Rights Movement. You’ll meet local activists, pay your respects at memorials and museums and celebrate the culture and cuisine of the American South.
In honour of Black History Month, we sat down with Leon to talk about his experiences running our Journey Along the Civil Rights Trail tour.
What was it like to run the first ‘Journey along the Civil Rights Trail’ tour last fall?
“Even though this was Trafalgar’s first Civil Rights tour, I have led this tour of America’s true Black history hundreds of times in my long career. I lead tours all over the world but this is by far my favorite tour to teach. It is also what I believe my true calling is; To safely lead individuals along the US Civil Rights Trail and introduce them to the true history of the Black experience in America.
“It’s also about introducing them to the lesser-known heroes of the Civil Rights Movement, including the Footsoldiers, the Black women and the children who risked their lives so everyone in this country could be free and have equality and the right to vote.
“Where else can you introduce a guest to true living history makers who are still alive to tell their story? These are ordinary people who decided they were going to do something to make the world a better place. I want my guest to learn from their stories and feel empowered to take action in their communities back home to correct wrongs and make them right.”
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What were the reactions of the guests on the tour?
The reactions from the 26 guests on this tour were overwhelmingly positive, with those we spoke to saying that the tour was “life-changing”, “powerful”, “deeply moving”, and that it “shook me to my core”.
What were some of the guest’s highlights on the tour?
- The Legacy Museum and Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama. It tells the story of slavery to mass incarceration.
- The music in Clarksdale, Mississippi, and visits with professors and writers in Jackson, Mississippi.
- The Truth and Reconciliation session in the courthouse in Sumpter, Mississippi, where the Emmett Till trial took place.
- Eating a home-cooked southern meal at Odessa’s Blessing, a Black-owned restaurant in Montgomery.
- Visiting a 140-year antebellum home in Tuskeegee, Alabama.
- Visiting the assassination site and the tomb of Dr. Martin Luther King.
- Walking on the Edmond Pettus bridge in Selma Alabama where Bloody Sunday occurred and reenacting the March from Selma to Montgomery.
EXPERIENCE IT: Journey Along the Civil Rights Trail
What were your highlights from the tour?
“Meeting new friends and staying in touch with my guests long after the tour. It’s also a highlight to see guests share their experiences and the stories they have learned with their friends, family, and community.”
What are some of the most important sites you visit that trace America’s Black history?
- The Legacy Museum and the Memorial of Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama.
- The Civil Rights Museum in Jackson, Mississippi.
- The live performance by students of the STAX Music School in Memphis. It takes place in the recording studio where some of the best soul music in American history was recorded. You’ll walk in the footsteps of artists like Isaac Hayes, Otis Redding, and many other soul, blues and funk artists.
RELATED BLOG: 11 African-American historical landmarks to visit in the USA
Who are some of the locals and activists that guests will meet on this tour?
“Guests meet various individuals at different times depending on who is available. Some activists you may meet are JoAnne Bland, Bernard Lafayette, Dr. Tonea Steward, Bryan Stevenson and Steve Meyers. You can also meet Reverend Richard Bland, Reverend Browder, Sheyann Webb, and Doris Crenshaw. Guests also meet many ordinary footsoldiers who participated in the movement that fought for freedom and justice.”
How does this tour help guests understand America’s Black history and civil rights movement?
“This tour tells the truth about our American history – the good, the bad, and the ugly. Guests learn things they don’t put in school books or teach our children.”
What lessons do you hope that guests will learn from this tour?
“The “home of the brave and land of the free” was built on the genocide of Indigenous people and centuries of enslavement, dehumanization, and racialized violence against African people. The system of white supremacy consisted of an ideology based on the belief that people racialized as white, were superior to other “races”. on the one hand. It also consisted of social, cultural, and political structures to enforce these ideologies in the everyday lives of people and the government.
“The sheer amount of oppression sparked the movement of the 1950s and 1960s. It’s important to recognize how recent that latter history was. This is a history in which many students’ grandparents participated. This wasn’t 150 years ago. This happened in my lifetime. The efforts of civil rights activists and countless protesters of all races brought about the legislation that ended segregation, Black voter suppression, and discriminatory employment and housing practices.
“Overall, American history is complex. To understand the interconnection between our history, present, and future, we need to learn from the past while moving forward and planting the seed to give birth to future generations of people and ideas.
“And most importantly – we all bleed red blood and all people are equal and deserve equal rights.”
RELATED BLOG: 8 places to visit to honour Martin Luther King Jr
Why is this tour a great way for people to learn about history?
“It shows these are real stories, events, and people who made fundamental changes. There is nothing like walking in the footsteps of heroes and understanding the journey, trials and violence that ordinary people were willing to undertake for all people to be free.”
Why is it so important to tell these stories in your voice?
“As a Black man, I know this history and the intricacies and details of the Black experience and culture. I am a descendant of enslaved people who can tell these stories with conviction, an authentic voice, and truth.”
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Tell us more about your involvement in the Media Art Institute of Alabama.
“Besides being a Black Travel Director, I am the founder and CEO of the Media Art Institute of Alabama. It’s a nonprofit organization focused on workforce development and life skills. It’s dedicated to giving underserved individuals the opportunities to pursue their dream careers in media, entrepreneurship and tourism.
“As Black Travel Director, I realized that not many people of color do what I do. I wanted to change this scenario, so I began working with various individuals within the industry. Particularly, Richard Lauder of The Travel Corporation (TTC), TTC’s The TreadRight Foundation, Destination America, and Mitch Bach of TripSchools.”
How did you establish the Pathways Project?
“We came together to launch the nonprofit Pathways Project to bring more people of color into all areas of the group tourism industry. The Pathways Project is focused on eliminating entry barriers into the tourism industry for members of the Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), and minority women communities through subsidized tourism training certification programs. I wanted to create a way for motivated and talented individuals to get the tools and experience they need to work as Tour Directors, guides, cultural storytellers, and tourism entrepreneurs in locations worldwide.
“In talking to students and friends, I realized many Black people don’t know about the opportunities in the tourism industry. There are many jobs and career paths where they can use their talents. That’s why we called it the Pathways Project. I put together a team of experienced BIPOC instructors to teach students to lead, design, manage and sell tours that attract more diverse audiences.
Diversifying the voices in travel and tourism is critical for creating more significant racial equity, preserving history, and increasing cultural understanding.”
Thank you to Leon for sharing his insights about America’s Black history. You can meet Leon and learn more when you join our Journey Along the Civil Rights Trail tour.