Civil Rights: A Journey to Freedom

Locations: Alabama—Birmingham, Montgomery, Selma, Tuskegee
(Optional Post-Tour: Florence and Muscle Shoals, Alabama)
Trip Lecturer: Dr. Billy Miller
Dates: March 12–16, 2022 (Main Program); March 16–18 (Optional Post-Tour Program)
Costs: Starting at $3,499 per person for a double occupancy (shared) room
Trip Capacity: 15–40 guests
Registration Deadline: February 2022
Final Payment Deadline: January 12, 2022 or at the time of registration
Vaccination Requirement: Yes

View Trip Brochure

Trip Overview

The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s re-shaped the history of the United States and the world—leaving a legacy that is both vibrant and inspiring, but also fragile. In the Alabama cities of Montgomery, Birmingham, and Selma, the Movement's national leadership took shape. Tens of thousands of people came together to advance the cause of justice against remarkable odds and violent resistance. Experience the people, places, and events that ignited change and defined a pivotal period in American history, while learning from actual foot soldiers of the struggle. The Civil Rights activists’ rich and moving stories bring a history of unforgettable tragedy and irrepressible triumph to life.

Here are a few highlights:

• Visit the epicenters of the Civil Rights Movement, including Kelly Ingram Park in Birmingham and the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma.
• Retrace the footsteps of desegregation leaders Dr. King, Rosa Parks, and Rev. Fred L. Shuttlesworth. Hear first-hand accounts of foot soldiers' struggles and triumphs and talk to these Civil Rights veterans.
• Meet quiltmakers from Gees Bend in west Alabama to discuss their art.
• Join choir members for dinner, music, and discussion on the origins of Negro Spirituals and how these songs helped drive the Movement forward.
• At Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice hear rich and moving stories of America's history of racial inequality and how it is being overcome today.
• Savor the hospitality, cuisine, and music of the region with intimate meals and singing with Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church members.
• Celebrate the accomplishments of pioneering African-American aviators at the Tuskegee Airmen Historic Site.
• Delight in a farewell lunch accompanied by true southern hospitality at the private restored antebellum home of Ms. Sandy Taylor, the retired Superintendent of the National Park Services Tuskegee Site.

The trip includes the following:

• Four nights' accommodations
• Welcome reception
• Four breakfasts, three lunches, and one dinner
• Expedition Library of books specifically selected by program historians
• Full guiding services of an Orbridge Travel Director
• Lectures from Principia Lifelong Learning lecturer Dr. Billy Miller
• All activities as described in the program itinerary, including admission
• Private deluxe motor coach with air conditioning and comfortable seating
• Gratuities to Orbridge Travel Director, local guides, drivers, and to the wait staff for the meals listed above are included
• Airport transfers for guests arriving and departing during the suggested times

Optional Muscle Shoals Post-Tour includes:

• Two nights' accommodations at The Stricklin Hotel
• Two Southern-style breakfasts
• Admission and fees for included activities
• Gratuities to local guides and drivers
• Private transportation
• Airport transfers for guests departing at the suggested time

The trip (main program and post-tour) does not include:

• Trip-cancellation insurance and a passenger-travel-protection plan
• Airfare and any checked-baggage fees charged by airlines
• Meals and beverages other than those specified as included in the itinerary
• Items of a personal nature such as communication charges, laundry, and sundries
• Travel insurance*

*Principia will purchase evacuation insurance for all participants. If you are interested in adding additional travel insurance, please contact the Travel Insurance Center at 877.645.2090 or via email at orbridge@travelinsurancecenter.com.

Trip Activity Level: Moderate

It is our expectation that guests on this program are able to walk a mile at a moderate pace, walk up and down a flight of stairs, and get in and out of a motor coach without assistance.

Trip Costs

• $3,499 per person, standard double
• $4,499 per person, standard single
• $3,899 per person, deluxe double
• $4,899 per person, deluxe single
• $1,499 per person, standard double (post-tour program)
• $1,899 per person, standard single (post-tour program)

Meet Your Trip Lecturer

Dr. Billy Miller (C'72) is professor of sociology at Principia College. His areas of expertise are law, sociology, and conflict resolution. In addition, he serves as faculty advisor to the Black Student Union and Amnesty International group. Along with his classes at Principia, Miller teaches graduate courses on social justice and human diversity at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis, and he teaches sociology at Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey, Illinois.