It’s not often in the world of advertising that you can create the headline “What Happened Here Changed the World,” mean it literally and back it up conclusively. The U.S. Civil Rights Trail is one of those assignments. It has been an opportunity to build the product from scratch and to build a campaign that has taken the Civil Rights Movement story to millions.
Luckie was first exposed to the idea in 2017 in a conversation with Lee Sentell, director of the Alabama Tourism Department for the past 20 years. The rich history of the Civil Rights Movement is anchored in Alabama.
It was in Montgomery, Alabama, that Rosa Parks ignited a movement that had been smoldering for decades. Martin Luther King Jr., the young pastor at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church just down the street from Alabama’s Capitol, assumed the role of torchbearer of the movement that would change the laws in the United States and come to define a broad platform for social justice not only in the U.S. but also around the world.
Alabama was at the center of the best and worst of the movement. The words “We Shall Overcome” rang out in Selma, Montgomery, and Birmingham and many times were suppressed by police dogs, the powerful blasts of fire hoses, and the counter protests of segregationists and white supremacists. Often, Dr. King was criticized as an “outside agitator,” but he was a man of deep conviction who believed “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” The U.S. Civil Rights Trail is dedicated to more intimately introducing our nation to those places where the movement took place.
Why? Because today, more than ever, so many are looking to stand for something. The trail is an opportunity to make our history meaningful. It’s a passage for those seeking to learn from our past and those looking to build hope for our future. We must realize our work is not done. The trail spans 14 states and includes over 100 churches, schools, courthouses and museums. You can walk in the footsteps of Dr. King and Rep. John Lewis on the Edmund Pettus Bridge, sit at the Woolworth’s lunch counter where the Greensboro Four took a stand by taking a seat, see where the Little Rock Nine went to school so we could learn, and visit the preserved jail cell where Dr. King was incarcerated in Birmingham. Walk in the footsteps of the foot soldiers and begin building your bridge to a better humanity.
The trail is a passion project inspired by our client Lee Sentell and has been embraced by the entire Luckie team. Start your journey at CivilRightsTrail.com, and then move to the recently published and beautifully photographed book The Official U.S. Civil Rights Trail by Lee Sentell.
Visit the trail and walk in the footsteps of giants.
