African American Heritage
From the cradle of the blues to the National Civil Rights Museum — Tennessee's central place in Black history and music.
Tennessee holds a central place in African American history. Memphis's Beale Street is a foundational home of the blues, tied to W. C. Handy; Stax and Sun Records shaped American music. The Lorraine Motel, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968, is now the National Civil Rights Museum. This trail follows that history across West and Middle Tennessee, including the cemeteries that hold community memory.
The Route
- 1Marker
Beale Street in Memphis is a foundational home of the blues, associated with W. C. Handy.
Shelby County, downtown Memphis.
- 2Marker
The Lorraine Motel, where Dr. King was assassinated in 1968, is now the National Civil Rights Museum.
A short walk from Beale Street.
- 3Cemetery
Zion Christian Cemetery (1873) is one of the oldest Black-owned cemeteries in Memphis and a focus of preservation efforts.
South Memphis, Shelby County.
Suggested Itinerary
- 1.beale street — Birthplace of the blues.
- 2.lorraine motel — National Civil Rights Museum.
- 3.zion christian cemetery — Community memory.
In the Classroom
Pairs with units on the civil-rights movement and on the history of American music. The National Civil Rights Museum stop supports primary-source work on 1968.
Why It Matters
Historic Black cemeteries such as Zion Christian Cemetery in Memphis face active preservation needs; the trail connects to THC's cemeteries program.
Every county has a story.