3rd September 2007

NEW CIVIL RIGHTS ITINERARY MARKS 50TH ANNIVERSARY

OF LITTLE ROCK CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL CRISIS

September 2007 sees the 50th anniversary of one of the key events in the Civil Rights struggle in the USA - the Little Rock Desegregation Crisis - and tour operator North American Highways has introduced a new themed self-drive itinerary to mark the occasion.

In September 1957 nine black students tried to enrol in the whites-only Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas, facing opposition from the State Governor, local law enforcement authorities and an angry mob.

After a showdown that lasted three weeks, and with the eyes of the world on Little Rock, President Eisenhower mobilised the 101st Airborne Division of the US Army who on 25 September escorted the ‘Little Rock Nine’ into Central High School to begin their studies.

Priced from £1,092 per person, North American Highways’ eight-night Civil Rights itinerary is a round-trip from Little Rock, Arkansas and features five key locations central to the African-American struggle:

• One night Little Rock, Arkansas - sites include Little Rock Central High School, scene of the 1957 Desegregation Crisis.
• Two nights Memphis, Tennessee - visit the National Civil Rights Museum, located in the Lorraine Motel where Dr Martin Luther King was assassinated.
• Two nights Birmingham, Alabama - sites include the 16th Street Baptist Church, scene of the 1963 firebombing that killed four black children, and Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.
• One night Montgomery, Alabama - visit the Rosa Parks Library and learn about the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott, and Dexter Avenue Baptist Church where Martin Luther King first preached.
• One night Jackson, Mississippi - see the home of murdered Civil Rights activist Medgar Evers and explore the rich heritage of the African-American community at the Smith Robertson Museum.
• One night Little Rock, Arkansas.

The itinerary price is based on twin-share accommodation and includes economy class return flights with US Airways and eight days’ compact size car rental.

Contact North American Highways on Tel: 01902 851138 or visit www.NAHighways.co.uk.

For more information on the Little Rock Central High School Crisis 50th anniversary visit www.nps.gov/chsc.

For more information on Arkansas visit www.Arkansas.com.

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