Tennessee offers the chance to learn about the struggles and triumphs of African Americans who helped to shape and build our country.
Places in Tennessee to Explore African American History
Tennessee is home to famous African American writers, music legends, and talented photographers. Learn their stories within our borders.
January 22, 2021
The boyhood home of famed author Alex Haley, who penned the groundbreaking novel Roots: The Saga of an American Family, is located in Henning. "Roots," which was made into a landmark TV miniseries in 1977, was inspired by family stories young Alex heard on the porch of the home. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and Haley is buried on the grounds. The inside of the home has been restored to the way it looked in 1921 when Haley was born; exhibits feature his work, childhood memorabilia and references to the people who inspired the characters in "Roots."
National Civil Rights Museum - Memphis
This one-of-a-kind Memphis museum is built around the former Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in April 1968. The motel sits on more than four acres that make up the National Civil Rights Museum. Visitors can trace the history of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States from the 17th century to the present.
Slave Haven Underground Railroad Museum - Memphis
Once known by many as a stop on the Underground Railroad, Slave Haven Underground Railroad Museum tells the stories of the people who were traded and sold in Memphis. you can descend into the dark, damp cellar and peer through the trap doors and hidden passageways where slaves looking for a free life were harbored.
Stax Museum of American Soul Music - Memphis
Experience the story of Stax Records, one of the most famous recording studios in the world, through interactive exhibitions and artifacts at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music. The museum shares how creative individuals came together to write, record and produce some of the best soul music in Memphis, regardless of skin color or background. The hall of records where the walls are lined floor-to-ceiling with albums and singles released by Stax gives guests a tangible view of the large impact Stax had on the world's music.
Tina Turner Museum and Flagg Grove School - Brownsville
Known as The Queen of Rock ‘n' Roll, Tina Turner was born in Nutbush – which she later made famous with her hit song, "Nutbush City Limits." She attended school in a one-room schoolhouse located in Brownsville – one of the first schools built in the South for African-Americans. Visitors to the Tina Turner Museum at Flagg Grove School, located on the grounds of the West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center, can explore the largest known public collection of Tina costumes and memorabilia.
Dunbar Carver Museum - Brownsville
Dunbar Carver Museum is located on the site of the former Carver High School, and tells the stories of African American life in Haywood County through events associated with the more than a century-old existence of the Dunbar-Haywood County Training Center-Carver High School.
Withers Collection Museum and Gallery - Memphis
Ernest Withers made his name as a freelance photographer documenting the segregated South through iconic black-and-white images. Born in Memphis, Withers also traveled with Martin Luther King, Jr. The Withers Collection Museum and Gallery allows people a glimpse into the past through more than 60 years of photographs that depict African Americans' discrimination and struggles.
Middle Tennessee
McLemore House Museum - Franklin
The McLemore House, purchased by ex-slave Harvey McLemore in 1880, was a model of community development in Hard Bargain, the first African American middle class neighborhood in Franklin that consisted of carpenters, teachers, masons and farmers. The house now serves as a museum that promotes cultural and historical preservation, celebrating the rich African American heritage of Franklin and Williamson County.
Promise Land - Charlotte
The first African American community established in Dickson County, Tennessee, Promise Land was established by freedmen during the Reconstruction era after the Civil War. Freedmen were the only residents, sheltering its community from the Jim Crow South. Up until 1881, there were a few families but they began to organize as a community when Arch and John Nesbitt - brothers who served as U.S. Colored Troops during the Civil War - donated land for a church and school. In addition to these buildings, Promise Land also had several stores, so the community was largely self-contained. You can see the school on the Civil War Trails that journeys through the state, and explore downtown Charlotte today.
National Museum of African American Music - Nashville
The National Museum of African American Music is the only museum dedicated to preserving the and celebrating the music genres that were created, inspired or influenced by African Americans. With interactive exhibits, including a sound booth where you can test your own musical talents, the museum brings to life the music legends of past and present. You can easily spend a few hours going through the exhibits that touch on genres like jazz, blues, rap and pop and tell the stories of renowned artists like Isaac Hayes, Beyonce, Rihanna and Bessie Smith.
East Tennessee
Beck Cultural Center - Knoxville
The Beck Cultural Center is one of the most extensive in African American history. From cultural and scientific achievements to postal stamps through the years that have honored African Americans like Ralph Bunche and Martin Luther King, Jr., you can see the vast ways African Americans have influenced political and social culture.
Green McAdoo Cultural Center - Clinton
Learn about the courageous story of the Clinton 12 at the Green McAdoo Cultural Center, one of the stops in Tennessee on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail. Step inside a 1950s classroom and see what life was like under "Jim Crow" laws. Follow the chronological story of the desegregation of the Clinton High School with life-size photographs and narratives.
Bessie Smith Cultural Center - Chattanooga
The Bessie Smith Cultural Center in Chattanooga promotes and preserves African American culture, history and arts. Learn the life and musical accomplishments of Bessie Smith, the "Empress of the Blues." Education and entertainment collide to provide a venue of history and art for its visitors.
Explore even more African American history that can be found throughout Tennessee.
