In Meridian, history brushes past us every day.

The houses we live in, the roads we travel on and the buildings we work in are all steeped in the long history of the community and the nation. Most of

But most people don’t stop long enough to really notice the past — a past that shapes the present and will shape the future.

DeDe Mogollon, executive director of the Meridian/Lauderdale County Tourism Bureau says it’s important to understand that history—to tell the all the stories, not just the usual ones people learn in school. It’s also important for people to have a personal connection with history, Mogollon said.

Which is why the bureau, along with a committee of local residents, created the Civil Rights Trail in 2104.

The trail is a two-hour, self-guided tour that takes participants on a journey through the history of the Civil Rights Era as it winds through Meridian and Lauderdale County. At each marker, a QR code provides access via a smartphone app to a short video about the location. The first seven markers can be walked to easily, however, after

At each marker, a QR code provides access via a smartphone app to a short video about the location. The first seven markers can be walked to easily, however, after that, participants will need a vehicle.

Mogollon said the trail is different because it allows history to be told interactively. With no staff and no set hours, it allows people from different states to follow it whenever they want.

Mogollon summed up the civil rights era with the sentiment: “Great Change Is Never Easy, But We Made A Difference.” The Civil Rights Trail strives to help people today understand exactly what those changes looked like.

“In 2014 a few of the Freedom Summer Riders were back in town and they had input on how they wanted their stories portrayed,” Mogollon said. “The Riders said that while terrible, the murders that happened in 1964 were not the real story. Mississippi was changing itself during that time, but as it was changing itself, it was also changing the world.”

The stops on the trail are all in Meridian:

1-African-American Business District

Intersection of 25th Avenue & 5th Street: The African-American Business District provided services that Meridian’s black community could not otherwise receive. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., stayed at the Young Hotel during one of his visits to Meridian.

2-The Movement

The Intersection of 25th Avenue & 5th Street: Con Sheehan Hall played an important role in this history. It was the site of the Meridian Race Riot of 1871 and later served as the office for the Council of Federated Organizations. Michael Schwerner and wife, Rita, came to Meridian to run this office.

3-Sit-Ins, Pickets & Boycotts:

2211 5th St.: Many businesses that catered to black clientele refused to hire black employees or maintained their segregated ways. Activists staged sit-ins, pickets and boycotts to achieve their goals.

4-The Jewish Contribution

2200 5th St.: Jewish merchants were responsible for much of the growth Meridian experienced after the Civil War. Their influence can be seen in the buildings and architecture of many of the buildings downtown.

5-Federal Courthouse

2100 9th St.: This was the setting for two of the most significant court actions in civil rights history. In 1961, James Meredith filed his initial lawsuit with the district court, seeking to integrate the University of Mississippi. In 1967, it was the site of the first conviction in Mississippi by an all-white jury of a white person on civil rights charges.

6-Voter Registration

500 Constitution Ave.: Voter registration was a top priority of the civil rights movement. The Lauderdale County Courthouse was the site of the literacy exam given to African-Americans to further discourage them from registering to vote.

7-Freedom Riders

212 Constitution Ave.: Freedom Riders were groups of black and white civil rights activists who rode throughout the South challenging segregated bus practices. The Tourism Bureau is now housed in the site of the former Greyhound Bus Station where the riders stopped.

8-McLemore Cemetery

Intersection of 6th Street & 16th Avenue: Meridian’s oldest cemetery and oldest surviving historic site. Many victims of the race riot of 1871, believed to be the bloodiest day Meridian has ever seen, are believed to be buried here.

9-Newell Chapel

1400 13th Ave.: Numerous meetings of civil rights activists were held at Newell Chapel and it was one of three original locations of the Head Start program in Meridian. On Feb. 23, 1968, the Klu Klux Klan burned the church parsonage with a gasoline bomb.

10-St. Joseph Catholic Church

1914 18th Ave.: Site of a coeducational school that served children in the black community until 1970. James Chaney was a student here through ninth grade and served as an altar boy.

11-St. John Baptist Church

2000 18th Ave.: St. John and its members played an active role in the civil rights movement. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was scheduled to make a speech here and the church was the home church of Polly Heidelberg, who was seen as a mother figure to many activists.

12-The Impact of Churches

Intersection of 13th Street & 27th Avenue between New Hope Missionary Baptist & St. Paul United Methodist: Meridian’s black churches were the heart and soul of the civil rights movement. New Hope is Meridian’s oldest black Baptist Church.

13-Wechsler School

1415 30th Ave.: Wechsler school was the first brick public school for black students built with public funds in Mississippi. It housed 1,441 students at its height and students came from all over Mississippi and the surrounding states. By 1921, it became the only public school in east central Mississippi to offer high school diplomas to black students.

14-Freedom School

Intersection of 16th Street & Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Drive/31st Avenue: Freedom Schools opened across Mississippi in the summer of 1964, Meridian’s being the largest. These schools taught citizenship, black history, constitution rights, political process, foreign language and basic academics. It was housed in the Baptist Seminary and the building was destroyed by fire in 2007.

15-Council of Organizations

814 45th Avenue: A nonprofit association that promoted the social, cultural and educational interests of the African-American community in Meridian. It is housed in a former IGA that was picketed by local activists for refusing to hire African-Americans.

16-Old Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church

829 47th Ave.: Mt. Olive was an important church during the civil rights movement.

17-First Union Missionary Baptist Church

610 38th Ave.: First Union was the headquarters of civil rights activities among Meridian churches. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at the church after the disappearance of James Chaney, Michael “Mickey” Schwerner and Andrew Goodman. On Aug. 7, 1964, the funeral of Chaney was held here.

18-James Chaney Gravesite

5052 Fish Lodge Road: James Earl Chaney was a civil rights activist and martyr, but he was also a Meridian resident. His grave is a reminder that great change is never easy but we can make a difference.

Find out more:

Tour maps, photos, video and other information can be found at www.visitmeridian.com/index.cfm/historic-trail-markers/civil-rights or the tourism office at 212 Constitution Ave., Meridian. Call: 888-868-7720.