Widely regarded as one of the best tour companies for travelers over 50, Road Scholar is a nonprofit organization that emphasizes lifelong learning and educational travel for older travelers. In 2017, it debuted a Civil Rights Movement tour through Alabama and Georgia that has been one of the company’s most popular and impactful programs. Almost 550 travelers took part in the trip in 2025, and reviews often call it “life-changing.”
In 2027, the educational travel company is launching two new trips that further explore the important period of American history: “Rhythm of Resistance: Civil Rights & Jazz in New Orleans” and “The Civil Rights Movement in Jackson, Memphis & Nashville.” The first departures are scheduled for May 2027 in honor of the 10th anniversary of Road Scholar’s inaugural Civil Rights Movement program.
New Orleans: Jazz Meets Civil Rights
New Orleans already ranks as one of Road Scholar’s most popular destinations, and the new Rhythm of Resistance tour will explore the city’s role in the Civil Rights Movement and the impact of segregation on daily life and the evolution of jazz. Travelers will meet musicians at Preservation Hall, visit the historic Tremé neighborhood, and learn from experts at Whitney Plantation, a historic site dedicated to interpreting the history of slavery from the perspective of enslaved people.
“A civil rights and jazz program in New Orleans offers a powerful new way to experience the city by connecting two of its most influential legacies,” says Lindsey Temple, program operations director at Road Scholar. “From the fight for equality to the birth of America’s most iconic musical tradition, these stories bring New Orleans to life in a meaningful and immersive way.”
Jackson, Memphis, and Nashville: Defining Moments of the Movement
The Jackson, Memphis, and Nashville tour will examine the defining moments and key figures of the Civil Rights Movement in each city. Travelers will visit Memphis’s National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel, site of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination; the National Museum of African American Music in Nashville; and the home of Medgar Evers and the Emmett Till Interpretive Center on the Jackson portion of the trip.
“This program was created to connect people with the living history of the Civil Rights Movement across Jackson, Memphis, and Nashville — places where ordinary individuals made extraordinary choices that helped shape our nation,” says Bobbie Duncan from the Center for Educational Adventure, which partners with Road Scholar to organize and operate the program. “By exploring these communities and hearing the stories rooted there, we hope participants leave with a deeper appreciation of the movement’s complexity, the courage it required, and a renewed sense of how its lessons about justice, dignity, and collective action still matter today.”
How to Book
Both new tours are currently open for booking, as well as future dates of the original program in Alabama and Georgia.
TourScoop takeaway: Road Scholar excels at adding a strong educational element to its travel tours, helping participants broaden their minds and see the world in new ways. These new tours further explore an important period of American history that remains highly relevant today.
The views and opinions expressed in this column are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY. FamilyVacationist.com and TourScoop.com are owned and operated by Vacationist Media LLC. If you buy an item through a link in our content, we may earn a commission.
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