Baton Rouge’s civil rights and Black history
Louisiana Civil Rights Trail
Two of the first four sites on this historical marker trail are in the Capital City. The Baton Rouge Bus Boycott is remembered with a marker at the Old State Capitol, where riders waited for volunteer free transportation as part of a protest of the city’s bus system. The protests inspired Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott. In August, a marker was unveiled at A. Z. Young Park next to the state capitol to celebrate the civil rights activist and the march he helped lead from Bogalusa to Baton Rouge in 1967 protesting voting and employment discrimination. The other markers are at Dooky Chase’s Restaurant in New Orleans and Little Union Baptist Church in Shreveport. louisianacivilrightstrail.com
Baton Rouge African American Museum
While the loss of founder Sadie Roberts-Joseph in 2019 dealt the downtown museum a serious blow, her two adult children have taken over. The many artifacts include a bus from the 1953 Baton Rouge Bus Boycott. The museum is open for small tours upon request. braamuseum.org
River Road African American Museum
Head to this Donaldsonville cottage to explore African influence on Louisiana agriculture, cuisine, music and much more. africanamericanmuseum.org
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A different plantation tour
• It wasn’t until Whitney Plantation opened in 2014 that Louisiana delivered a plantation tour focused on the experiences of enslaved people. About 50 minutes southeast of Baton Rouge, it offers a sobering look at slavery at Whitney and other plantations. Self-guided tours are outside, so prep for the weather. whitneyplantation.org
• Laura Plantation, just five miles from Whitney, began enhancing its discussions of slavery in 2017. Its guided tours are among the most informative along River Road. lauraplantation.com
Rediscover downtown
Baton Rouge native John Kelton started driving for a limousine company when he moved back home from Memphis in 2012. Many of his passengers ended up being touring groups with Visit Baton Rouge and the state Office of Tourism. They were so taken by his knowledge of the city that they encouraged him to host his own tours.
He took their advice, but out from behind the driver’s seat, launching Enjoy Baton Rouge Walking Tours in 2017. He leads groups of up to around 12 through downtown for two hours, highlighting historic landmarks and topics based on the groups’ suggestions.
“I can cater to their interests and also their stamina,” Kelton says. “Once you know what they’re really interested in, you can really go more in depth with the tour.”
And with his breadth of knowledge and research, that can include anything from the Battle of Baton Rouge to important civil rights landmarks, public art and architecture to political history. “It becomes a conversation,” Kelton says. enjoybatonrouge.com
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Tour some more
Scott and Susan Miles of All About Baton Rouge Tours offer a variety of microbus tours, walking tours, food tours and even longer excursions that feature a boat ride through the swamps. redstickadventures.com
This article was originally published in the December 2021 issue of 225 magazine.