4 Small Towns to Visit Along the U.S. Civil Rights Trail

"Known as 'the last capital of the Confederacy' in the 1960s, Danville was added to the Civil Rights Trail on Feb. 1, 2022. Here, visitors will find the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History, which once served as a public library. In 1960, a sit-in was held in Danville, but in response, rather than allowing Black visitors to use the library, town officials shut down the library. In the years following that incident, there were several other demonstrations for racial equality, each met with strong, often violent resistance. Today, travelers can visit the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History to see an exhibit titled 'The Movement,' which details this local fight for civil rights." - Jessica Poitevien Jessica Poitevien Jessica Poitevien is an international storyteller and regular contributor to Travel + Leisure. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines