Down South | Memphis & Nashville

Last week was my (last) spring break and I had the opportunity to travel to Memphis and Nashville, TN with a group of international and domestic students from my school. I'd never been to West or Middle Tennessee before this trip and I was excited for the food, music, and warmth. I wasn't disappointed.

Let's start with Memphis:
(me while studying)
 Stax Museum of American Soul Music shocked me. I wasn't sure what to expect; I didn't think I would be interested, honestly. Boy, was I wrong. The history that is stored in this museum goes beyond the music. It captures the soul (bc soul music) of Memphis and world when Stax was an operating record company. 


 & the National Civil Rights Museum. Potentially the most important and relevant museum, considering current events. If you visit (which you should, EVERYONE should), you'll start at the beginning of the Europeans' violation of Africans' rights: the slave trade. The museum takes you on a chronological journey that ends with the current struggle for civil rights and the #BlackLivesMatter movement. 
I was taken back to the brief lessons we had on slavery and the civil rights movement in history class. I don't think we learned nearly enough. & I was taught more than I ever could have imagined about the past struggle and the current struggle for rights.
When our group met up after going through the museum we had a discussion. What did we learn? How does the American civil rights movement translate to other countries and their civil rights movements? How does the civil rights movement in the 60s affect the current race relations in America and the fight for equality?
These were tough questions.
Our groups were made of students from different backgrounds. Different religions, different races, different ethnicities, different nationalities. & we all brought different, and valid, ideas and thoughts to the table based on our experiences. This was by far my favorite part of the trip, just being able to connect and learn from each other on a less superficial level.

&& we're off to Nashville:
The Parthenon? Is this Athens (of the West)? Hehe
Those columns though *heart eyes* 
Ceiling goals at the TN capitol building (ft. original chandeliers)