Those who visit some of the civil rights movement’s most iconic cities, like Selma, can now travel through history by using their smart phone as the Alabama State Tourism Department premiered the Civil Rights Trail app. 

The app, which is free, provides a timeline beginning in the 1930s through present day, highlighting important events in the civil rights movement.

Marilyn Jones Stamps, publication manager for the Alabama Tourism Department, said by using the app, people will be able to experience history “right on there phone screen.”

“It just puts the information in the hands of people who are coming here to experience civil rights,” Stamps said. “And it gives them places to see, things to do and points out a lot of the sites that have been important to the civil rights movement and the changes that have occurred here in Alabama.”

The idea for the app, Stamps said, stemmed from the need to stay current with changes in technology. The tourism department had a civil rights brochure they offered visitors, but nothing they could use on their phone, she said.

“We felt the need that we had to put this information quickly in to the hands of travelers who come to Alabama,” Stamps said.

Areas the app highlights in Selma include the Interpretive Center, the Voting Rights Museum and the Selma to Montgomery March.

Along with iconic sites, Stamps said the app also includes small biographies on key players in the civil rights movement like Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr.

“It also has interactive maps,” she said. “We’ll continue to update the app as we go along to give travelers more and more information.”

Stamps added that she hopes the app teaches children and future generations the importance of the civil rights movement, and why it should be remembered and celebrated.

“Because so much history happened in Alabama, it’s important that people discover this history when they visit the state,” she said. “We need to continue to shine a spotlight on all those who prevailed in this movement.”