Ethan Smith, News Editor

Day Clean Journeys, the only black tour company in Savannah, and Multicultural Affairs will be offering a Black History Celebration Month tour around downtown Savannah this Friday Feb. 22.

The event will feature stops at the Ralph Gilbert Civil Rights Museum, a visit to First African Baptist Church and many other historical sites that are influential to African American culture.

The Ralph Gilbert Civil Rights Museum is named after Dr. Ralph Mark Gilbert who is regarded as the father of Savannah’s modern Civil Rights movement and was once the president of the Savannah chapter of the NAACP. The museum itself contains three-floors worth of exhibits that provide insight on the struggles of the Civil Right movement in Savannah as well as Georgia.

The First African Baptist Church is the oldest African American church in the United States.  It was founded in 1777 but began sooner in 1773. The church is older than the United States itself, as it was created three years before the country was formed. Many components of the church are vintage including the pews and light fixtures, so it’s apparent that the church has kept its history.

The tour itself is free for students who sign up with a valid student ID though lunch is not included. Space is limited, so be sure to sign up and take part in the Black Heritage Celebration Month festivities.