Tours & Activities - Thursday, September 19

The UTC History Department is excited to welcome SLSA conference attendees to Chattanooga, and will be sponsoring four free outdoor activities on the afternoon of Thursday, September 19^th. See the activity descriptions and details below.

Please reserve your spot by emailing Michael-D-Thompson@utc.edu !

#1 - Guided Visit to the Ed Johnson Memorial

Description: On March 19, 1906, Ed Johnson, was mob-lynched from the second span of the Walnut Street Bridge in Chattanooga. After a trial devoid of incriminating facts and with a clearly biased jury, Johnson was sentenced to death for the rape of a white woman. When the U.S. Supreme Court granted a stay of his execution, a mob stormed the jail. Johnson was the second man to be lynched on the bridge, after Alfred Blount was hung from the first span in 1893. Johnson and Blount were two of the approximately 4,000 African Americans who were lynched from Reconstruction to the Civil Rights era. Johnson’s last words, spoken from the bridge before he was killed, were, “God bless you all, I am a innocent man.” This reflective memorial recognizes Ed Johnson, his brutal death and sacrifice, honors the heroic and historic efforts of his lawyers Noah Parden and Styles Hutchins and other members of the African American community that supported them, and commemorates the landmark Supreme Court case that changed the course of American history and civil rights. The memorial is located at the southern entrance to the Walnut Street Bridge, a welcoming, contemplative space where people of all backgrounds and cultures can come to learn, reflect, mourn, and find inspiration. Utilizing creative place making practices, the design engages visitors and tells the historical narrative of this event through art, inscriptions and a story wall. For more information visit https://www.edjohnsonproject.com.

Details:

• Guide: Eric Atkins – public historian, activist, and Co-Chair of Unity Group of Chattanooga
• Meet outside the main entrance to the Read House conference hotel at 12:00pm
• Duration: approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes
• One-mile walk through downtown Chattanooga to the memorial, 60 minutes viewing and discussing the memorial, and one-mile walk back to the Read House

#2 - Walking Tour: “The History of White Supremacy and Anti-Racist Resistance in Chattanooga”

Description: The People’s History of Chattanooga Project and CALEB (Chattanoogans in Action for Love, Equality, and Benevolence) offers a walking tour titled “The History of White Supremacy and Anti-Racist Resistance in Chattanooga” that covers history from the founding of the city in the 1830s through the modern day. Topics include enslavement in early Chattanooga, the Civil War, Reconstruction, the establishment of Jim Crow, the 1911 change in city government, white supremacist violence, the Civil Rights movement, the Wilson Pickett riots, the 1980 Klan shooting on MLK Blvd., Brown v. Board of Commissioners of the City of Chattanooga, and more.

Details:

• Guide: Michael Gilliland – public historian, activist, and Organizing Director of CALEB
• Meet outside the main entrance to the Read House conference hotel at 2:00pm
• Duration: approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes
• Covers the distance of five city blocks
• Wheelchair accessible with stops mostly on wide sidewalks

#3 - Guided Hike on Lookout Mountain

Description: Join Outdoor Chattanooga for a leisurely-paced guided hike on Lookout Mountain, from the historic Cravens House to the expansive views of Sunset Rock. This 1.5-mile one-way hike is rated as moderate, with a gradual uphill climb.

Details:

• Meet outside the main entrance to the Read House conference hotel at 11:30am
• Transportation to and from Lookout Mountain provided
• Duration: approximately 3 hours (including transport to and from the trailhead)
• Limited to 20 participants

#4 - Guided Kayak Paddle on the Tennessee River

Description: Join Outdoor Chattanooga for a beginner-friendly kayak paddle on the Tennessee River from Coolidge Park on Chattanooga’s Northshore around Maclellan Island located in the heart of downtown. Outdoor Chattanooga staff will provide basic kayak and river safety instruction, and guide this leisurely-paced paddle tour. All equipment is provided, including flotation devices and stable 12-foot Wilderness Systems Pungo recreational kayaks.

Details:

• Meet outside the main entrance to the Read House conference hotel at 1:30pm
• Transportation to and from Outdoor Chattanooga provided
• Duration: approximately 3 hours (including transport to and from launch site)
• Limited to 10 participants (for a safe 5:1 participant/guide ratio)
• Appropriate for ages 14 and up