Clarksville celebrates African American heritage with expanded legacy trail

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — The African American Legacy Trail in Clarksville has expanded to feature over 40 stops, highlighting the significant contributions from African Americans to the city's history. Established in 2019 and expanded in 2024, the trail honors individuals who have shaped various fields, including medicine, business, government, music, art, and education.

Trail Founder Shana Thornton said her inspiration for the project began nearly a decade ago.

"I became inspired to create a brochure about Clarksville's African American history around 2016, but I had been studying that history since collaboratively writing the permanent exhibition ‘Becoming Clarksville: Legacies of Leadership’ at the Customs House Museum & Cultural Center," she said.

Thornton highlighted the contributions of Dr. Robert T. Burt, who, along with his wife, Emma Williams Burt, opened the first hospital in Clarksville in 1906.

"The Home Infirmary was intended to be a hospital for African Americans during the Jim Crow era, but white doctors also worked there, and Dr. Burt also treated white patients," Thornton explained.

The trail also features notable figures such as Dr. Clarence Cameron White, a composer and violinist; Steve Wylie, a Negro Leagues baseball player who played alongside legends like Satchel Paige and Jackie Robinson; Wilma Rudolph, an Olympic gold medalist; Rev. Wilbur N. Daniel, the first African American admitted to Austin Peay State University; Marvin Posey, Jr., a fine arts painter; and the legendary Jimi Hendrix, who began his music career in Clarksville.

Historical sites like Fort Defiance Civil War Park and Affricanna Town are also part of the trail, commemorating the African American experience during the Civil War era.

Want to learn more about the trail? Brochures are available at Visit Clarksville and Tennessee State Welcome Centers as well as their mobile app that provides navigation for all trail stops.

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