MONTGOMERY, Ala., Sept. 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Alabama Tourism Department is offering a free app for parents, educators and travelers seeking to learn more about the impact and legacy of the Civil Rights Movement. The Alabama Civil Rights Trail Smartphone App lets users explore how the Civil Rights Movement unfolded in Alabama and redefined our nation.

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The app, first to be released by the state tourism department, allows visitors to Alabama to walk in the footsteps of the Civil Rights Movement by exploring the people, places and events that changed the course of history. With Sept. 15 being the official commemoration of the 50thanniversary of the bombing of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala., the app can be an important tool for parents and educators to use in teaching young people about the historical importance of this tragic event.

The app can be downloaded for free by visiting the App Store for iPhone users or Google Play for the Android market.

With The Alabama Civil Rights Trail Smartphone App, you can:

• Discover civil rights landmarks across Alabama.
• Browse a detailed 2013 calendar of events commemorating the 50th anniversary.
• Plan your visit to Birmingham, Montgomery, Selma, Tuskegee and other cities that played pivotal roles in the Civil Rights Movement.
• View maps of civil rights destinations within each featured city.
• Explore an interactive timeline that takes you through the struggle for equality to desegregation and the Civil Rights Act.
• Read biographies of Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr. and other famous figures.

"Our Civil Rights Trail Smartphone App educates a new generation about the civil rights struggles of the 1960s, the people who fought for equal rights and the historic landmarks that travelers can visit," said Alabama Tourism Director Lee Sentell. "We've made traveling to Alabama and learning about our state much easier and much more convenient."

Sentell said he expects historic civil rights landmarks in Alabama to be popular destinations this travel season.

"Travel to Alabama not only generates billions of dollars in economic impact, it also gives people a chance to see just how far we've progressed in 50 years," said Sentell. "Alabama is a wonderful place for people to live and to visit."

You can learn more about other travel destinations at www.alabama.travel.

SOURCE Alabama Tourism Department

RELATED LINKShttp://www.alabama.travel