If I never had arranged for Leah & I to go on Red Clay's tour of Birmingham I would have still, I'm sure, enjoyed a day in this infamous civil rights city. But I never would have known, either, what I missed. For Clay's personal, insightful and deeply historic tour of Birmingham was the best tour that we went on during our two week trip in the Deep South of the United States -- and one of the best tours I've ever taken anywhere.
For the 3+ hrs that we were with Clay we were constantly enthralled by the depth of his knowledge of his hometown, his detailed accounts of specific events that spanned five decades and his profoundly honest perspective on the truth of racism in Birmingham, past, present and future. We visited Nashville, Memphis and Montgomery, but I feel I have a much (much!) better sense of Birmingham because of Clay than any of the other Southern cities we visited.
If you want to know the real truth of Birmingham from someone who lives there, don't miss this tour. You'll never regret it. I promise you.