Abstract
While commemorative narratives of the Civil Rights Movement often echo the oft-repeated names and stories of nationally recognized figures and sites of protest, localized histories—particularly those rooted in smaller communities like Anniston, Alabama, USA—remain marginalized in dominant public memory frameworks. In light of this, this article documents the creation and implementation of the Anniston Civil Rights Trail story map: a digital public history initiative designed to recover, interpret, and spatially contextualize ten key sites associated with Civil Rights activism in Anniston. Drawing on theoretical frameworks in geographic memory, counter-mapping, and participatory public history, the case study demonstrates how interactive mapping technologies—specifically GIS-based story maps—can be used to surface marginalized narratives, challenge dominant commemorative geographies, and foster more inclusive understandings of the Civil Rights Movement. In detailing the design, community collaboration, archival research, and narrative structuring behind the story map, the article presents a model for how other communities might similarly leverage digital tools to reclaim local histories, engage diverse publics, and cultivate a more representative national memory.
Recommended Citation
Sciuchetti, Mark J. Jr.; Huang, Jianping Coco; Green, Jennifer; and Faulkner, Sarah
(2025)
"Mapping the Margins: The Anniston Civil Rights Trail Story Map as a Model for Participatory Public History and the Decentralization of Historical Narratives,"
The Geographical Bulletin: Vol. 66:
Iss.
1, Article 1.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/thegeographicalbulletin/vol66/iss1/1