A legislative study group wants Mississippi to have a &8220;trail&8221; of sites across the state marking the story of civil rights, including a civil rights museum in Jackson.

The thing the group doesn&8217;t seem to realize is that most trails have a beginning and an end.

There&8217;s nowhere to begin a trail but at the start, and this story starts in Natchez.

Walk the streets and you&8217;ll see tales of slavery. Talk to residents and you can hear tales of the start of the civil rights movement. Look at our current leaders and you&8217;ll see the end result.

Natchez encompasses the history of civil rights. Our community still showcases a healthy racial diversity.

Natchez is the logical choice for the civil rights museum.

Jackson and other cities can be stops on the trail.

Mayor Phillip West is holding out hope our city will be chosen, despite the study group&8217;s announcement Wednesday that the museum should be in Jackson.

West is banking on our history, but he&8217;s fighting an uphill battle. The decision-makers this time are largely Jackson-based. They&8217;ll lean toward the state&8217;s capital city, no matter what.

It&8217;s up to us to let them know where history starts in this state.