South to Southwest is a travel-based course that takes students to Phoenix, Arizona, to explore African American history where it happened.
8 days travel at
$2,350 plus tuition
AAST 3500 / AAST 3520
/ HIST 4610
3 Credit Hours
Instructed by
Dr. Don Guillory
Priority Deadline
January 15, 2027
Travel Overview
Go beyond textbooks and lecture halls. Study USA’s travel courses combine academic learning with hands-on, real world experiences. Every class maximizes its unique location with immersive activities.
You’ll earn academic credit, apply what you’re learning directly to your surroundings, and engage in lively class experiences—all guided by Ole Miss faculty.
What You'll Learn
- Learn African American history on location through immersive site visits in Phoenix including historic neighborhoods, Green Book sites, museums, churches, and cultural institutions.
- Connect history to lived experience by engaging with scholars, artists, and community leaders while exploring Black migration, community building, and resistance in the American Southwest.
- Develop strong critical thinking and discussion skills through daily debriefings that link course readings, historical frameworks, and real‑world observations.
- Explore Black culture past and present across literature, art, music, theater, and public history, highlighting African American contributions to the Southwest.
- Apply research skills in a meaningful way by completing a project inspired by travel experiences, site visits, and interdisciplinary analysis.
What You'll Do
- Walk Historic Black Neighborhoods – Explore places like Encanto, downtown Phoenix.
- Visit Green Book & Civil Rights Sites – Learn how Black travelers and communities created safe spaces and institutions in the Southwest.
- Engage with Museums, Archives, and Cultural Centers – Study African American history and art at museums, libraries, and historical societies.
- Meet Scholars, Artists, and Community Leaders – Participate in presentations and conversations with historians, cultural workers, and organizations.
- Experience Black Arts & Performance – Attend theater presentations and explore public art and cultural districts.
- Daily Group Discussions & Debriefs – Connect readings and site visits through guided reflection and discussion with classmates.
- Present Your Research on Location – Share individual or group projects inspired by travel, place, and lived history.
All activities are tentative and subject to change depending on scheduling, booking availability, and course adjustments.
Meet Your Instructor
All Study USA courses are designed and led by Ole Miss faculty. Your instructor(s) will be your first point of contact during your travels and lead you through all the class experiences.
Dr. Don Guillory
Visiting Instructional Assistant Professor of History
dguillor@olemiss.edu
Donald R. Guillory is a visiting Assistant Professor of History at the University of Mississippi. Dr. Guillory’s instructional and research focus is on race, gender, and identity in the 19th and 20th century histories of the U.S. and Latin America. Dr. Guillory is a US Army Veteran, where he served as a Military Intelligence Officer, a graduate of Georgia Southern University, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and History, and Master of Arts in History. After serving in the military, Professor Guillory attended Arizona State where he earned his Master of Education and Master of Liberal Studies focusing on the role that film and television play in shaping our perspectives about culture and gender.
Additionally, he is the tour coordinator for the University of Mississippi Slavery Research Group (UMSRG) on the University of Mississippi campus contextualizing the history of slavery. Dr. Guillory also serves as the Managing Editor for Sociology of Race and Ethnicity (SRE), an academic publication discussing and analyzing issues related to race and identity. In February 2020, he presented a TEDx Talk at the University of Mississippi entitled "The Importance of the Narrative." In 2022, Dr. Guillory earned the Memphis State Eight award for his research piece entitled “Petitioning for Freedom: African Americans and the Emancipation Suits in Early 19th Century New Orleans.” Dr. Guillory is also the author of "The Token Black Guide, a discussion and analysis of race," "Bastards of the Bayou," and "Magnolia Lane," fictional works which blend history and horror.
Understanding the fuller picture of the American History, African American History, and migration, cannot be fully understood without looking into the Southwest and how they were able to build an oasis in a hostile desert.
–Dr. Guillory