When Carolyn Michael Banks talks about Memphis, she doesn’t begin with the usual headlines.
Yes, this is the city of barbecue and blues. Yes, it’s where Dr. King was assassinated. But to Carolyn — founder and social curator of A Tour of Possibilities — Memphis is a majority-Black city layered with history that’s often hidden in plain sight.
And she’s made it her mission to uncover it.
A Journey Rooted in Purpose
Carolyn’s path to Memphis began in Washington, D.C., where she worked for a national sightseeing tour company and eventually became a general manager. While there, she began adding African American history to tour scripts, something few national companies were intentionally doing at the time.
After stops in Savannah and Philadelphia, and eventually being downsized, she decided to build something of her own. Drawing from years of experience weaving Black history into public storytelling, she launched A Tour of Possibilities.
Memphis came later — and once she arrived, she quickly realized the city’s untold stories were too powerful to ignore.
“The amount of history that was hidden, often in plain sight,” she says, inspired her to rebuild the tour here in the Bluff City.
It’s the Story in Between
A Tour of Possibilities is a two-and-a-half-hour driving experience that explores Memphis through an African American historical lens.
Guests pass iconic landmarks like the National Civil Rights Museum and Slave Haven Underground Railroad Museum. But as Carolyn explains, the heart of the tour isn’t just where you go — it’s what you learn along the way.
“It’s the story in between the landmarks,” she says.
It’s context you won’t find in a guidebook. It’s history woven into neighborhoods, streets, and spaces you might pass every day without realizing their significance. And it’s perspective that reshapes how you see Memphis long after the tour ends.
For Carolyn, this work is about expanding the narrative — honoring the richness, resilience, and contributions of Black Memphians beyond the moments most commonly referenced.
Because Memphis is more than a headline. It’s a living story.
Plan Your Visit
Ready to experience Memphis from a different perspective?
A Tour of Possibilities offers public and private two-and-a-half-hour driving tours throughout the city. Whether you’re a visitor or a lifelong Memphian, you’ll leave with a deeper understanding of the history that shaped the place we call home.
Learn more and book your tour at
A Tour of Possibilities
