Mississippi Blues Trail Marker Rededicated at Clarksdale’s Cultural Landmark, Riverside Hotel
Clarksdale, Miss. — Visit Mississippi rededicated a Mississippi Blues Trail marker honoring the historic Riverside Hotel in Clarksdale on Monday, as part of the grand opening celebration for the Riverside Hotel Interpretive Center — the Living Blues and Civil Rights Museum.
The center officially opened its doors as Clarksdale community leaders, local musicians, representatives of Visit Mississippi, Visit Mississippi, the Mississippi Blues Commission, and members of the multi-generational Ratliff family — including the late Frank and Joyce Ratliff’s daughter, Zelena, and grandsons Justin and Darrius — gathered to celebrate the hotel’s enduring legacy and the rededication of the Mississippi Blues Trail marker at the site. Hotel co-owner and granddaughter Sonya Ratliff Gates, currently stationed overseas, was unable to attend in person.
For at least three generations, the Ratliff family’s Riverside Hotel has been one of the only Black family-owned historic hotels in Mississippi and remains a significant landmark in blues and civil rights history.
The original Riverside Hotel Mississippi Blues Trail marker was unveiled in January 2007, with then-owner Frank “Rat” Ratliff present. At the time, it was among the first Mississippi cultural trail markers funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
The newly revised marker was designed with input from blues music scholars Jim O’Neal and Scott Barretta. The updated marker reflects a deeper history and broadens the site’s interpretation.
About the site — In 1943, Mrs. Z.L. Ratliff Hill transformed the former hospital into a hotel, extending the building to include multiple guest rooms. The Riverside Hotel opened for business in 1944 and has since provided lodging to travelers of the Mississippi Delta. The hotel was listed in The Negro Travelers’ Green Book, published annually from 1936 to 1966, and served as safe accommodation for Black travelers during the Jim Crow era. Musicians such as Sonny Boy Williamson II, Ike Turner, Robert Nighthawk, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters and Sam Cooke are said to have visited or stayed at the hotel as they navigated a segregated South.
About the Mississippi Blues Trail
The Mississippi Blues Trail celebrates the profound cultural impact of blues music by honoring the musicians, venues and cultural landmarks that have defined Mississippi’s reputation as the Birthplace of America’s Music. Administered by Visit Mississippi, this statewide initiative showcases more than 200 markers commemorating the roots of blues music and invites visitors to experience its enduring legacy firsthand.
Learn more at msbluestrail.org.
About Visit Mississippi
Celebrated as the Hospitality State and proudly known as the Birthplace of America’s Music, Mississippi invites visitors to experience a rich tapestry of culture, history and unforgettable adventures. From the soulful sounds of the Delta to the serene beauty of the Gulf Coast and Appalachian foothills, Mississippi is a destination where every journey tells a story.
Visit Mississippi, a division of the Mississippi Development Authority, serves as the state’s official destination marketing organization. As storytellers and cultural ambassadors, we champion Mississippi through strategic global marketing, innovative partnerships and creative collaboration. Our mission is to elevate the state’s thriving tourism economy and inspire visitors from around the world to discover the magic that is Mississippi.
Learn more at visitmississippi.org.
