I was five years old when I heard Beyonce's song Single Ladies for the first time.

Instantly, I was hooked. These days, I'm die-hard beehive. Plus, I've got deep family roots in the South.

My family is originally from Tutweiler, Mississippi, a tiny town in the heart of the Delta.

I grew up around family from small towns that were full of stories, soul, and music,

specifically blues music.

Blues rose up from those same Delta towns.

And over the years, as I've gotten more into blues,

I found myself wanting to better understand that part of my family's story.

So, when Beyonce announced Cowboy Carter last year, the moment felt extra special.

Me and my collection of cowboy boots were ready.

As I listened closely trying to spot all the signature Easter eggs Beyonce is known for,

one track stood out.

Track 20.

Yeah, yeah. We want to welcome you to the Beyonce Cowboy Carter Act 2. Ah! And a rodeo chitlin circuit, she said. Chitlin circuit. I had

never heard of it. The deeper I dug, the more I had to know.

I'm Jela Everett, and you're listening to Atlas Obscura, a celebration of the world's strange, incredible, and wondrous places.

Today, we're getting a crash course in the Chitlin Circuit and taking a closer look at a special

stop along the way, Club Ebony.

It's a place that still thumps with blues of the Pass, even as it welcomes a new generation of musicians.

That story, right after this. You may have heard of the green book, a sort of underground guide that listed where it was safe for black travelers to eat, sleep, or pick up a prescription at their local pharmacy.

What you may not realize is that the Green Book also included places where you could not only be safe, but also have fun.

And in those guides, they also often list leisure clubs. So nightclubs.

...