The National Memorial for Peace and Justice

A solemn place. Very well designed, Worthy of a landscape architecture design award. The attendants were super helpful. An electric cart was available for those in need. The hill to climb to the art installation was well provided with information tablets of history and facts. The landscape and grounds were very well taken care of. A stellar place of historical information and worthy of a 1-2 hour visit.

Very informative for all ages who understand they have a history of Theo ancestors. Much work, art and detail placed in all exhibits. We experienced all the emotions existent to mankind!!! A worker there who saw me crying said "it's ok, don't you feel guilty... it's not your fault." I left reflecting.💕

One of the museums that you could visit if you are nearby. Made me think deeper about the historical racial justice issues. I like the design of the museum, the sculptures and memorials were very well designed and they were nice. It was a deep experience, I suggest that you visit with friends and family. Some of the sculptures are really sad and could be hurtful.

Great museum! Great customer service! Must see while in the city! Good learning and history lesson.

Incredibly beautiful memorial to commemorate the horrible injustices and murders of African Americans across the country. Each sculpture represents 1 to 20+ vuctims of lynchings that occured in counties across the nation. Every American needs and should see this memorial.

The Legacy Museum is a very powerful experience. It focuses on telling the whole truthful story. It honors the lives of everyone by including the raw testimony and history of the massive injustice in our past and currently. It was encouraging to see so many people, adults and children, involved with learning the true history of America.

A must-see in Montgomery. Great stop to stretch your legs if you're needing a break when in route to or from the Gulf.

Sobbering history of the violence done to the African Americans in the 18th-19th-20th century.

I remember a few years ago when this first opened, I was working in Pittsburgh and I told my coworker that day that I will be checking this memorial out. I had no idea how or when, but I would be checking it out for sure. Fast forward to what was essentially a work trip and I found myself in Montgomery. It took me about a day to realize that I was so very near to this and that I was within reach of that goal I set years ago. My friends that were with me had no idea at all about this place and I kind of drug them there on scooters from near the state capital. We showed up near the end of the day, and to say that I ditched my friends to go and take in the outdoor areas quickly, would be an understatement. As soon as we got here and got through security, I was off and running, not really running, but I was off for sure. Coming into the space you are strongly encouraged to stay on the path...in most places. Once I got to the pavilion area one of the staff must of seen my hesitation. Without being asked, she told me that I can walk amongst the memorial. It was very moving to walk between the pieces, it gave it a more real feeling that you were really here. Walking around the area you can take it in however you like. You don't need to follow the same path as the person in front of you. Each one of the hanging hollow blocks represents a county in the country that a lynching took place. It is crazy to see the number of hanging blocks, but it hits home again when you exit this portion and you see those blocks lain out in rows. What also hits you is the case that has dirt in it from each lynching spot. This also ties it to The Legacy Museum, as this is the same dirt that forms that jar wall in the museum. This memorial was a sprawling complex that made you think. Just when you think you may have seen it all, you come around a corner or bend and see something new. I loved the statue that made you feel like you were walking in the footsteps of history. If it hadn't been so late in the day, and daylight becoming less, I would have explored this more. It is a beautiful spot for sunset pictures, a peaceful walk, or just to reflect.

Looking up things to do in Montgomery, this was one of the recommendations that showed up and I'm glad it did. This museum was powerful and informative. AMBIANCE: Parking: There is street parking and parking of their own. Experience: This is on a hill of Montgomery so you have a good view of seeing the skyline. The memorial itself got me emotional. It's a spacious and quiet space to honor the lives taken and reflect on our history. As a visual learner, I appreciated the balance of tributes and information. Overall it took me about a good hour. TL;DR OVERALL: 5 stars. Great place. A must if you're in Montgomery and if you have the time. Much appreciation to those that took the advocated spaces like these to learn about our history and honor the taken lives. Thank you. Tips: * Tickets are ordered online or at the box office (which is not at the museum but they will provide a bus for you.

I have been to this Memorial (and Museum) 5 times in the past 3 years, and each time I feel the same sense of emotion seeing and learning about this part of history that is often overlooked and ignored. My recommendation is to visit early in the day before it gets too hot and unbearable.

Wow, one of the most creative and moving memorials ever made!! Came here on a rainy and stormy day. It was thundering so much that we were instructed to wait in the bus for 20min before we could go out and walk around the memorial (it's all outdoor). I also recommend saving 2 hours for this place as well. So much to see and read and take in. This Memorial really honored those lynched and I understood so much more of the victim's experiences after coming here. It truly is sobering to see how much suffering and brutality occurred over innocent lives that were taken just because of skin color. I absolutely recommend a visit to this place!!!

It's an emotionally moving memorial with a meaningful and effective message expressed through art and literature. It starts with Kwame Akoto-Bamfo's sculpture called "Nkyinkyim" which leads us into the history of the torturous journey from Africa. The name coming from a Ghanaian expression meaning "life is a journey of twists and turns". Make sure to read as much as you can from the walls and markers leading up to Memorial Square. The writings on the wall give a historical progression that is very well summarized. The path leads you to the start of the hanging steel memorials. Each steel memorial is 6 feet tall, and resemble coffins, or bodies. Each steel monument is attached to a county and state where a documented lynching took place. The victim's name and date of death are listed for each county. It was more than one victim per county in most cases. Some counties have an alarming number of victims. You'll start noticing that the steel monuments are ascending as you're walking through the square. By the time you turn the corner, they are all hanging above you. They get higher and higher as you're descending down the walkway. There are placards along the wall that show you the false accusations linked to some of these victims. What they went through was heartbreaking, cruel, and unjust. At the end of the monument is a waterfall memorial to those racial terror victims that are undocumented. There are more than 4,000 documented lynching victims at the memorial site, but there are still thousands more that are undocumented. I know the reflection area is meant to be outside of the memorial, but I felt like the waterfall area had more of that vibe of reflecting. There is a sitting wall area where people were solemnly talking to each other about their experiences. Then, there is Monument Park which has duplicate steel memorials that are meant for each county. There are other memorials and sculptures along the way. The Ida B. Wells Memorial Grove and Dana King's "Guided By Justice" statue representing the Montgomery Bus Boycott all show us courageous African American woman who made a difference in the Civil Rights Movement. It appears like these sculptures are calling for more voices to join them. The "Raise Up" sculpture by Hank Willis Thomas is "a reminder of how violence against racialized groups persists in the US criminal justice system" per the artist's website. Last but not least, is the Community Reckoning expansion that begins with the Branly Cadet's sculpture called "Arise". It represents local citizens that are working in our communities today. Behind the sculpture are a sampling of about 50 marker memorials tied to counties where a racial terror lynching took place. These markers are currently being displayed at lynching sites across America as a memorial. It's a must see memorial. There's a visitation center, but it was closed when we were there. It's recommend that you start at The Legacy Museum. The shuttle runs every 10 minutes between the museum and the memorial. It's a unique experience that shouldn't be missed when in Montgomery.

This is a must see. The Peace and Justice Center is located across the street and houses a gift shop and auditorium (I did not have enough time to go in). I only went to the memorial. It is outside which is nice and you can take your time.You need to through metal detector and security to go to the outside memorial. Also, no water allowed. I started at the water wall outside of the Visitor's Center. I read the names engraved in granite, the year of their death and the "reason" for their death such as: WARREN POWELL - 14, lynched in East Point, Georgia (1889) for "frightening" a white girl. WILLIAM STEPHENS & JEFFERSON COLE - lynched in Delta County, Texas (1895) after refusing to abandon THEIR LAND to whites. The Northwest showcases beautiful tulips. What a juxtaposition to the real feel of what's behind the walls. The walls are concrete which gives you the feel of a wood paneled fence. Once you go through, the first area shows a concrete sculpture of slaves in chains. Several others are on their knees, one of which absorbs you in her painful cry while another man stands almost in disbelief. One man appears to be standing proudly despite his circumstance while just behind him a mother reaches out in agony with one arm while holding her baby in the other. The detail is heart gutwrenching. The rust from the chains adds even more depth to this piece created by Ghanaian artist Kwame Akoto-Bamfo. There are plaques that detail information about lynching, showing that 1% of these crimes after 1900 lead to a criminal conviction of the perpetrator. As you go uphill, you will get an overlook of many of Corten steel monuments, which are the same as the ones hanging, but instead are laid on their sides for easier viewing. You feel as if you are seeing coffins. The monuments under the canopy are eye level. As the path slowly descends, the monuments rise. When you reach the final two corridors the monuments are above you. You feel as if you are a part of the lynching process. The atmosphere these massive monuments create hanging above you are quite eery. I was totally chocked up. Along the walls are ribbons of plaques. One of THEE most heartbreaking was of Mary Turner, a 21-year-old pregnant mother of two whom was lynched because she openly complained about her husband's death the day before. He was lynched following the murder of a white plantation owner by one of his black workers. The plantation owner was known to brutally beat his workers, and one of them (Sidney Johnson) killed the owner and fled. A vicious manhunt for Johnson left 13 black men murdered in a 2-week period, including Turner's husband. The name of the final piece is called Raise Up by artist Hank Willis Thomas. It speaks to the conscious & unconscious bias of the criminal justice system and law enforcement.This is the memorial features highlighting the women of the Montgomery Bus Boycott & black men with arms raised encased in concrete to their necks. When I left this memorial, I was overcome with emotion. You must go see this memorial and you must not forget it (Admission if free and it is closed on Tuesdays).

If you have ever been to museums like the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, National Museum of African American History and Culture, National Museum of the American Indian, or Iolani Palace then you will have that feeling if you come to The Legacy Museum. The feeling is the realization of how much history is unknown and in this present day and time how much history is unwilling to be taught. Places like these are very important as they shine a light on reality which for many can be hard to hear and possibly hearing for the first time. It is never too late to gain knowledge and learn of the is a reality for many. This museum along with a few others hit me hard because what this museum focused on was and still is a reality for many. My parents along with many of my relatives grew up in the South during the 50s and 60s and they would tell me stories of what they went through in this time period. Going to this museum reminded me of those stories and trust me they are not something you will forget. It is hard to see and think of how your mother, father, grandparents, and family members were treated but despite being difficult to face it is history that should not be forgotten. For many people they think of this as your history but let's be honest it is our history and that is American history. This particular park is part of the Legacy Museum and rides are offered here by shuttle. When you enter the main part you will look up and see the many columns with the names of many lynching victims hanging from the ceiling. The symbolism is evident and when I saw a person with my last name was a victim of lynching in my hometown I could not help but think if this was a relative or could easily could have been one of my relatives since lynchings were still taking place while many of my family were alive. This museum is sprawling and like many places it will take multiple visits to take it all in. You will get caught up reading and hearing the recorded stories of people telling what they went through at various points in the history of this country. This is why I recommend show up early and also take in the areas outside of the museum. There are markers detailing the Montgomery/Selma march along with many other historical places in the area. Well worth the visit to learn what is quickly being forgotten.

This was a perfect place to reflect after the Legacy Museum. Be sure to do the Legacy Museum first as that is part of the experience. A very moving and well done memorial.

So much to see, read & learn. Definitely a must-to-come visit. Since it's a memorial it's respectful to be quiet & whisper throughout the viewing. I found the county my grandparents were from & even the county I live in now. I must admit my eyes got glossy a few times as I read through hundreds of names & unknowns. If you don't want to repeat history learn about it. Get the facts regardless of how you feel because your feelings are often based on experience. Facts are based on truth whether good or bad; whether you like it or not. Bring the whole family.

A poignant, sobering monument everyone should see. If you have a heart or soul, you will leave here feeling heavy and tearful, rightfully so. This monument pays homage to the thousands of named and unnamed lynching victims in the United States. I spent about an hour here, but I can see this as a place to return over and over for reflection and to pay homage. Many different sculptures and ways to learn about the blood-stained history of our country. We should all see this type of thing, so we can move forward and do better. Entry is only five dollars, and it's a joint ticket with the Legacy Museum (reviewed separately). You do have to go through security. Restrooms on site. You can buy tickets on site, but I bought mine online, which was more convenient and saved time. Staff pleasant and helpful. Plenty of parking on site. And the Legacy Museum has a shuttle that runs regularly between the monument/park and museum. Somber and important to see.

My admission here was included with my admission to the Legacy Museum. They offer a shuttle from the museum, but I found it easier for me to drive. There is ample parking over there. The good news is that pictures are allowed here. The bad news is that it can get very hot (or cold) out there. You do not have to wear a mask since it is outdoors, but you do have to go through airport style security screening. The memorial has a nice garden outside of it and it is "dedicated to the legacy of enslaved Black people, people terrorized by lynching, African Americans humiliated by racial segregation and Jim Crow, and people of color burdened with contemporary presumptions of guilt and police violence." At first I though it was ambitious trying to cover such a large group, but they did a great job tackling the challenge. The memorial opened in 2018 and spans 6-acres. It consists of some very nice sculptures and 800 rustic six-foot monuments, broken down by county, that memorialize thousands of racial terror lynching victims in the US. Some are hanging from the overhead and other are laying flat. It is definitely eye catching and demands your attention. It is a nice soothing memorial that tastefully and respectfully honor those that it is intended to. The memorial has an amazing sculpture of slaves at its entrance. You will also find a waterfall running down a wall and benches placed throughout the memorial to sit on and relax. At the end of your self paced tour there will be a group of historical markers memorializing victims of racial terror lynchings and another nice sculpture. The memorial requires a lot of walking and you will have to contend with the elements, so plan accordingly. Across the street is a welcome center that has restrooms, a small meeting room, and a small gift shop. I loved its A/C. It was a nice break from the heat. All-in-all this is a nice memorial. I do not know of many memorials like this. This is a nice annex/supplement to the Legacy Museum. I enjoyed my time here.

I got a little confused when they put me on a bus and drive it back to my hotel area. Apparently it is a two part museum. Part one is get on the bus and they give you to the legacy part. It's a great story. Part two is this spot which they will drive you back. Trip is about 10 minutes. I was blown away by the quality of content here. They told a great story and the national memorial is very moving. It's a must go if you are in Montgomery. Our tour driver is so nice. He gave us a history tour of the town and we got to see different part of the town. This museum is about everything you want to do and know about American history. It's cruel and disheartening but we have to know in order to fix the future. Bring your friends and family. I think this place does history better than Birmingham. Everyone is so friendly here. What is up!

Very detailed please take two days and go early for the full experience The history of slavery and the description of the slavery era is well documented and well laid out. I will go again and would definitely recommend everyone to visit when in the Montgomery area.

The memorial is part of a complex with the a nearby museum, and is clearly quite well-funded and well-run. One can buy a ticket at either location, and efficient and plentiful shuttle buses connect the two. Here, no mask is required for the outdoor location, but one still has to go through a security screening and a metal detector, which unfortunately may be a necessity. The memorial is largely built around metal bars documenting lynching victims, which is their big focus here. The reason there are so many is that they break it down by county. I wish there was a key or something (if there is, I could not find it), but it certainly inspired a person to look for specific familiar locales and was effective in personalizing the experience. I've lived in several places that were noted in the memorial. Aesthetically, it's quite impressive, and it makes you think. Besides lynching, another focus of the sponsoring institute is modern criminal justice, and a parole center sits almost immediately outside the memorial garden (not a museum exhibit, an actual parole center), which was a little on the nose. I do recommend visiting the museum first, as it has a lot of specific information on the things being memorialized. I would consider parking here and taking the shuttle in, as this is an easier area to park. I had limited time and effectively chose to do this over several other similar sorts of things, including the Birmingham civil rights museum I passed on my drive down and several other local sites. It struck me as well worth doing.

I've traveled the world. Been to many museums and this is the most impactful place I have ever been too. The visual nature is difficult to describe. But one of a kind. A person walking next to me asked "why don't they call this the lynching museum." To me it's so much more and it puts into spotlight that we must get better as a country and this memorial for peace and justice helps.

The memorial opened in the spring of 2018 and is beautifully landscaped. It is about 5 minutes (16 walking) from the Legacy Museum which is also a must see. It takes you through a gripping representation of the lynchings that occurred in America, or at least the proven ones which only account for approximately 1%. There are more than eight hundred 6' 2" tall, 250lbs monuments that correspond to the counties with documented lynchings from 1877 - 1950. Some have as few as one name engraved on them and others as many as 20; totaling more than 4,400 names. The monuments start out on the ground standing at eye level and as you progress the floor slopes and the monuments begin to rise until they are finally hanging above you like a body. The horror and sorrowful realization that washes over you is punctuated by the many death notices on the walls like this one: "Lacy Mitchell was lynched in Thomasville, Georgia, in 1930 for testifying against a white man accused of raping a black woman." Duplicates of the monuments lay out back horizontally on the ground like coffins in alphabetical order. This does make them all easier to see and to find specific counties. And there are also a few sculptures outside; including one at the entrance depicting enslaved people that nearly moved me to tears. The pain and terror on their faces was palpable. In addition the accompanying Peace and Justice Center is located across the street and houses a gift shop and auditorium. The word I see used repeatedly to describe this place is powerful and I couldn't agree more. The Equal Justice Initiative/EJI should be applauded. (Admission is free. Closed on Tuesdays.)

We literally ran here from the Legacy Museum to make it before they stopped accepting visitors at 4:30 pm on a Sunday - and it was well-worth the huffing, puffing, and sweat! Given the weighty nature of the topic they're presenting, this memorial is surprisingly peaceful. We live in the Atlanta area and seeing the name of your county's atrocities really strikes a chord. I was really grateful for the opportunity to learn more about our country's history and pay homage to the people whose lives were so senselessly taken. The sculpture garden also has works by notable artists like Hank Willis Thomas.

The National Memorial for Peace and Justice alone is worth the trek to Montgomery. There's nowhere else in the United States I know of that confronts this country's painful and heart-wrenching history of lynching. It doesn't matter who you are or where in the world you come from, if you want to understand racism in the United States, you have to understand lynching and the role it played in subjugating African American communities (and other communities of color) to this day. There were two aspects of this memorial that hit close to home: 1) quite literally, seeing the memorial to the two men lynched in my home county (Palm Beach) was sobering; and 2) throughout the pavilion the context is given to many of the lynchings that took place - all of them extrajudicial, all of them fueled by racism, and all of them unjust. I am still processing the stories of the thousands of individuals who were killed for mere glances, for asking to be treated as human... it's all so shocking, especially considering this country has never reckoned with this history. The design of this memorial provides context to this history in so many ways, including the many sculptures that are beautiful, moving, hopeful, and heartbreaking. Plan on spending a few hours at this memorial - reading, observing, and contemplating.

If I'm being truthful, places like this get me emotional, causing me to restrain my feelings when writing a review. But an honest conversation about American History is long overdue and needed, despite the emotions the weight of such conversations will invoke. Conversations I hope every American citizen will join. While in decades prior there have been small acknowledgement of the truth of our countries past, I don't believe there has ever been a time such as now where it is being fully explored in books, movies & places like here at The National Memorial for Peace & Justice. The tour begins back at the Legacy Museum, a place which explores American history AFTER enslavement. By itself, this memorial is powerful and overwhelmingly poignant, but I recommend visiting the Legacy Museum first to gather context. Combo tickets are available as well as shuttle service from the museum to the memorial (a 5-minute drive). [ THE EXPERIENCE ] We began at the water wall outside of the Visitor's Center. Here you will find a small list of names engraved in granite, the year of their death and the "reason" for their death such as: WARREN POWELL - 14, lynched in East Point, Georgia (1889) for "frightening" a white girl. WILLIAM STEPHENS & JEFFERSON COLE - lynched in Delta County, Texas (1895) after refusing to abandon THEIR LAND to whites. Inside the visitor center are restrooms & a gift shop with refreshments. You will also find a wall of soil samples from lynching locations around the country and the name of a victim from those sites. *** Across the street are the grounds for the memorial. The Northwest corner of the property houses an exquisitely landscaped garden. The surrounding walls are made of concrete that mimics a wood paneled fence. Once through security, the first area of the memorial features a concrete sculpture of slaves in chains. One man appears to be standing proudly despite his circumstance while just behind him a mother reaches out in agony with one arm while holding her baby in the other. Several others are on their knees, one of which absorbs you in her painful cry while another man stands almost in disbelief. The detail is heart wrenching. The rust from the chains adds even more depth to this piece created by Ghanaian artist Kwame Akoto-Bamfo. Nearby are plaques with more information about lynching, such as only 1% of these crimes after 1900 lead to a criminal conviction of the perpetrator. *** Follow the path uphill where you will get an overlook of a field of Corten steel monuments, which are the same as the ones hanging, but instead are laid on their sides for easier viewing. At first, the monuments under the canopy are eye level. However, as the path slowly descends, the monuments rise. By the time you reach the final two corridors the monuments are above you. The atmosphere these massive monuments create hanging above feel as if they are the victim's bodies themselves. A silent reverence overtook me, and I found it difficult to speak. Along the walls are ribbons of plaques stating the transgression that caused some of the lynching's. One of THEE most heartbreaking was of Mary Turner, a 21-year-old pregnant mother of two whom was lynched because she openly complained about her husband's death the day before. He was lynched following the murder of a white plantation owner by one of his black workers. The plantation owner was known to brutally beat his workers, and one of them (Sidney Johnson) killed the owner and fled. A vicious manhunt for Johnson left 13 black men murdered in a 2-week period, including Turner's husband. The recount of an NAACP investigator: Mary Turner was tied and hung upside down by the ankles, her clothes soaked with gasoline and burned from her body. Her belly was slit open with a knife... Her unborn babe fell to the ground, its head was crushed by a member of the mob with his heel. The crowd also shot hundreds of bullets into Turner's body. [Source: 5/21/18 article by ISMAIL AKWEI] Sidney was a "leased convict", a system providing prisoner labor to private parties, such as plantation owners & corporations after the emancipation of slaves. The system was lucrative for the states. In 1898, 73% of Alabama's entire annual state revenue came from convict leasing. [Source: Wikipedia] *** The final section of the memorial features sculptures highlighting the women of the Montgomery Bus Boycott & black men with arms raised encased in concrete to their necks. The name of the piece is called Raise Up by artist Hank Willis Thomas. It speaks to the conscious & unconscious bias of the criminal justice system and law enforcement. [ FINAL THOUGHTS ] POWERFUL, MOVING, and a MUST SEE!!! American history often hides in plain sight. It only requires that you open your eyes to the real truths and face the false systems that continue to divide "with courage... because peace requires bravery. And with persistence... because justice is a constant struggle." 2021 / 38

Beautiful memorial - jaw dropping eye opening history of the African American people. Be certain to get your tickets online BEFORE arriving due to capacity restrictions even though it is an outdoor memorial.

When we visited, we went early in the morning and parked our car at the memorial location. Then we got on the free shuttle that bussed us to the legacy museum. Which is what I would recommended! You will need a good few hours to really see everything at the museum. When we were done, we got shuttled back to the memorial. I'm glad we did it this way. We got to learn about the history of slavery and end it visiting the Peace memorial. FIRST IMPRESSION: serene and peaceful. Beautifully put together and honored those lives that deserve it. DISLIKES: none LIKES: everything about it.

This was a sobering, somber, thought-provoking experience. I went on a Friday afternoon and there was a steady stream of visitors but not so many that you couldn't social distance; they are observing COVID protocols. So very many names. You can't help but wonder what they could have become. I'm convinced the person who would have cured cancer was among the lynched. Maybe even one of my five great uncles who tried to leave Mississippi undercover of darkness one night, and none were ever heard from again...,

Well worth a visit. It took my breath away and made me so sad to think this is a part of my history. They have done an outstanding job with this memorial. Breathtaking!

This was just powerful! The equal Justice Initiative has done such a great job making sure the legacy, involuntary sacrifices and stories of people who were lynched during this time are not forgotten. EJI is just awesome. I recommend their museum on mass incarceration as well. I haven't been to any of their other museums but these two are so thoughtfully and well done. Montgomery is so rich in history and I just loved it and I HIGHLY recommend it! I have wanted to visit since I heard about it and it did not disappoint. There is so much to see and do in Montgomery, Selma, Tuskegee, and Birmingham that you can and should make a trip out of it. Just go and experience it!

I cried. Entering the square pavilion, the first section of the 800 heavy and weathered rectangular pillars appeared. Although suspended from the ceiling on long metal poles, each is almost touching the floor. I had to confront them as I moved between and around these almost floating apparitions. Each standing six-feet high, it was me moving through a rusted crowd of individual names -- one after the other, one for each county in the United States where a racial terror lynching took place. It was an intensity of repetition. I turned the corner and the floor began to ramp down. No longer at eye level, the emotion quickly built up inside me as I walked into a corridor of names now overhead. It was here that the sense of lynching became visceral. Even the slight crackling of the benign wood plank floor began to feel like standing on the platform of a primitive gallows. These pillars now dangling over my head were like a sea of silently clanging iron bells. Looking up, the dark metal became brilliant orange as the shafts of morning sunlight began to peer more deeply into the pavilion. The names of the dead became ever more visible. It was haunting. Lining two of the walls were small simple statements about some of these lynchings. To read them all was mentally draining. Here is just one: 'A black man recently discharged from the army and a black woman were lynched near Pickens, Mississippi, in 1919 for writing a note to a white woman'. [Note: the last known lynching was in Mobile, Alabama, in 1981.] I cried. As I entered the final corridor of pillars now hanging high out of reach above me, I could see the names of the counties also etched into the bottom of them. Water fell down the surface of a very long wall but, for me, it was not soothing or refreshing. It only reinforced that the almost endless frequency of lynchings was like a cascading waterfall. I spent two hours in this pavilion walking back and forth through it all like a dream. When a docent asked if I had any questions, I could barely say no -- even though I actually had a lot of questions -- because I could hardly keep it together. I was an emotional wreck. Finally, I exited into the bright noon sunlight and a duplicate series of these 800 pillars sat horizontally like caskets. Seeing them like this was equally overwhelming. Why are they here? From the EJI website: 'In the six-acre park surrounding the memorial is a field of identical monuments, waiting to be claimed and installed in the counties they represent. Over time, the national memorial will serve as a report on which parts of the country have confronted the truth of this terror and which have not.' That may be the most brilliant and potentially uplifting aspect of this memorial. I finally did ask the docent a question. Considering that you deal with the legacy of the worst parts of human nature in this memorial every day, do you have hope? His answer was not comforting. He said, 'I have to have hope.' Do I have hope? I thought I did but the US has been a very strange place to live these past few years. In some ways, racism seems to have been quickly released like a ferocious animal from its prison and is more prevalent than I can remember. Perhaps, there are no lynchings anymore but haven't they simply been transformed into other acts of violence? Black lives matter. I know that, as many nice people as there are in Alabama -- and there really are -- there are parts of this state and culture that absolutely frighten me. (Your political primary television commercials included. Mercy.) Other states obviously have their own shameful issues and challenges, too, so we're all in this together. I would like to return to this memorial in ten or twenty years and see far fewer monuments in that field. If more counties and states can confront their legacies then, maybe, this powerful memorial can be relegated from being a barometer to only a well-learned history lesson.

This and the legacy museum go together absolutely perfectly. While it is an incredibly heavy topic to address, it is a necessary one and this medium makes it very impactful. While we were walking through one of the staff members noticed we were looking for a specific county and they walked us over to it. Then we got into a conversation with them and they were incredibly knowledgeable. Another incredibly moving experience by the eji.

The National Memorial for Peace and Justice (NMPJ) is amazing. AMAZING. I've rarely been as moved by any memorial, and I've been to some outstanding ones. NMPJ is the first memorial dedicated to the legacy of enslaved black people in the United States and to the memory of those Americans who were lynched here. Let that sink in. It is the FIRST memorial dedicated to victims of lynching. This memorial was designed by the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), because EJI believes that publicly confronting the truth about our history is the first step towards recovery and reconciliation in this country. Prior to designing the memorial, EJI published a report (after extensive research) that estimates that more than 4,400 African Americans were lynched in the United States between 1877 and 1950. In that report, EJI identified 800 more lynchings than had been previously recognized. The memorial itself is truly something to behold. It is constructed of more than 800 corten steel monuments, one for each county in the United States where a lynching took place. The names of lynching victims are engraved on the columns. As you walk around the square structure, the columns begin at your height. As you walk further, the columns are lifted higher and higher. At first, you walk around them. Then you walk just under them. Then they are so high above you that you must point your face straight up to read the name of the county engraved there. It was moving and inspiring and haunting and sobering to walk through this memorial. This more than one of the best memorials in the country, it's an important step in confronting America's past. I hope that all people interested find a way to visit this memorial. It's truly one of the most moving experiences I've ever had.

Just as in my review of the museum- you should visit the memorial. Immediately. It is so important for every American. The memorial is located a short distance from the museum (also accessible by shuttle). It is entirely outdoors. Area-wise it's not that big, but how long it takes you to walk through is entirely up to you. The design of the memorial is beautiful and ingenious. Although the placement of some of the monuments makes it hard to read, it's all designed to evoke certain emotions, and is very effective. Every county's monument is also duplicated and laid out flat after you walk through the main part of the memorial, so that makes it easier to read names/find certain counties. (Organized alphabetically and by state there.) There's nothing else I can say without spoiling the emotions that the memorial will evoke, so I won't. But I will once again say that it is MUST visit for anyone wanting to understand America's history. Cannot recommend enough.

I recently visited the National Memorial for Peace and Justice with a large group from the University of Texas at San Antonio as a part of our Civil Rights and Social Justice Experience. The National Memorial for Peace and Justice was such a powerful place to visit. The day my group visited the site, it was the perfect cool, sunny day, which made it all the more impactful. The beauty of the day could not mask the harsh reality of the horrors that occurred in our nation's past. Walking through the site, visitors are given the opportunity to interact with the information in a variety of visual symbols, reflect on and learn the true history of our nation at their own pace. I recommend finding your own home county/parish at the site. It is truly impactful to see how many people were cruelly tortured in the place you call home. Located a short distance from the Legacy Museum, I highly recommend visiting both. My group visited the Legacy Museum first then the Memorial. Both are a must see, but depending on you and your party it may take a day between the two to properly reflect on what you learn. If you want to develop a more sophisticated historical consciousness, the National Memorial for Peace and Justice is the place to go!

Loved loved loved it!! My 12-year old actually thanked me on her own lol before leaving out. Very engaging and exciting. I definitely plan to go back after the weather cools down. The best part for me was the hanging monuments with all the victims. It was very moving. I think it's must see trip for teens.

One of the best museums that explains the struggle within the African American and Latino communities. Great exhibits and resourceful displays. I was able to read and absorb the lives of those one display. Lots a history to show how there is still 2 Americas in the United States of America. Great way to honor the ones lost by the horrific injustice system in America.

About 20 years ago I visited the National Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. It was perhaps the first time in my young adult life that I had ever felt the kind of profound sadness that can only come from the realization that my life was made in part by the genocide of innocent men, women, and children. I may not be Jewish, but I am a citizen of this world who - like these people - deserved the right to live with dignity and respect. I teared up at some of the exhibits in that museum as I read the stories behind artifacts and looked at people treated less than human. And here were are now on the cusp of 2020. I turned a blind eye for a long time in my privileged life to the fact that there is still unfairness and inequality in this country I call home, namely against those of my own complexion. Over the last few years I've had a wake-up call to these harsh realities that mirror horrors I thought would never happen again after a century. Yet here we are... Still talking about it. In fact, only in the last couple years have we seen people - at least in my recent memory - become so much more emboldened to commit their racist, felonious acts to enforce an ill-placed sense of dominance over those of darker complexions. It is ridiculous. So when I had the opportunity to visit the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, I jumped on it. And that feeling I felt all those years ago rushed back, but this time with emotions of anger and disappointment. As I walked through the memorial and viewed the names on the hanging columns, and their stories along the wall, I shook my head and held back tears. These murders happened years ago but in 2019 we are seeing people proud of their heritage of lynch mobs and supremacist rule, and even saying how they miss those old times. My home of Bexar County, Texas had one known victim: Mr. Alexander Washington; lynched on October 11, 1886 in Bexar County. Walking through the memorial, I didn't come across Washington's name until much further into it. I even thought I might actually walk through and not see a single name for Bexar County, unlike other Texas counties. That would've been great. But I was a little too idealistic and not realistic about Bexar County, especially considering behaviors I've personally witnessed or been subjected to in San Antonio. This is a beautiful memorial/monument that says something powerful about our country's history - a history some would much rather hide from than face. I encourage all people, especially Black people, to visit this site and understand better why the fight must continue. Because if it doesn't, this is what happens. Perhaps different in that the form is now a mass shooting, but it still has the same desired result by these killers: dead Black people.

All I can say is unbelievable! The memorial sits in downtown Montgomery known for the birthplace of civil rights movement but overlooked for its significance in the movement of slaves and the institution of slavery. It is hard to describe the beauty of the Memorial without feeling the true inhumanity of how people of color were treated when they were forcibly torn from their home and brought here. One cannot walk around the memorial looking at the names of people who lynched and not notice the transition of each marker going from eye level to hanging above your head. If you want to learn more about the true history of this time while enjoying (if that's the right term) the beautiful landscaping and serenity of the Memorial. To learn even more go to the Museum as well.

Between 1877 and 1950, there were 4075 verifiable lynchings across over 800 counties in 32 states. One in Mississippi was announced in the paper and 10,000 people showed up in a town of 1500. He was hung for having a white girlfriend. After John Hartfield was hung, his fingers were cut off and passed out as souvenirs. He was then shot over 2000 times. When one bullet finally severed the rope he was hanging from, his body was burned where it fell. There were postcards made up as commemorative souvenirs. Other hangings actually had food vendors for the "event". This powerful and well designed memorial starts with the monuments on the floor at eye level, then the ground starts sloping down and you're walking under the hanging monuments like bodies hanging over you. There are 805 steel rectangles representing the counties (some just states) where documented lynching took place. They contain names and dates of each victim. Every monument has a duplicate in the monument garden to give to each county to establish their own memorial. Walking through the monuments laying flat in rows you realize they are the size and shape of coffins. Many of the monuments have 1 or 2 names some have 20 or 30. A must see in Montgomery along with the Legacy Museum, both from the Equal Justice Initiative. (EJI). Wish they could duplicate this in Washington DC, put it on the mall so more people could see it.

Fabulous exhibit! The team here did an incredible job here honoring the men, women, and children who were victims of lynching. It is a very emotional experience. I really enjoyed the peace memorial garden at the conclusion.

Beautiful museum, it's a powerful thing to go and see. I works highly encourage everyone to go just as a weekend trip.

Hands down a great place, take the time to read the information, and eat at the local resturant.

A beautiful museum, powerful from start to finish. Highly recommend visiting

I finally got a chance to visit this National Memorial while I was home, and I must say, I was quite pleased. It was a beautiful sunny day in Montgomery, which added to the peaceful atmosphere. There were so many names and plaques; however, it did not seem to be in any particular order. The great thing about this area is that it has a shuttle that runs back and forth from the National Memorial for Peace & Justice to the African American museum (which is AWESOME by the way). Definitely a must-see in Montgomery, and I would love to go back to this powerful establishment.

Eye opening and breathtaking. I came to Montgomery during work travels to visit the Memorial and Museum. The Memorial was so memorable that I continue to replay each step, each steel fixture, each name that I read, and the sounds of water coming down the water remembering the unknown. Memory sites are so critical in remembering the very foundation of this country. The evolution of racism, lynching and unimaginable killings needs to be told. From slavery to mass incarceration, from lynchings to the continuous institutionalized racism that continues to drown our communities of color. It's never about holding on to the past. It's about learning, growing and healing from it. They have done such a beautiful job in displaying truth in a way that allows us each to reflect within our own communities to then do our part in bridging the gap of knowledge and brotherhood. I commend the entire team, the sponsors, and the community of Montgomery. I look forward to visiting again and bringing more people to witness such a beautiful display of the souls we have lost.

This museum & monument was a really great trip for my family. It's filled with great informative and visuals to capture how African disparate was initiated and manipulated into the nation's current mass incarceration epidemic. While I do wish the museum & monument were co-located, I did appreciate the museum taking advantage of the location's significance by housing it in an actual slave holding warehouse. I enjoyed it all and would definitely visit again when in town.

I cannot over state the impact this place had and has on me. Shout out to Atty Bryan Stevenson for bringing this to fruition and the social conscious. Years in the making. Even kids can feel and absorb significant information like of all attorneys 5% are Black in the USA. The DNA of the murdered via lynching was collected in the soil and placed in jars with more details than any history book. I worked opening day and many lectures or speakers were offered adding to the collective voice of how slavery -- Jim Crow -- mass incarceration all are one in the same. Visitors from all over the globe. $10 for both the memorial and museum.

On Approach: It's campus-like! , They chose a huge beautiful meaningful space which sits upon a hill within a neighborhood...nice connection to the community versus some remote unaccessible resource...5 stars! Parking: We visited on a Saturday afternoon and found parking almost immediately. They do a great job offering space around the whole block. People arrive in shifts so there's always someone leaving. Upon Entering: Stop at the ticket booth to show your tix, pivot to go through the metal detectors, and you're in. Throughout: Obviously a humbling experience throughout. Pics are available, but you truly have to be there to absorb this memorial, bear witness to inhumanity, see the actual counties, names, and dates of these atrocities! The main attractions are the county markers, but you must read the quotes, experience the space, and stare upon the sculptures. Peaks: Very clean and aroma-friendly bathrooms, beautiful & well thought-out landscaping, umbrella to borrow for rain or sun,24 hour security for obvious reasons, quite a few shady areas and seating to rest or contemplate...they thought of it all! Pits: slightly hilly, but low grade for even the elderly to make it up & down Near future: coffee shops, more parking, gift shop being built, and hopefully the county representatives will obtain their markers to assume accountability and begin the healing process

For me, walking through this memorial was one of the most amazing experiences of 2018. We stopped by the National Memorial for Peace and Justice on a drive from Florida to Tennessee. We didn't have a lot of time, so we opted to walk through the Memorial, skipping the museum, and yes, the Memorial is worth the interstate detour and also worth slowing down your trip home. In fact, I would say that 'slow down' is an amazing approach to this Memorial. We walked through intentionally and mindfully, reading stories, facts, quotes, and absorbing the art. The artwork is amazing. Before visiting the NMPJ, I don't think I've ever looked at a statue and felt such sadness. Some statues have piercing raw emotion while others have intimidating strength. It's unbelievable.

An ABSOLUTE must see!!!! I felt so many emotions from sadness, anger, hurt, pride, hope, and an abiding love and respect for those who suffered and died that I may live! "Unearned Suffering is Redemptive"--- From Dr. Kings "Letter From A Birmingham Jail" Donaldsonville, La

Been a few times to take family and friends visiting Montgomery. Very educational for Americans. Awesome layout, designs, and visuals; so be aware of how the "greatness" will effect you emotionally. I saw a female Slave descendant visitor crying and a white male visitor handing her a tissue and offering consolation. I still don't know what to make or how to process the scene. If your blissful in your ignorance of slavery and mass incarceration then you may want to stay away. If you want to heal and make America greater than it's past mistakes, it's a MUST VISIT.

My experience at the opening weekend of the memorial was overwhelming. There was a sense of pride, heartbreak, anger and healing. During my visit, it was apparent that a family had found the memorial of one of their family members. Someone began singing the spiritual, "Precious Lord, take my hand" followed by the family saying a prayer for their loved one to "rest in peace". It was a humbling honor to be in that space with this family that I had never met, nor will I ever know their story. I can't wait to share the experience with my family.

Words do not express the feelings that flood through when presented with such a dynamic presentation of a difficult, violent and brutal history. The museum was well laid out offering a variety of traditional exhibits to read alongside multimedia exhibits including short films, touchscreens and halographics. The memorial, though not at the same location, offers an equally powerful presentation of people murdered by hanging and worse for, what seems to be, no good reason. Though significantly smaller, I felt this experience was on the same level as the African American Smithsonian museum in D.C. Powerful, well laid out, well presented and quite impactful, I am glad to see a more balanced representation of American history finally being recognized and the commemorations, funded.

This is a place to reflect on the wrongs committed in our recent history. I truly wish it was long ago, but we are still just starting as a country to move forward. There will always be set backs, but places like this relieve our hidden past, and why we must continue to make choices that are for the greater good. We can't change what's happened, just not allow it to ever return now or in the future. Please visit, reflection is important, to allow us to seek a better future.

This memorial is not a federally owned memorial like most. It was created by the Equal Justice Initiative. It opened May 4, 2018. It is a powerful place! More powerful than the name suggests to many. Peace and Justice is what we all should be for. This, along with its sister property opening the same day, the Legacy Museum highlight the horrible injustices of the slave trade, slavery, and even worse, the 8000 known lynchings in the United States that took place AFTER the civil war and well into the 20th Century. The names of the 8000 known victims of lynching are ALL inscribed on these steel oblong boxes that hang from the ceiling and again are laid side by side out in the grounds. I cant help but seeing the resemblance to coffins these steel containers are. They have the name of the County, then the state, then the name and date of lynching of every known victim in that county. Another resemblance, they hang from the ceiling. Hanging, just like the fate of so many. Its powerful. Yes you can find your county, if you look hard. Good luck there are probably a few thousand counties. Some have as few as one name, some are loaded with names. Yes most are Southern Counties. The vast majority of the lynchings took place in the south, but certainly not all. The worst was Mississippi, 654, followed by Georgia 590, Louisiana 549, Arkansas 492, Texas 338, Alabama 361, Florida 313, Tennessee 233, South Carolina 185, North Carolina 123, Kentucky 138. Keep in mind these are only the KNOWN lynchings. Some may be surprised to know there were some in places you might not suspect, like Wyoming 4, Minnesota 3, Colorado 3, Montana 2, California 2, Utah 2, North Dakota 1, South Dakota 1, Oregon 1. I dont mean this list to complete but it gives you a good idea. There are dozens of plaques and signs to read. Please take the time to read them. I took pictures and will try to post many, especially the ridiculous excuses they used to lynch people. Unbelievable. No justice, no trial, and usually a totally made up accusation. Often these lynchings were not done by officials, but by people full of hate that take matters in to their own hands, while for the most part, everyone else looked the other way. This is, along with the decimation of native peoples across our continent the two most horrible things of our past. Its not covered up here. That is what this memorial is ALL ABOUT. Everyone deserves to see it. People should take their kids here! If you have time and money to do Orlando, or Pigeon Forge, or Branson, or the gulf beaches, take the time to take in a place like this for you kids. Montgomery has SEVERAL historic civil rights sites to visit. In addition to this and the sister Legacy Museum, there is the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Rosa Parks Museum, The Freedom Ride museum which is the actual place 20 freedom riders were met and beaten when their Greyhound Bus came into Montgomery. If you cant get to Montgomery Birmingham has many civil rights sites to see, foremost the 16th St Baptist Church. You can tour it. If you cant get to Alabama, there is a Civil RIghts Museum in Greensboro NC where you can see the actual lunch counter of the sit ins. Every single thing is original there. Or Atlanta has a Center for Civil and Human RIghts located right next to the World of Coke and the Georgia Aquarium. So that makes it easy for most everyone to stop into one of these places. It is our nations history. It often is not our personal history, but as a country we need to acknowledge it and own it. Thats the best way to move forward. I realize many who most need to see it wont go, but that is another issue. It is not expensive. An adult ticket for BOTH the museum and memorial which are 1/2 mile apart is $10. Seniors are $7 for both. You can buy one only for less. You can buy online and print out your ticket to same time. The Legacy museum currently has time slots you can choose and buy and print out. The Memorial has no time requirements. If you dont have a printer or have no way to determine a time, just go and buy it there. You can almost always get in the museum and the memorial has tons of room. There is free parking on the streets around the memorial. There are parking meters by all sites in the center of town. This memorial is about a 15 minute walk from the museum if your walking.