Overview
The National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama, is the nation's first comprehensive memorial dedicated to Black Americans who were enslaved, terrorized by lynching, humiliated by segregation, and presumed dangerous. This six-acre hilltop site serves as a sacred space for truth-telling and reflection about racial terrorism and its legacy.
Memorial Structure and Design
- Main structure features over 800 corten steel monuments engraving names of more than 4,400 Black people killed in racial terror lynchings
- Each monument represents a county where racial terror lynching occurred between 1877 and 1950
- Peace and Justice Memorial Garden near entrance provides serene setting for reflection and remembrance
- Memorial expanded in 2022 to celebrate community coalitions partnering with EJI on historical markers
- "Arise" bronze sculpture by Branly Cadet honors Community Remembrance Project participants
- Open Wednesday through Sunday, 9 AM to 6 PM
Historical Documentation of Racial Terror Lynching
| Time Period | Number of Lynchings | Notes |
|---|
| 1865-1950 | Nearly 6,500 documented | Thousands more deaths may never be discovered |
| 1877-1950 | More than 4,500 | Most active era documented at memorial |
| Reconstruction era | 30+ mass lynchings | Includes 1866 Memphis Massacre |
| Post-1950 | 24 commemorated | Victims of 1950s racial violence including Emmett Till |
- Lynchings were violent, public acts of torture designed to re-establish racial hierarchy after Civil War
- Tolerated and often aided by law enforcement and elected officials
- Left thousands dead and traumatized entire African American community
- Many Black veterans targeted for violence due to race and military experience
Peace and Justice Memorial Center
- Located at 414 Caroline Street across from memorial entrance
- Hosts community events with acclaimed artists, writers, and scholars
- Features water monument commemorating 24 people killed in racially motivated attacks during 1950s
- Serves as venue for educational and cultural programming
Community Remembrance Project
- EJI partners with community coalitions to memorialize documented victims of racial violence
- Involves collecting soil at lynching sites as act of remembrance
- Hundreds of community coalitions nationwide install historical markers
- African Americans historically combatted lynching terror through grassroots activism including armed self-defense and organized protection efforts
Related Legacy Sites
- The Legacy Museum: Companion site documenting African American history from enslavement through mass incarceration
- Freedom Monument Sculpture Park: Features art exploring Black trauma in United States
- Sites located in Montgomery's historic downtown area
Key Terms & Definitions
- Racial Terror Lynching: Violent and public acts of torture designed to intimidate and control Black communities through fear
- Corten Steel: Weather-resistant steel used for monument construction that develops protective rust patina
- Community Remembrance Project: EJI initiative partnering with local coalitions to document and memorialize lynching victims