National Memorial for Peace and Justice

The National Memorial for Peace and Justice
The memorial includes 805 hanging steel rectangles, representing each of the counties in the United States where a documented lynching took place
Map
32°22′19″N 86°18′46″W / 32.37194°N 86.31278°W / 32.37194; -86.31278
LocationMontgomery, Alabama
Opening dateApril 26, 2018; 6 years ago (2018-04-26)
WebsiteOfficial website
OwnerEqual Justice Initiative

The National Memorial for Peace and Justice, informally known as the National Lynching Memorial,[1] is a memorial to commemorate the black victims of lynching in the United States. It is intended to focus on and acknowledge past racial terrorism and advocate for social justice in America. Founded by the non-profit Equal Justice Initiative, it opened in downtown Montgomery, Alabama on April 26, 2018.[2][3]

It consists of a memorial square with 805 hanging steel rectangles representing each of the U.S. counties where a documented lynching took place. It includes sculptures depicting themes related to racial violence.

The monument was positively received by architectural critics, activists, and the general public. Philip Kennicott of The Washington Post described it as "one of the most powerful and effective new memorials created in a generation".[4]

  1. ^ Capehart, Jonathan (December 21, 2016). "What the lynching memorial will force us all to face". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
  2. ^ "The Memorial for Peace and Justice". Equal Justice Initiative. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  3. ^ Campbell Robertson (April 25, 2018). "A Lynching Memorial Is Opening. The Country Has Never Seen Anything Like It". The New York Times.
  4. ^ Kennicott, Philip (April 24, 2018). "Review | A powerful memorial in Montgomery remembers the victims of lynching". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 14, 2021.