32°22′19″N 86°18′46″W / 32.37194°N 86.31278°W | |
Location | Montgomery, Alabama |
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Opening date | April 26, 2018 |
Website | Official website |
Owner | Equal 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]