Authored by Bakhtawer Abbasi
How spending time in Montgomery, Alabama, and its legacy sites confront us to reckon with our history with greater honesty and a deeper sense of conscientiousness, in our efforts to shape a more just and equitable future.
Earlier this year, the Aspen Forum for Community Solutions (AFCS) team had the privilege of visiting the Equal Justice Initiative’s (EJI) Legacy Sites in Montgomery, Alabama. This transformative experience left us with a profound sense of responsibility to confront the brutal truths of our past and acknowledge the intergenerational consequences that continue to perpetuate systemic oppression and inequities today. The vestiges of slavery and the legacy of racial injustice continue to reverberate in many shapes and forms burdening millions, especially our young people and the communities we serve.
AFCS Team reflecting at the National Memorial for Peace and Justice
The Legacy Sites, comprising The Legacy Museum, The National Memorial for Peace and Justice, and The Freedom Monument Sculpture Park, are a testament to the power of truth-telling and the enduring impact of slavery, racial terror, and mass incarceration on our nation’s history. The sites offer a sacred space for truth-telling, reflection, and healing. They are a compelling reminder of the importance of confronting the brutal legacy of racial inequality and injustice in America. Through the museum’s immersive exhibits, multimedia presentations, breathtaking art and poignant narratives, these sites bring to life the stories and sheer scale of violence and oppression that was inflicted upon enslaved people, lynched victims and their families. Nearly 13 million Africans were forcibly trafficked, enslaved and displaced as part of the Trans-Atlantic Trade. Millions of Indigenous people also died due to disease, famine and conflict brought onto Native lands by the settler colonies. Both afflictions leave a lasting legacy of trauma, inequality, and systemic racism that continues to affect our country, communities and its people, to this day.
The Legacy Sites are a manifestation of EJI’s commitment to truth-telling. They embody a ‘journey of truth’ that fuels a path forward for reconciliation, restoration and repair. Our visit was a powerful reminder that history is not just a series of events, but a living, breathing entity that shapes our present and future.
“The experience at the Legacy sites reignited my commitment to truth-telling and really is helping me to see how I can use history and my own families’ stories to generate empathy and understanding of people in my community, while also helping me to see a new way to use them as tools to ignite action and organizing today. The truth, no matter how difficult it is to face, must be told and confronted so that we can work alongside one another to build a better future for all of us.” – Rashida Govan, Senior Fellow – BMWP, AFCS
As part of our immersive experience, we had the honor and opportunity to engage in dialogue with Bryan Stevenson, Founder and Executive Director, EJI. Our conversation left us further inspired to deepen our work in truth-based narrative change. We were reminded of the importance of narratives and the need to shift the dominant falsified narratives that have shaped our society, systems, and the lived experiences of the communities we serve. Mr. Stevenson offered four solutions to effect change: getting proximate, rewriting the narrative, staying hopeful, and a willingness to do things that are uncomfortable and inconvenient. Mr. Stevenson encouraged us to lean into hope when our collective strength is tested, and always hold onto the multi-generational vision of our work’s ‘evolutionary influence’ that propels progress forward.
AFCS Team in conversation Bryan Stevenson on Narrative Change and Impact
“Too often, the audiences imagined by museum professionals fail to include Black, Indigenous and People of Color as critical patrons who wish to see their experiences and histories shared with accuracy, intentionality, and radical honesty. Unlike common narratives of enslavement in the United States presented in public education and throughout museums centering U.S. history, the Legacy Museum weaves a cohesive and clear narrative of state-sanctioned violence against Black people while centering their humanity and resistance in the face of terror.” – Sage Innerarity, Program Coordinator – Fresh Tracks, AFCS
We left with a renewed sense of commitment to amplify the stories and experiences of those whose voices have traditionally been silenced and disenfranchised. By immersing ourselves in the stories of those who have been marginalized, we can begin to understand the context of systemic racism and inequality in our country. Confronting the violent and tragic legacy that precedes today’s inequalities is a critical step towards creating a more just and equitable society. Only through a willingness to confront the uncomfortable truths of our history, can we develop a holistic understanding of the fate and obstacles our multi-racial communities and young people are dealt with.
“I left the Legacy Sites both heavy with the weight of history and energized with renewed responsibility to act. One day, I want to bring my young daughter here — not so she bears that weight, but because grappling with the truth is essential to building something better.” – Mike Swigert, Associate Director – Inclusive Economies, AFCS
As we dream for the future, we believe that by working together we can co-create a new era of truth-telling, reparation, and repair, guided by the principles of justice, equity, love and compassion. By embracing truth-telling as a core value, we can foster a culture of transparency, accountability, and trust. Committing to an era of truth-telling can ultimately uplift veiled narratives, rewrite history and deepen our collective sense of responsibility towards each other and our shared humanity. Together in solidarity with our communities, we are dedicated to serve as stewards of their narratives, and agents for the truth.
“When we have the courage to learn the truth we open up doors that permit justice, that permit reckoning, that permit healing. This museum is dedicated to creating a society where the children of our children are no longer burdened by the legacy of slavery.” – Bryan Stevenson, Founder and Executive Director of EJI
AFCS Team with Bryan Stevenson at the Legacy Sites
About The Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) and Bryan Stevenson
The Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) is a nonprofit human rights organization dedicated to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, challenging racial and economic injustice, and protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society. Founded by visionary leader Bryan Stevenson, EJI has made significant strides in promoting social justice and equity through its groundbreaking work. One of EJI’s most notable initiatives is the Legacy Sites, a collection of three spaces in downtown Montgomery, Alabama, that aim to tell the story of America’s legacy of racial violence and terror. The Legacy Museum is a key part of this effort, providing a comprehensive history of the United States with a focus on the legacy of slavery. From the Transatlantic Slave Trade and its impact on North and coastal communities across America to the Domestic Slave Trade and Reconstruction, the museum offers detailed interactive content and compelling narratives that bring this complex and often painful history to life.
Bryan Stevenson, author of the bestselling book Just Mercy, is a civil rights attorney and the founder and executive director of EJI. He has been instrumental in shaping the organization’s work and has made significant contributions to the field of social justice. Under his leadership, EJI has developed innovative programs and initiatives aimed at promoting racial and economic justice, including the Legacy Sites and the Legacy Museum. EJI aims to challenge the narrative of American history and to promote a more nuanced understanding of the country’s complex and often painful past. By doing so, the organization hopes to inspire a renewed commitment to equality and justice, and to promote a more just and equitable society for all.
About The Aspen Forum for Community Solutions (AFCS)
The Aspen Forum for Community Solutions (AFCS) has been a beacon of hope and change for over a decade. AFCS promotes collaborative, community-based efforts that build the power and influence of those with the least access to opportunity. We support communities to come together to expand mobility, eliminate systemic barriers, and determine their own solutions to their most pressing challenges.
At the heart of our work lies the Opportunity Youth Forum (OYF), our flagship initiative, which continues to thrive after ten years. OYF connects over 40 local collaboratives dedicated to the success of young adults aged 16-24 who are not engaged in work or education. Our decade-long journey has been marked by partnerships with urban, rural, and tribal communities, all with the common goal of expanding pathways to reconnect these youth and transforming systems to enhance educational and employment outcomes.