Reflections from The Legacy Sites
- whitfieldeji2023
- Apr 8
- 4 min read
Last month, a group of individuals from across the country came together for a transformative journey to Montgomery, Alabama. Their mission was both solemn and significant: to deliver soil from the site of the lynching of Lon McCamy to the Legacy Museum as part of the Equal Justice Initiative’s (EJI) ongoing commitment to confronting America’s painful history of racial violence. This was more than a physical delivery; it was an emotional pilgrimage to honor the victims of lynching, unearth hidden histories, and engage in healing conversations. For many, it was an opportunity to reflect on the atrocities of the past and take steps toward reparative justice in the present.
A Powerful Delivery
EJI’s Legacy Sites consist of three powerful attractions: The Legacy Museum, the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, and the Freedom Monument Sculpture Park. Each site plays a vital role in preserving the memory of America’s history of racial terror and providing space for reflection and reconciliation.
The Legacy Museum
The Legacy Museum offers visitors an immersive journey through 400 years of American history, from the horrors of slavery and racial terrorism to the enduring impact of segregation and mass incarceration. As described on the EJI website, the museum features a blend of “first-person historical accounts, interactive content, cutting-edge technology, and a world-class art gallery.”
One exhibit houses over 800 jars of soil from lynching sites across the nation. “In this soil, there is the sweat of the enslaved. In the soil, there is the blood of victims of racial violence and lynching. There are tears in the soil from all those who labored under the indignation and humiliation of segregation. But in the soil there is also the opportunity for new life, a chance to grow something hopeful and healing for the future.”–Bryan Stevenson, EJI Executive Director
National Memorial for Peace and Justice
The National Memorial for Peace and Justice, set on a six-acre site, is the nation’s first
comprehensive memorial dedicated to the victims of racial terror lynchings. Using sculpture, art, and design, the memorial contextualizes racial terror and its ongoing legacy in America. (Info from the EJI website).
Debra Dickerson, a participant on this trip, quoted Dr. King before reflecting on her experience at the Memorial: “True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.” She went on to describe how the heavy steel markers are arranged in a way that, as visitors move downhill through the memorial, the markers tower above them. For Debra, this act of craning one’s neck to see the names of the counties on the markers emphasized the weight of history—an overwhelming sense of the past reaching out to the present.
She described the process of reading the names of counties, hoping not to see the one she lived in, but knowing that places like Whitfield County, Georgia, and Hamilton County, Tennessee, were among the names listed. This memorial is not only a physical space but also a spiritual one, filled with symbolism that speaks to the resilience of the human spirit. “It’s time to bring peace, justice, and healing to our society,” Debra wrote, summing up the significance of the trip and the ongoing fight for racial justice.
A Personal Moment of Healing
For the McCamy family, the journey was also a deeply personal moment of connection and healing. Valerie Silva, who accompanied the group, reflected on the significance of this moment for the family members present: “The most powerful part of the trip was talking to Marcellus and Valerie McCamy, the great-nephew and niece of A.L. McCamy, the last victim. Before our group contacted him and invited him to our memorial service last fall, he and his family did not know the details of the lynching that had happened in their family and had never really known why they had lost touch with their grandfathers family. This project shed some light on their long-lost family history.”
A Shared Experience of Remembrance
For many participants, the journey through the Legacy Sites was a profoundly moving experience, one that brought them face-to-face with the heavy weight of history. The Peterson family described their visit as deeply emotional: “We felt the spirit of each African American hung. We felt the depth of the beauty, meaning, and hard work poured into each piece of sculpture as we walked and read.” Their words capture the emotional weight of walking through the steel corridors of the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, where each marker is a silent witness to lives lost to racial violence.
They also recognized the importance of such a trip in the broader context of education and
awareness: “It would be wonderful if visiting these locations were academic requirements for public and private schools.” The family also expressed gratitude for the diversity of participants, hailing from different ethnicities and backgrounds, who had committed their time and resources to participate in the journey. “We genuinely appreciated the opportunity to participate, meet, and engage with others,” they wrote, underscoring the communal and restorative nature of the experience.
A Commitment to Reparative Justice
This trip, marked by moments of deep connection, reflection, and education, underscored the importance of confronting our history in order to build a more just future. The journey to
Montgomery was a powerful reminder that justice is not just about acknowledging the past but also about creating a future where peace, healing, and reconciliation are possible for all. As Dr. King said, “True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.” May this trip be a step toward that justice.
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