Uploaded November 2020 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
The National Memorial for Peace and Justice (AKA National Lynching Memorial) is a memorial grounds where we honor Black victims of lynching. Equal Justice Initiative, a nonprofit organization in Montgomery, Alabama, created this project April 26, 2018, as a monument dedicated to acknowledging past racial terrorism and for advocating social justice. At the heart of the monument is Memorial Square, a structure housing 805 steel coffins hanging from the rafters. On each, a lynching event is identified by county, state, and victim's name (or 'unknown' if the name has been lost to history). In the landscaped area are benches dedicated to activists who dedicated their lives to advancing racial justice. There, Americans may sit and reflect upon where we've been and where we're going. Along the main walkway are rows of steel columns which match those hanging in the Memorial. The Equal Justice Initiative aims for each to be relocated to counties where these lynching events occurred, to serve as public education displays - so that we always remember those who paid the ultimate price during some of this nation's darkest days. The National Memorial for Peace and Justice documents more than 4,075 lynchings of Black people from 1877 to 1950. National Memorial for Peace and Justice is the first major work in the nation to honor these victims. It is powerful and moving and 100% worth a visit.
The National Memorial for Peace and Justice (AKA National Lynching Memorial) is a memorial grounds where we honor Black victims of lynching. Equal Justice Initiative, a nonprofit organization in Montgomery, Alabama, created this project April 26, 2018, as a monument dedicated to acknowledging past racial terrorism and for advocating social justice. At the heart of the monument is Memorial Square, a structure housing 805 steel coffins hanging from the rafters. On each, a lynching event is identified by county, state, and victim's name (or 'unknown' if the name has been lost to history). In the landscaped area are benches dedicated to activists who dedicated their lives to advancing racial justice. There, Americans may sit and reflect upon where we've been and where we're going. Along the main walkway are rows of steel columns which match those hanging in the Memorial. The Equal Justice Initiative aims for each to be relocated to counties where these lynching events occurred, to serve as public education displays - so that we always remember those who paid the ultimate price during some of this nation's darkest days. The National Memorial for Peace and Justice documents more than 4,075 lynchings of Black people from 1877 to 1950. National Memorial for Peace and Justice is the first major work in the nation to honor these victims. It is powerful and moving and 100% worth a visit.
