EJI announces Montgomery Square, a new Legacy Site in Montgomery, Alabama

Montgomery, AL — The Equal Justice Initiative is pleased to announce the opening of Montgomery Square, a new Legacy Site in Montgomery, Alabama, dedicated to the Montgomery Decade that Changed the World, 1955 to 1965. This era featured ordinary people with extraordinary courage and determination who stood up against racial injustice and sparked a movement that transformed our country and the world. Montgomery Square builds on EJI's existing Legacy Sites—the Legacy Museum, the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, and the Freedom Monument Sculpture Park.

The Square is located next to the Elevation Convening Center and Hotel on Montgomery Street, the site of the final leg of the historic Selma to Montgomery March in 1965. Montgomery Square presents art, sculptures from the acclaimed Hank Willis Thomas and Basil Watson, photography from the era, and new research and content about Montgomery's pivotal role in creating a new era of greater democracy and opportunity in America.

Heroes Hall at the Square will feature films with first-person narratives from extraordinary people including Claudette Colvin, Rosa Parks, E. D. Nixon, Jo Ann Robinson, Fred D. Gray, John Lewis, Jo Ann Bland, Sheyann Webb Christburg, Amelia Boynton Robinson, and Lynda Blackmon Lowery, along with interviews and speeches from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  

“We are extremely excited to open this site, which explores how Montgomery created a new chapter for democracy and justice in America. The movement birthed by Montgomery's residents in 1955, culminating in a triumphant march in 1965, changed the cultural, legal, social, and economic landscape of this nation. It needs to be studied and understood by every American. We are proud to make learning about this critical decade more accessible to everyone at Montgomery Square,” said Bryan Stevenson, founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative.

Along with the opening of Montgomery Square, EJI is releasing a new report on Montgomery that features new historical context and highlights the contributions and extraordinary courage exhibited during the civil rights era by scores of people in this community who are not well known. This report and accompanying website will provide educators, students, historians, local residents, and visitors to Montgomery a deeper insight into the city’s historic role in lifting up human rights and fundamentally changing this nation and the world.

Montgomery Square will be open to the public starting today, Friday, March 6, 2026. Starting Monday, March 9, all Legacy Sites will begin operating on an expanded schedule. The sites will be open six days a week, Wednesday through Monday, and will remain open until 6 pm daily.

Remarks from Bryan Stevenson, EJI executive director, are available here.

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About Equal Justice Initiative

The Equal Justice Initiative is committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, to challenging racial and economic injustice, and to protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society.

Founded in 1989 by Bryan Stevenson, a widely acclaimed public interest lawyer and bestselling author of Just Mercy, EJI is a private, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides legal representation to people who have been illegally convicted, unfairly sentenced, or abused in state jails and prisons. We challenge the death penalty and excessive punishment and we provide re-entry assistance to formerly incarcerated people.

EJI works with communities that have been marginalized by poverty and discouraged by unequal treatment. We are committed to changing the narrative about race in America. EJI produces groundbreaking reports, an award-winning calendar, and short films that explore our nation’s history of racial injustice.

EJI provides research and recommendations to assist advocates and policymakers in the critically important work of criminal justice reform. We publish reports, discussion guides, and other educational materials, and our staff conduct educational tours and presentations for thousands of students, teachers, faith leaders, professional associations, community groups, and international visitors every year.