Equal Justice Initiative unveils Freedom Movement Sculpture Park
The Equal Justice Initiative is unveiling its new Freedom Monument Sculpture Park that is opening near the Alabama River in Montgomery.
At a news conference today, it was announced that the park will open Wednesday, March 27.
The 17-acre site at 831 Walker Street combines historical artifacts, contemporary art, original research and first-person narratives to provide what EJI calls an authentic and historically significant space that explores the institution of slavery, the lives of enslaved people, and the legacy of slavery in the U.S.
The enslavement of 10 million Black people has often been ignored, according to EJI. It says the park will address this lack of education and also seeks to honor the millions of people who endured the brutality of slavery and created a more hopeful future for this country.
“I’m very excited that we’ve been able to obtain world-class art from some of the greatest sculptors and artists in the world,” EJI founder and Executive Director Bryan Stevenson said. “The art tells and important story about the humanity of people who were enslaved, the dignity of people who were enslaved, but also the brutality of slavery.
“We are opening in a preview status so that visitors can begin to have some access to this. We will be adding more sculptures next month, we will be adding more sculptures in June, and then I’m delighted to announce that we will also be having a Juneteenth celebration when most of the new works will be added.”
The park joins EJI’s other sites in downtown Montgomery — the expanded Legacy Museum and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice.
The Freedom Monument Sculpture Park presents 170-year-old dwellings from cotton plantations, restraints and historical objects that represent the violence of slavery, and replicas of critical structures like rail cars and holding pens enable a more detailed understanding of the experience of enslaved people.
Bricks made by enslaved people 175 years ago can be seen and touched. The site also presents powerful stories of survival, perseverance, hope, and resistance to the dehumanization that slavery created.
EJI says from a short history about Indigenous Peoples to an examination of Africa before and after the arrival of Europeans, the Sculpture Park contextualizes the history of slavery so that a more nuanced and informed understanding of this institution and its legacy is possible.
The National Monument to Freedom inside the park stands 43 feet tall and is 155 feet long. EJI says using research from the 1870 Census, which was the first time formerly enslaved Black people were able to formally record a surname, the monument individually lists more than 122,000 surnames that nearly five million Black people adopted at the time and that tens of millions of people now carry across generations.
At EJI’s Visitors Center, guests are able to learn more about the counties and states associated with the names of formerly enslaved people, and visitors can use the kiosks to advance genealogical research or trace family histories.
The park’s location near the Alabama River is also significant. It is bordered by rail lines that EJI says were built by enslaved people. The river was also home to Indigenous Peoples who occupied the land for centuries before the arrival of Europeans in the 16th century, a history which is acknowledged at the park.
