National Memorial Peace and Justice Montgomery – MASS
EJI’s National Memorial for Peace and Justice now stands as a sobering reminder of racial inequality in America, from slavery to segregation to mass incarceration. The centerpiece is a group of 800 pillars that, from a distance, appear to be holding up a roof, Parthenon-style. Get closer and the columns are revealed to be suspended from above, rather than supported from below. Hanging, they represent the casualties of lynching, which occurred in some 800 counties from 1877 to 1950. (Each column bears the name of a county and its known victims.) The slabs are made of Corten steel, a material that will rust indefinitely. “Every piece has blemishes and streaks that will evolve in terms of color and complexion,” says Stevenson. In the park around the central memorial are 800 duplicate pillars, waiting to be adopted by their respective counties. Over time, absences will reveal which communities have helped spread the Memorial’s moving message—and which have not.
