Equal Justice Initiative’s Legacy Museum to relocate, expand

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - The Equal Justice Initiative, or EJI, has announced it will substantially expand the Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration, adding more exhibits and new additions.

According to EJI, the museum will operate under the same name but in a different location with more content. It will present exhibits and information about the Transatlantic Slave Trade, a detailed examination of Reconstruction and an expanded set of exhibits on the civil rights era.

“Before the pandemic, given the crowds the sites have attracted, we were at capacity in our current museum most of the time. The last year has given us an opportunity to expedite a plan to greatly expand the museum space and we’re very excited to share it with the world,” said EJI’s executive director, Bryan Stevenson.

The “new” museum will also feature an art gallery with works by the country’s most acclaimed artists and sculptors. EJI says a range of contemporary issues will also be explored.

The relocation will place the museum at 400 N. Court St., the same building that currently holds EJI’s Legacy Pavilion. It will also be the site of the welcome center, ticket office, gift shop and Pannie-George’s Kitchen.

EJI says it will expand its shuttle service to transport guests between sites. It is also developing meeting spaces and a new plaza to host groups who come to Montgomery to spend time at the museum and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice.

The National Memorial will also open a new section on its 6-acre site this fall to honor community remembrance efforts around the country and to provide added content for visitors, EJI added.

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