From Rockets and space we moved into a more solemn part of our travels: The Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Incarceration in Montgomery, AL. This museum was only opened in April, 2018, sponsored by the Equal Justice Initiative. No matter how you go through the museum, you can't help but come away with the conviction that slavery was inhumane- and we're still dealing with many of its manifestations. You first enter into a darkened room with surround sound and movie of ocean waves breaking over one another as the story of slaves being brought in ships, hundreds lost at sea or from starvation or sickness. As we moved into the history, there were scenes that were haunting but not overdone, reminders of our part in creating and cultivating this system supporting economies in all parts of America, North and South. The section devoted to lynching was a powerful reminder of how deep was the post-Reconstruction hatred of blacks and how powerful the white structure was...we were so glad we made this a priority! To learn more about the museum, you can go to https://museumandmemorial.eji.org .
But there is, of course, more to Montgomery's history. Montgomery was the first capitol of the Confederacy, and a statue of Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederacy, still stands on the steps of the Capitol Building facing a newly commissioned history park which says little about that period . And just across from the Capitol is the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church where Martin Luther King preached in the 60's. The history of the city is complex, but today it presents a modern, well-kept, and welcoming look.
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