EJI dedicates its 43-foot-tall National Monument to Freedom on Juneteenth
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The Equal Justice Initiative dedicated its new National Monument to Freedom with a ceremony and star-studded concert in Montgomery on Juneteenth.
The National Monument to Freedom honors the nearly 5 million people who gained their freedom from emancipation. It's located in EJI's newly created Freedom Monument Sculpture Park.
The 43-foot-tall, 155-foot-long monument bears 122,000 surnames of the millions of formerly enslaved people.
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“We’re just thrilled that this looming large national monument is featured in Montgomery, Alabama," Executive Director Bryan Stevenson said.
The dedication was expected to include performances by Wynton Marsalis, New York Philharmonic clarinetist Anthony McGill and the Jason Max Ferdinand Singers as well as remarks from Stevenson.
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“(Wednesday) just provides an opportunity for us to recognize the challenges that enslaved people reckoned with, the contributions they made," Stevenson said.
On Juneteenth, the Legacy sites will be open to the public for free.
More: EJI unveils new Rosa Parks statue in downtown Montgomery
Alex Gladden is the Montgomery Advertiser's public safety reporter. She can be reached at agladden@gannett.com or on Twitter @gladlyalex.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: EJI dedicates its National Monument to Freedom on Juneteenth
