The Equal Justice Initiative will open the doors of the first National Memorial for Peace and Justice and Legacy Museum at Riverwalk Amphitheater in downtown Montgomery, Alabama, on April 27.
In celebration of the grand opening, The Roots, Usher, Common, Brittany Howard from Alabama Shakes, Gary Clark Jr., Kirk Franklin and more will perform.
On top of that, during the opening weekend, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in workshops and lectures hosted by notable activists and advocates including Michelle Alexander, Sherrilyn Ifill, Gloria Steinem, Marian Wright Edelman and Rev. William.
The National Memorial for Peace and Justice is the first memorial dedicated to the lynchings of African Americans. It is dedicated to the more than 4,400 victims of racial lynchings.
The Legacy Museum is a unique attraction that will "immerse visitors in the sights and sounds of the domestic slave trade, racial terrorism, the Jim Crow South and the world’s largest prison system," according to a statement released by the museum.
Bryan Stevenson, director of The Equal Justice Initiative said, "There is still so much to be done in this country to recover from our history of racial inequality. I'm hopeful that sites like the ones we are building and conversations like the ones we're organizing will empower and inspire people to have the courage to create a more just and healthy future. We can achieve more in America when we commit to truth-telling about our past."
According to The Equal Justice Initiative, the museum hopes to shine a light on the mass terror that America was built on. A statement on the museum's website read, "Our nation's history of racial injustice casts a shadow across the American landscape. This shadow cannot be lifted until we shine the light of truth on the destructive violence that shaped our nation, traumatized people of color and compromised our commitment to the rule of law and to equal justice."
Tickets for the grand opening go on sale this Friday and can be found here.