Photography by Bryan Carter Photography.

Montgomery, a city deeply rooted in America’ s civil rights history, has seen a surge in tourism in recent years— thanks in large part to the work of the Equal Justice Initiative( EJI). Bryan Stevenson, the Founder and Executive Director of EJI, shared his mission and how the Legacy Sites have played a pivotal role in not only educating the public about racial injustice but also in driving economic growth throughout the city.

“ We believe that Montgomery is central to the story of America,” Stevenson explains.“ It is the birthplace of civil rights and the city, through the activism of its citizens, changed the world between 1955 and the end of 1965.”

Since opening, EJI’ s Legacy Sites have become major tourist attractions, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Stevenson acknowledges that he never anticipated the level of success the sites would achieve.“ I had no idea that the sites would become

as successful as they’ ve become and be the motivation for so much travel to the city. We opened the larger museum in 2021 because we realized that thousands of visitors coming to our sites couldn’ t get into the museum because it was sold out.”

This influx of visitors has had a dramatic impact on Montgomery’ s economy.“ The proliferation of new hotels, restaurants, tour operators and companies has been dramatic and made a visible, positive difference in the city. Sales tax revenue for the city of Montgomery increased significantly after we opened, which has benefited everyone who resides in this region,” said Stevenson.

Local business owners and city officials have echoed this sentiment, recognizing the millions of dollars generated by tourism tied to EJI. Stevenson shared,“ We get very positive reports that millions of dollars of income has been generated by the hundreds of thousands

of people who are visiting our sites. When people visit us, they do other things that support local businesses and the city.”

EJI’ s Mission and Legacy Sites Driving Montgomery Tourism EJI is dedicated to providing legal assistance to the poor, incarcerated, condemned and wrongly convicted. Beyond legal advocacy, the organization aids those in need through its health clinic, anti-poverty initiatives and re-entry programs. A crucial component of its mission is public education, which it furthers through research, reports and its groundbreaking Legacy Sites— the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, the Legacy Museum and the Freedom Monument Sculpture Park. These sites have not only reshaped the way the nation engages with history but have also played a vital role in Montgomery’ s tourism industry.

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