ACRP Pilgrimage to EJI, Montgomery Alabama

The Alexandria Community Remembrance Project (ACRP) will be making a pilgrimage to the Equal Justice Initiative’s National Memorial for Peace and Justice and Legacy Museum October 6-10, 2022.
Page updated on August 10, 2022 at 10:26 AM

The Pilgrimage

Hall of pillars at the EJI museum
At the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, Montgomery Alabama

The Alexandria Community Remembrance Project (ACRP) will be making a pilgrimage to the Equal Justice Initiative’s National Memorial for Peace and Justice and Legacy Museum, October 6-10, 2022.  As a community, ACRP will deliver soil collected from locations that symbolically reflect the lives of Alexandria’s two known lynching victims – Joseph McCoy and Benjamin Thomas. This pilgrimage will also include visits to Montgomery and Selma civil rights sites, as well as evening programs.

Registration

You can choose to travel with us by bus from Alexandria, or you can join us in Montgomery. This trip, October 6-10, includes chartered busses, discounted hotel stays, curated social justice tours, most meals and two evening programs with guest speakers.

Please note that by joining us on this trip, those who are not already members of the Alexandria Community Remembrance Project will be welcomed and considered new members. We hope that you will join us in the future, as we continue to meet, educate, reflect and build a more inclusive and equitable Alexandria.  

If you are meeting us in Alabama and considering air travel, we recommend you purchase your flight first and then register. 

  • Bus Travel $585
  • Self Travel $485

Scholarships are available to defray the cost of the trip. Please email acrp@alexandriava.gov for additional information.

Register here

Support the Pilgrimage

Interested in supporting this trip? Donations in any amount are appreciated. To sponsor a participant, consider a donation of $1,500.

Donate today!

Reserve Your Hotel Room

Reservations for a hotel room should be made and paid for separately.

  • The room block expires on September 6, 2022 and rooms may not be available after that date.
  • The price per night is $169 plus taxes. Embassy Suite’s signature made-to-order breakfast is included in the hotel stay.

Embassy Suites by Hilton, Montgomery Hotel & Conference Center
300 Tallapoosa Street, Montgomery, AL 36104
334-269-5055
Call In/Online Booking Code: HAV

Hotel Booking Link

Thursday, October 6, 2022

Travel to Montgomery, Alabama

Buses will depart Alexandria from the Nannie J. Lee Center, 1108 Jefferson Street. On-site parking at the Lee Center is available for the duration of the trip.

  • Participant arrival, 7 a.m.
  • The bus will stop for breaks. Food is not provided but may be purchased at these stops.
  • Arrive in Montgomery, AL: approximately 11 p.m. (Central Time)

Friday, October 7, 2022

Daytime Program

The day will begin with a special ceremony at the National Memorial for Peace and Justice Auditorium, where the ACRP will deliver the soil collected in Alexandria to honor the lives of Joseph McCoy and Benjamin Thomas. After this program, participants will be invited to tour the National Memorial for Peace and Justice and then The Legacy Museum. A catered group lunch by local favorite Martha’s Place will be held at EJI’s Legacy Annex between the visits.
 

Evening Program

Experience an exclusive tour at one of three iconic Montgomery civil rights & social justice museums. The group will be divided between these venues. After the tour, join a conversation with community leaders and the Montgomery Remembrance Project Committee to recognize lynching victims of both cities. This will provide a safe space for questions and conversation on how we move forward. Food and non-alcoholic drinks will be provided.

Saturday, October 8, 2022

Daytime Program: Visit Montgomery’s Civil Rights Sites

Learn the city’s history of civil rights, with step-on guides Wanda Battle and Ann Clemmons. Both guides are Montgomery natives with a passion for storytelling as well as civil rights and social justice. These guides will lead three-hour tours that will leave you inspired about humanity.

The group will divide in half to rotate between a bus tour and visiting sites of their choosing using the Montgomery City Pass. Box lunches will be available to pick up at the Montgomery Visitor Center.

Bus Tour of Montgomery sites may include:

Tour on your own (near Visitor Center) with the City Pass

 

Evening Program: The Telling Dinner

Held at the Embassy Suites Hotel, Saturday’s evening program is a one-of-a-kind artistic and spiritual hands-on story telling experience meant to encourage conversation and healing. “The Telling: A Gathering of Remembrance,” takes you into the past to connect with the plight of African Americans and become active participants in telling their story and brings you into their triumph of today. The event will be led by A. W. Hampton, a resident of Montgomery, Alabama, who was inspired by a Jewish Passover experience to offer a condensed, unified history of African Americans that can be shared over a “soul food” meal. The Seder highlights a people’s suffering and cries for help, as well as God’s response of liberation. The story is told through inspirational words, scripture, pictures, and historical references.

Sunday, October 9, 2022

Daytime Program: Trip to Selma

Buses board for a 45-minute ride to Selma. Once in Selma, participants will be joined by Civil Rights activist Joanne Bland for a guided bus tour that will start in downtown Selma and include Brown Chapel. The experience will culminate in a walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. A box lunch will be served on the trip back to Montgomery.

Closing Evening Program: African Diaspora Dinner

Ancestors of enslaved people were left blueprints of history, through food that has been passed down for generations. Join us for a locally sourced and curated culinary tour of the diaspora and beyond. The experience is provided by locally renowned Verde restaurant, proprietors Nick and Davena Jernigan.

Monday, October 10, 2022

Return to Alexandria

Buses depart Montgomery for the return trip to Alexandria at 7 a.m.

The bus will stop for breaks. Food is not provided but may be purchased at these stops.

We expect to arrive back in Alexandria, at the Lee Center, at 11 p.m.

In the News

Alexandria plans pilgrimage to Montgomery, Ala., to honor its lynching victims, by Sarah Enelow-Snyder, The Washington Post, January 2, 2022.

A southward Journey, City plans Alabama pilgrimage to honor lynching victims , by Olivia Anderson, The Alexandria Times, February 3, 2022.

FAQs

Is there a Cancellation Policy?

A full refund, less $100 deposit, is available prior to September 15. After September 15, refunds are not available.

What is the COVID Policy?

ACRP understands that COVID-19 has adversely affected racial and ethnic minorities. Being mindful of this reality and showing respect for Black spaces and places, ACRP has created the following guidance regarding the pilgrimage and preventing the spread of COVID-19:  

  • All attendees must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 OR provide negative test results within 72 hours of October 6, 2022. This will be checked when boarding the bus in Alexandria or at registration in Alabama. Vaccination is the most effective way to protect yourself and fellow attendees.  

  • All attendees are recommended to wear a face mask throughout the trip. This includes while on buses, on tours, and during the evening events, unless actively eating or drinking. Some sites visited during the pilgrimage do require masks.  

  • If you have a positive test, we ask that you reduce the risk to others and plan to not attend. A full refund will be offered.  

What if I want to only attend part(s) of the pilgrimage? Can I still sign up?

ACRP has a limited number of slots available for this pilgrimage. The events planned are predicated on full attendance.  In addition, the room block should be used for each night of the trip in order to get the reduced price. For these reasons we ask people take advantage of the whole package.  

Is there a hotel block?

Yes. Reservations for a hotel room should be made and paid for separately. The room block expires on September 6, 2022 and rooms may not be available after that date. The price per night is $169 plus taxes. Embassy Suite’s signature made to order breakfast is included in the hotel stay. 

Embassy Suites by Hilton, Montgomery Hotel & Conference Center 
300 Tallapoosa Street, Montgomery, AL 36104 
Booking Link: Office of Historic Alexandria Virginia 
Call In/Online Booking Code: HAV 

Can I find my own accommodations?

Yes, however separate accommodations are not encouraged. Transportation to and from all ACRP Pilgrimage events will be from the Embassy Suites Hotel. 

Why are there a limited number of self-travel slots?

We encourage participants to fully experience the ACRP Pilgrimage by traveling on the bus. Buses will be utilized throughout the trip, including step-on tours in Montgomery and Selma. 

I selected the self-travel option will I be able to join the bus tours of Montgomery and the trip to Selma?

Yes, you will be able to join us. We will use the buses for the duration of the trip to tour both cities. This is the reason we have had to limit the number of self-travel options for the pilgrimage.

If I have food allergies or specific dietary needs, how should I let ACRP know?

Since ACRP has pre-arranged many of the meals for the trip, it is important that organizers know of any allergies or food concerns in advance. If you did not include this information at the time of registration or need to change your answers, please contact acrp@alexandriava.gov.

I may need some accommodations to be able to fully participate in the ACRP pilgrimage. How should I let ACRP know?

We want to ensure that attendees can participate as much as possible. If you have specific needs or requests, please email acrp@alexandriava.gov outlining the request and staff will try to address them as best we can.  

Where will the bus pick up and drop off? Will there be parking for my car?

Bus participants will be leaving from the Nanny J. Lee Memorial Recreation Center, 1108 Jefferson Street. We encourage participants to arrange drop off and pick up, however, some parking will be available at this site for the duration of the pilgrimage. This lot will not be monitored by a security guard and parking is at your own risk. Please register for a parking pass after registration. 

Is there a Liability Waiver and Photo Release?

There will a liability wavier and photo release as part of this event. These will be sent to each participant after registrations.  

Can I take photographs at the National Memorial for Peace and Justice?

The National Memorial is an outdoor memorial situated on a 6-acre space where visitors walk a path through our history of racial injustice. In order to preserve the sacredness of the space and the integrity of each visitor's experience, EJI does not allow video or audio recording at the Memorial. Visitors are permitted to use a cell phone or digital camera to take photographs.

Are photographs inside the Legacy Museum allowed?

The Legacy Museum is an indoor narrative museum with audio, exhibits, art, videos, and comprehensive content about the legacy of enslavement through contemporary issues of mass incarceration. In order to preserve the sacredness of the space and the integrity of each visitor's experience, EJI does not allow photographs, videos, or recordings of any kind inside the Legacy Museum.

Will there be an orientation session prior to the trip?

We highly recommend attending the ACRP Pilgrimage orientation session on Tuesday, September 27 at the Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum, 201 S. Washington Street, at 7 p.m.   A recording will be available for those unable to attend in person.

Is financial assistance available?

Financial assistance is available to City of Alexandria residents only. For additional information, email acrp@alexandriava.gov.

What if I am not a City of Alexandria resident? Can I still attend?

The ACRP Pilgrimage is open to all who are interested.

Are you a member of the press and interested in attending the pilgrimage?

Media interested in attending the ACRP Pilgrimage should contact acrp@alexandriava.gov.

Will the ACRP Pilgrimage bring home Alexandria’s lynching pillar?

No. At this time, EJI has not released pillars to any community. 

How best can I prepare for this trip?

  • Review the ACRP website and information on Joseph McCoy and Benjamin Thomas.

  • Review the EJI.org website for information on the Equal Justice Initiative and their groundbreaking social justice work. 

  • Attend the ACRP Soil Collection Ceremony on Saturday, September 24th at 4 p.m. on Market Square, 301 King Street, Alexandria VA  22314.

  • Watch online videos from previous ACRP lectures.

  • Read Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson – or watch the movie. 

  • Review the ACRP recommended reading list.

  • Attend the Tuesday, September 27, 2022 ACRP Pilgrimage orientation.

After the pilgrimage, how can I continue my social justice learning and engagement?

More Information

For specific questions, email acrp@alexandriava.gov.