Page 131 - Middle Georgia State University - Knighted 2019

reminding us of that past. I stared for a while at the statue of Davis, perplexed not by the
statue’s existence, but by the legacy of lynching in America. Often I will see the
Confederate flag, or see the statues of Confederate generals, or hear someone discussing,
yet again, the legacy and importance of the Civil War, but I never see, or hear any such
conversation around the years of lynching. The victims, until recently, had been hidden,
their past irrelevant, while the perpetrators walked freely, the south “restored,” the history
erased. The National Memorial for Peace and Justice combats this cruel injustice and
forces the issue before the American consciousness. The Museum shows how to this day;
the American prison systems are still being used as a form of prejudice against
minorities. The Monument shows what happens when such prejudices go unchecked.

The Monument’s design is eloquent, captivating, and haunting. Not only does one
feel perpetually surrounded by the voices of the murdered, but one feels their presence.
Stone steps lead one up to the top of the hill. The sound of the underground waterfall is
barely audible but still adds to the tranquil scene. In the distance, the city of Montgomery
is in full view, with Davis’ metallic eyes peering back at the masses from atop his place
of honor. The bronze memorials, nestled tightly together, all hanging from the ceiling,
surrounding the visitors who have come to pay their respects. Atop this little hill, amid
this small garden, we were told that we were standing where someone would be lynched.
Where an angry mob would have dragged a man, and put him to death without ever
allowing him the due process of law. In this case, the bronze memorials were the
spectators, and we were the central focus. A chill went through my body. Unlike those
audiences of the past, however, our spectators were not men, women, and children
gleefully watching a sadistic ritual. No, our spectators were the men, women, and

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