>>> NOW, THE NEW
MEMORIAL THAT HASERIES
EL PASO FROM THE
BLOOD-SOAKED SOIL OF
AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY,
THE ENSLAVEMENT OF
MILLIONS OF BLACK
PEOPLE.
A MEMORIAL PARK
OPENING NEXT WEEK IN
MONTGOMERY HONORS
THEIR LIVES WHILE
QUIETLY CHALLENGING
MOVEMENTS TO MINIMIZE
OUR NATION’S RACIAL
HISTORY.
I GOT A PREVIEW.
THE PEACEFUL BEAUTY OF
THE ALABAMA RIVER IN
MONTGOMERY IS
UNDENIABLE, BUT SO IS
ITS PLACE IN A BRUTAL
HISTORY.
>> THE NARRATIVE WILL
BEGIN ON THIS BOAT.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
BEING SOLD DOWN THE
RIVER, BEING
TRAFFICKED BY BOAT OR
BY RAIL WAS AN
ABSOLUTELY TERRIFYING
EXPERIENCE FOR
ENSLAVED PEOPLE.
>> BRYAN STEVENSON IS
THE FOUNDER AND CEO OF
THE EQUAL JUSTICE
INITIATIVE, WHICH
CREATED THE FREEDOM
MONUMENT SCULPTURE
PARK ON THESE SHORES
WHERE THE SLAVE TRADE
ONCE FLOURISHED.
>> THERE’S NOT MUCH IN
THE VISUAL RECORD OF
THAT ERA THAT HELPS
YOU GET A SENSE OF THE
HUMANITY OF THESE
PEOPLE.
>> AND NO SCULPTURES
AND REPLICAS HELP
WEAVE THE STORY, FROM
THE PLACES THEY WERE
HELD.
>> THEY WOULD PUT THEM
IN HOLDING PENS WHERE
THEY WOULD WAIT UNTIL
THE AUCTION.
>> TO THE PLACES THEY
WERE WHIPPED.
>> SO THEY WOULD BE
SHACKLED?
>> YES.
YOU CAN SEE THE METAL
POINTS HERE.
>> ALONG THE TRAIL,
VISITORS ARE REMINDED
THIS HUMAN TRAFFICKING
WAS NOT JUST A STAIN
ON THE SOUTH.
>> NORTH CAROLINA,
MARYLAND, NEW JERSEY.
ITS TENTACLES REACHED
NORTH.
>> NO.
IT BEGINS IN THE
NORTH.
IT BEGINS IN NEW
ENGLAND.
>> ALSO POSTED HERE,
LAWS THAT CODIFY
BRUTALITY AGAINST
SLAVES.
>> HOMICIDES SHALL BE
DEEMED EXCUSABLE WHEN
COMMITTED BY ACCIDENT
OR MISFORTUNE IN
LAWFULLY CORRECTING A
SLAVE.
A LICENSE TO KILL.
>> THAT’S RIGHT.
THAT’S RIGHT.
AND ALL OF THESE LAWS
REALLY CREATED AN
ORDER THAT EMPOWERED
PEOPLE TO USE VIOLENCE
TO MAINTAIN SLAVERY.
>> THE MONUMENT PARK
JOINS THE RECENTLY
OPENED LEGACY MUSEUM,
WHICH DOCUMENTS THE
HISTORY AND IMPACT OF
THE ATLANTIC SLAVE
TRADE.
A THIRD SITE, THE
NATIONAL MEMORIAL FOR
PEACE AND JUSTICE LAYS
BARE THE RAW HISTORY
OF LYNCHING IN
AMERICA.
>> IT SEEMS LIKE A
DIRECT REPUDIATION OF
SOME OF THE THINGS
WE’VE HEARD OVER THE
LAST COUPLE OF YEARS
TO NOT TEACH SOME OF
THIS HISTORY, CRITICAL
RACE THEORY.
>> FOR ME, IT’S BEEN A
LIFE-LONG AMBITION TO
KIND OF GET PEOPLE TO
RECKON WITH THE TRUTH.
WE CAN’T GET THERE IF
WE DON’T TALK HONESTLY
ABOUT THIS HISTORY.
>> THE CENTERPIECE OF
A SCULPTURE PARK, THIS
WALL EMBOSSED WITH
122,000 SURNAMES THAT
WERE ADOPTED BY NEWLY
EMANCIPATED SLAVES
DURING THE 1870
CENSUS.
>> PRIOR TO THE 1870
CENSUS, ENSLAVED
PEOPLE COULD ONLY BE
NUMBERS IN THE CENSUS,
OR FIRST NAME.
AND THESE ARE THE
NAMES THAT REPRESENT
THE FOUR MILLION
PEOPLE WHO WERE
EMANCIPATED AND
REPORTED IN 1870.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE
WANTED TO SEE THEM IN
A PLACE OF HONOR, SEE
THEM ON THE WALL.
>> SCANNING THE NAMES.
YOU KNOW WHAT I’M
DOING NOW.
>> OF COURSE.
>> I FIND WHAT I’M
LOOKING FOR.
>> HIGHER WE GO.
>> YEAH, THERE IT IS.
>> HOLT.
NOW, THAT NAME WAS
PICKED FOR SOME
REASON.
>> YEAH, THAT’S RIGHT.
>> WE DON’T KNOW WHY.
>> >> NO.
AND WHAT’S INTERESTING
IS A LOT OF THE NAMES
WERE NAMES THAT PEOPLE
HEARD.
>> I SIT THERE AND I
LOOK AT THAT, AND I
THINK WHO THAT NAME
REPRESENTS.
>> YEAH, YEAH.
>> WHAT THEY WENT
THROUGH.
>> YEAH.
>> COULD THEY EVER
IMAGINE ME.
>> THAT’S THE THING
THAT’S POWERFUL.
>> STANDING HERE.
THE URGE IS TO GRIEVE
FOR THEM.
BRYAN STEVENSON WANTS
US TO HONOR THEM.
HE QUOTES FROM THE
INSCRIPTION AT THE
BASE OF THE WALL.
>> "WE HONOR YOUR
PERSEVERANCE IN THE
MIDST OF SORROW.
WE HON YOUR YOUR
STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM.
YOUR CHILDREN LOVE
YOU."
>> AND THE LINE THAT
JUMPS OUT AT ME, "THE
COUNTRY YOU BUILT MUST
HONOR YOU".
>> YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.
>> THAT’S WHAT THIS
MONUMENT HOPES TO DO?