When I left The Legacy Museum after visiting for the first time, I knew I’d never be the same. The names and images of victims of racial lynchings were embedded in my mind. The testimonies and survival stories of ancestors made my heart heavy with emotion, and I found myself wanting quiet to process it.
That is exactly why Bryan Stevenson built the Elevation Convening Center and Hotel.
Stevenson, the founder of the famed Equal Justice Initiative and The Legacy Sites in Montgomery, Alabama, dreamed of a place where visitors could learn about the most painful chapters in Black history while also having a place of rest to process all they saw.
“When people leave our sites, it’s challenging, it’s tough, and all of that,” says Stevenson. “But ultimately I want them to feel motivated, prepared, and energized to do things that must be done.”
The Legacy Sites are a trio of sacred spaces comprised of the museum I first mentioned visiting, the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, and the Freedom Sculpture Park. Each site focuses on America’s history of chattel slavery, lynching, segregation, and racial injustice in its own way.
At the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, the image of steel columns suspended from the ceiling in tribute to victims of racial lynchings has both haunted and captivated the nation since the site first opened in 2018, along with the accompanying Legacy Museum. Stevenson expanded and upgraded The Legacy Museum in 2021 and built the Freedom Sculpture Park in 2024. But it was just last October that Stevenson opened Elevation, the official location for visitors to stay after their visit.
Much like back in the day, when Black travelers used a Green Book to tell them where it was safe and welcoming to stay along their journey, the Elevation Convening Center and Hotel functions as a certified safe space that theGrio had to go and see for ourselves.
A Civil Rights Hotel on Historic Land
The convening center sits atop a hill, replacing an old abandoned apartment building that was an eyesore on land considered holy ground in the world of civil rights. With 99 sleek, modern rooms and suites and a pool, the building has large floor-to-ceiling glass windows decorated with vertical lights. At a modest price range of $188–$250 a night, depending on your travel day, each room is spacious and new with tasteful amenities. One key feature of the property is a colorful enclosed bridge that connects the lobby area to other rooms, elevated above the very street Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. marched down as a leader during the Montgomery bus boycott in the 1950s.
Visitors will see a grand silver sculpture of King right outside the hotel’s exterior, memorializing the man who gave his life in service of justice for all.
“I’m proud that we have been able to develop it in this historic location,” Stevenson said in a prior interview with WSFA 12 News about the site’s opening.
Not only is the location historic, but it’s also convenient for accessing The Legacy Sites. The hotel is just steps from the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, eliminating the need for any car travel to visit. There is also free daily shuttle service for Elevation hotel guests that runs to and from all three primary locations, making it particularly useful for reaching the Legacy Museum and the Freedom Monument Sculpture Park.
After a long day of reflecting at the sites, visitors can go back to the hotel and not just sleep — but also learn.
One of the most remarkable features is the 2,500-square-foot library built into the hotel, featuring free books to read that share similar themes with the sites. I was most struck by the stunning works by Black artists in the adjacent gallery. The center also has a movie theater and garden patio area where guests can sit outside to read or eat.
Downstairs boasts Elevation Cafe—upstairs, the AYA Soulful Dining restaurant steals the show for breakfast, lunch, or dinner by fusing African American soul food with flavors from the Caribbean and the mother continent. During our visit, my favorite meal was AYA’s shrimp and grits, a savory, delicious fusion of flavors worth boarding a plane to taste. AYA’s freshly made biscuits with custom jams, including sweet potato butter, are light and delightful. The cocktails are artful, and the service is top tier, with each hostess and server greeting guests with warmth that defines Southern hospitality. Matching the style and design of the rest of the hotel, AYA also features art by Black painters, sculptors, and artists intentionally placed throughout the restaurant.
Civil Rights Tourism to Transform Montgomery’s Economy & Future
While there, it became clear to me why a stunning property like Elevation Convening Center and Hotel is not only the preferred place to stay during a trip to Montgomery, but also necessary.
Stevenson, who strategically fundraised on his own for the development of the property, also held a job fair on the property to recruit local talent to work at Elevation, doubling down on a promise to reinvest in the community as The Legacy Sites draw new visitors.
“The goal of these sites is to create a world where the children of my grandchildren don’t have to confront a presumption of dangerousness or guilt because of their color,” Stevenson told theGrio. “Where no white person is burdened with a presumption that somehow they’re better or different than other people because of their color or race.”
Much of that dream of equality will hinge on creating economic opportunity and prosperity for all in Montgomery. It was, in fact, what Dr. King was fighting for before he was assassinated: jobs.
In addition to The Legacy Sites, Montgomery boasts plenty of other nearby tourist attractions that Elevation guests can visit, particularly to close out Black History Month. They include the Rosa Parks Museum, Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, the Civil Rights Memorial Center, and of course, the now-infamous Alabama Riverfront (no folding chair needed, as rumor has it a local or two have one that you can take pictures with).
The New South Bookstore, situated in downtown Montgomery, is another unique and cozy local stop, featuring a “Banned Books” section right in the back for your reading pleasure.
Today’s Montgomery, Alabama, isn’t the Montgomery of the past — but it honors its past and the hard-earned lessons from it with care, particularly with the creation of the Elevation Convening Center and Hotel.
“Our sites are narrative spaces; we feel like we’re telling an American story,” Stevenson says.
America’s story is best told when it doesn’t overlook the hardest chapters. The Elevation Convening Center and Hotel and The Legacy Sites show us it is possible to face the past with honesty and the future with hope worth having.
Natasha S. Alford is SVP & Chief Content Officer at TheGrio. A recognized journalist, filmmaker, and TV analyst, Alford is also the author of the award-winning book, “American Negra.” (HarperCollins, 2024) Follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @natashasalford.
