Civil Rights Memorial, Civil rights monument in Montgomery, United States
The Civil Rights Memorial is an asymmetric inverted stone cone fountain by Maya Lin in downtown Montgomery, Alabama. A thin film of water flows over its base, where the names of 41 people killed between 1955 and 1968 are inscribed. Behind it a curved black granite wall bears the words "until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream."
The memorial was created by Maya Lin, designer of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and dedicated in 1989. It is sponsored by the Southern Poverty Law Center and stands on an open plaza at 400 Washington Avenue, in front of the Civil Rights Memorial Center, which housed the SPLC offices until 2001. Its timeline runs from the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education ruling to Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination in 1968.
Water flows over the names carved in granite, echoing Dr. King's words about justice rolling like a stream. Visitors often touch the surface of the table and read the inscriptions as the water moves gently across them.
The plaza is accessible around the clock and sits within walking distance from the State Capitol. The adjacent center offers guided tours by reservation, and restrooms are located inside the building.
The inscriptions on the table follow a timeline from 1954 to 1968, recording events and individuals. The constant water flow keeps the surface cool and reflects the sky, allowing the names to remain readable.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,847 contributors worldwide.
