The Living Legacy Pilgrimage
The Living Legacy Pilgrimage is a journey to meet the people, hear the stories, and visit the sites that changed the world in the Civil Rights Movement. This experience starts in either Birmingham, Alabama, where the 1963 bombing at the 16th Street Baptist Church killed four little girls, Denise McNair, Addie Mae Collins, Carole Robertson, and Cynthia Wesley or Memphis Tennessee, where the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated and is now home to the National Civil Rights Museum. Each journey is custom designed for the needs of the participants and/or groups and typically run from four to eight days. ​

The Pilgrimage is much more than a civil rights history tour. In addition to visiting historic sites, we meet veterans, many of them unsung heroes and foot soldiers of the civil rights movement. Additionally, we spend time exploring what today’s racism, white privilege, and barriers to equality look like in the towns we visit -- and in our own hometowns. As a spiritual pilgrimage, we reflect on what we experience together so when we each return home we can apply what we have learned to make a difference in today's world. 

Civil rights movement veterans and talented musicians help us engage the stories and music of the Movement. Songwriter and music educator, Reggie Harris, whose repertoire includes music of the Freedom Movement, is the LLP's Director of Music Education. Reggie ensures that every Pilgrimage is staffed by a powerful music educator who deepens our journey and offers opportunities for each of us to engage in Beloved Community by joining our voices in song. 

Contact us at [email protected] if you're interested in planning a custom pilgrimage for your group or congregation. 

What is a Pilgrimage?

A pilgrimage is a ritual journey with a hallowed purpose. Every step along the way has meaning. The pilgrim knows that life giving challenges will emerge. A pilgrimage is not a vacation; it is a transformational journey during which significant change takes place. New insights are given. Deeper understanding is attained. New and old places in the heart are visited. Blessings are received and healing takes place. On return from the pilgrimage, life is seen with different eyes. Nothing will ever be quite the same again. 
                                                                                                                                                                   Behold Your Life by Macrina Wiederkeh
Experience the Living Legacy Pilgrimage through a photo tour and the LLP Storify:
Ms. Angela Lewis, daughter of slain civil rights activist, James Earl Chaney, meets with the 2012 Living Legacy Pilgrimage participants at her father's grave in Meridian, Mississippi.

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If you have questions about the Living Legacy Pilgrimage, contact us at [email protected]