Third Annual Democracy Defenders Legacy, Literacy & Liberation Summit

AAPF in partnership with the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) is proud to announce the Third Annual Democracy Defenders Legacy, Literacy & Liberation Summit on July 27th–31st, 2026 in Montgomery, Alabama.

The five-day residency, led by Bryan Stevenson and Kimberlé Crenshaw, offers an unmatched environment for movement leaders, organizers, scholars, advocates, and community members to renew the moral imperative for the long-haul struggle ahead.

~Full Schedule~: https://bit.ly/DD_2026_Schedule

Who Should Attend?

We are assembling a dynamic cohort of participants across four primary sectors:

• Scholar-Advocates: Scholars and researchers focused on racial fascism, academic freedom, civil rights, and human rights.

• Educators & Union Leaders: K-12 and higher education professionals defending the freedom to learn.

• Democracy Organizers: Voting rights litigators, grassroots organizers, and civil society professionals.

• Community Stakeholders: Dedicated professionals, parents, students, and community-based advocates who want to take the work of EJI Legacy sites and the week of learning in Montgomery back to their communities.

Pricing 

$795 (5 days) | Includes: 

• 10 meals (4 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 3 Dinners, 1 Light Dinner)

• 1 Welcome Orientation Dinner

• Exclusive Access and Admission to the Legacy Museum for our Group 

• 1 Liberation Table Dinner event with Kimberlé Crenshaw, Faculty, Artivists

• Admission and Self-paced tour of 3 Affiliated Legacy Sites

• 1 Artivism event with Bryan Stevenson, Kimberlé Crenshaw & Performers 

• Faculty-led small group reflection sessions

• Full-day + Half-day Cross-Sectoral Strategic Convening/or Legacy Education Curriculum

* We encourage all attendees to stay for the full 5-day experience. If you have special circumstances and need to register for fewer than 5 days, please contact us at montgomery2026-support@aapf.org. For more details on logistics, click here: https://bit.ly/2026DDLogistics

** Attendees are responsible for: their own travel to and from Montgomery, AL and hotel accommodations for the duration of their stay (starting at $155/night, before taxes and fees). 

Our original hotel block is sold out, however you may book one of our overflow hotels that offer matching rates starting at $155/night before taxes and fees. The reservation cut-off deadline is July 17th. 

 Book one of these options here:
1. Studio King rooms (including sofa bed) are available at Residence Inn at $155/night. There are also limited One-Bedroom King or Double Queen rooms at $165/night. Residence Inn rooms include complimentary buffet breakfast.
2. Trilogy Hotel - Standard King or Standard Double Queen rooms at $155/night (plus taxes and fees)

Please note that guests staying at Trilogy Hotel or Residence Inn will be responsible for their transportation to and from the Summit Hotel (Elevation Convening Center and Hotel)

The Legacy Museum (1 or 2 blocks from these hotels) operates a free shuttle service every 15 minutes from the Legacy Museum to the Elevation Convening Center and Hotel between 9a-4:30p Wed-Monday

Program Highlights

• A Foundational Truth & Reconciliation Experience: A profound reframing of the American national memory through the lens of EJI’s four legacy sites, honoring the enslaved people who built the Republic and confronting the unfinished repair work required for true reconciliation.

• Site-Based Learning: An immersive exploration of history, law, and structural racism at the Legacy Museum and Legacy Sites, enriched by experiential encounters with the humanities and "artivism."

• Expert Instruction: Strategic masterclasses and workshops led by innovative thinkers and inspiring leaders.

Our Shared Commitment

This summit will tackle the stubborn blind spots that frequently cause anti-Blackness to fall out of the frame within broader democracy movements.

To ensure this convening moves beyond dialogue and into measurable, transformative action, we kindly ask all participants to commit to:

1. Full Engagement: Active participation in the complete program, from the opening welcome dinner on Monday through the closing sessions on Friday.

2. Long-Term Action Tracks: Upon registration, attendees will align with one of two action tracks designed to counter federal or institutional coercion and defend equity:

   • Strategic Convening Track: Designed for professional and sector-based cohorts (e.g., in voting rights, law, or education) to build campaigns across sectors that protect our democratic institutions, racial justice, and institutional equity.

   • Legacy Education Track: Designed for individuals or small groups to work together to translate the residency’s history, artivism, and curricula into local, grassroots initiatives or individual projects with on-going cohort check-ins.

Join Us in Montgomery. Re-center racial justice in the fight for democracy, experience the vital "heart-work and head-work" of the Legacy Sites, and help build a movement that refuses to bend the knee to the suppression of our history.

Finally, please read our Norms of Engagement: https://bit.ly/DD_NormsofEngagement