A nonprofit based in Fairhope is giving local residents the chance to step directly into the story of America's civil rights movement with a chartered bus trip to Montgomery’s Equal Justice Initiative Legacy Sites on May 10.

Hope Community, an organization focused on fostering equity and connection, is inviting participants on a daylong visit to three of EJI’s most impactful destinations: the Legacy Museum, the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, and the Freedom Monument Sculpture Park. The trip will be led by renowned civil rights activist Bob Zellner and his wife, Pamela Smith, both longtime advocates for racial justice and community engagement.

The cost to attend is $30, which covers transportation and admission to all three sites. Lunch is not included and will be self-pay. The group will depart from the Anna T. Jeanes School parking lot at 6925 Twin Beech Road at 7 a.m. and return by 7 p.m.

Zellner, a former field secretary for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, was the first white southerner to serve in that role. His autobiography, The Wrong Side of Murder Creek, was adapted into the 2020 film Son of the South. Smith, his wife, is also deeply involved in civil rights education and grassroots organizing.

Organizers say the event is more than a day trip — it’s a chance to reflect on the country’s past, connect across communities and inspire future action.

“This powerful journey inspires reflection, connection, and hope for a more equitable future,” Hope Community representatives said.

The Legacy Museum, built on the site of a former warehouse where Black people were enslaved, traces the legacy of slavery through the era of lynching, segregation and mass incarceration. A short distance away, the National Memorial for Peace and Justice commemorates more than 4,000 Black victims of racial terror lynchings. The newly opened Freedom Monument Sculpture Park provides additional context through its landscape of art and historical storytelling.

Transportation is provided by Covenant Elite Charter and Tours, LLC. The full itinerary includes:

7 a.m.–9:45 a.m. Bus travel to Montgomery
10 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Visit to the Legacy Museum
12:30 p.m.–1:30 p.m. Lunch on-site (self pay)
1:45 p.m.–2:45 p.m. Tour of the National Memorial for Peace and Justice
3 p.m.–4:30 p.m. Visit to the Freedom Monument Sculpture Park
4:45 p.m.–7 p.m. Return trip to Fairhope

The deadline to reserve a seat is today, May 2. Seats are limited and early registration is encouraged. Tickets can be purchased at https://bit.ly/montgomery-trip. For more details about the EJI Legacy Sites, visit legacysites.eji.org.