06/19/2026
“As your Main Street Director, I recently had the honor of traveling with the (Columbia Peace & Justice Initiative) on the Justice Journey from Columbia, Tennessee, to Birmingham and Montgomery, Alabama. While weather prevented us from reaching Selma, the experience was meaningful and educational.
Throughout the trip, CPJI board members and leaders shared a comprehensive look at our nation’s history, with a focus on the Civil Rights Movement and the events that shaped America throughout the 1930s–1960s and beyond. Along the way, we visited historic sites and museums including the 16th Street Baptist Church, Kelly Ingram Park, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church and Parsonage, the Equal Justice Initiative Freedom Monument Sculpture Park, and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice.
The journey was especially impactful because it reminded me that Columbia’s story is part of a larger American story. In October 2025, the Columbia Peace & Justice Initiative unveiled the Thurgood Marshall statue during First Fridays in Downtown Columbia, recognizing his connection to the 1946 Columbia Race Riot. That story, and many others, remain part of our community’s history.
Viewing this experience through the lens of a Main Street Director, I was struck by the role that history plays in shaping a community’s identity. Communities that thoughtfully preserve and share their stories create opportunities for learning, reflection, and understanding. Even difficult chapters of history can help provide context for where we have been and where we are going.
These reflections are my own, and I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in this journey and learn more about both our nation’s history and Columbia’s place within it. If you are ever given the chance to take part in a Justice Journey, I encourage you to experience it for yourself. And if you’d like to begin exploring these stories closer to home, you can start right here in the heart of Downtown Columbia at South Main and 8th Street.”
Kelli Johnson
Columbia Main Street Manager
