Moblizing visitors and residents to engage Mongomery's history as inspiration for learning, reflection & artistic creation.
History is More Than Some Thing That Happened
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History is something we inherit, something we carry, and something we're are called to understand & share.
The Montgomery Sankofa Collective (MSC) is founded on the belief that storytelling, cultural memory, and community engagement are powerful tools for connecting people to history and inspiring future generations.
Rooted in Montgomery, Alabama, our programs invite participants to engage with the Black American experience through immersive experiences that blend education, reflection, creativity, and meaningful dialogue.
Through sponsorship support, The Montgomery Sankofa Collective creates meaningful cultural programming, supports local artists, historians, speakers, and community partners, and helps ensure that these important stories continue to be shared across generations. Our writing retreats, community conversations, performances, walking tours, and cultural experiences create opportunities for reflection, creativity, dialogue, and connection.
We help make history personal and present, and we help participants connect their stories to our larger collective narrative.
We founded the Montgomery Sankofa Collective because Black Stories Matter.
Narrative is the power to tell a story, document a history, and give shape and meaning to our world. Through narrative, we speak our truths to ourselves and to each other. We preserve memory, deepen understanding, and connect past experiences to present realities.
Rooted in Montgomery, Alabama, our programs draw upon the power of place and purpose to connect participants with the rich history, culture, and stories that continue to shape the Black American experience today.
We believe that varied Black voices telling Black stories rooted in our history and responsive to our present are both the seed and the fruit.
The how and the why.
The way we get free.
Now, then, and always.
Why Montgomery?
Many American cities are tied to key moments in the Black American story. Few have witnessed as many pivotal events as Montgomery, Alabama—and even fewer stand as ready and willing to connect that past to our present.
Known as both the “Cradle of the Confederacy” and the “Birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement,” Montgomery offers a powerful opportunity to engage with history where it happened. From the Legacy Museum & the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, to the Voting Rights Interpretive Center & Dexter King Memorial Baptist Church, Montgomery remains a living classroom.
Its greatest wealth lies in its people: elders and community leaders who tell the past through their personal memories, and artists, writers, historians, and community leaders helping to chart a next chapter worth the sacrifice and lessons of those who came before.
The Montgomery Sankofa Collective believes in the power of place and purpose. Montgomery’s rich, fertile soil has yielded so much. And now, it offers inspiration for our collective next chapter.
Montgomery, Alabama
July 30-August 2, 2026
This four-day immersive retreat invites you to discover Montgomery's story, engage in inspiring workshops and discussions, and create in community with other Black women.
- Full Packages Include Lodging, Activities and Materials, and Most Meals
- Applications open June 15th!
- Launch Discount: 15% off all Packages
Who Are We?
Jennifer Taylor Milligan
Jennifer Taylor Milligan
Jennifer Taylor Milligan
Co-Founder
Director of Programming
Jennifer is an attorney, writer & civil rights advocate. A graduate of Yale Law School, with additional degrees from Columbia University & Stanford University, Jennifer has worked as Senior Attorney & Senior Writer at the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI). With MSC, she translates vision and historical interp
Co-Founder
Director of Programming
Jennifer is an attorney, writer & civil rights advocate. A graduate of Yale Law School, with additional degrees from Columbia University & Stanford University, Jennifer has worked as Senior Attorney & Senior Writer at the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI). With MSC, she translates vision and historical interpretation into meaningful programming for residents and visitors alike.
Evan Milligan
Jennifer Taylor Milligan
Jennifer Taylor Milligan
Co-Founder
Director of Civic Engagement & Strategic Partnerships
A civic leader, organizer & arts activist, Evan spearheads MSC’s artistic engagement and facilitates community conversations connecting Montgomery’s history to modern struggles for democracy and social change. He is a nationally recognized voting rights advocate and the named
Co-Founder
Director of Civic Engagement & Strategic Partnerships
A civic leader, organizer & arts activist, Evan spearheads MSC’s artistic engagement and facilitates community conversations connecting Montgomery’s history to modern struggles for democracy and social change. He is a nationally recognized voting rights advocate and the named plaintiff in Allen v. Milligan, a U.S. Supreme Court case that challenged discriminatory voting maps in Alabama.
Kimmberly Taylor
Jennifer Taylor Milligan
Kimmberly Taylor
Co-Founder
Director of Collaboration & Experience Design
An entrepreneur, Realtor, and experience curator, Kimmberly is an expert in hospitality, guest experience, accommodations, and event logistics. At MSC, she coordinates our sponsorship relationships and oversees participant experience, helping to create welcoming and impactful experien
Co-Founder
Director of Collaboration & Experience Design
An entrepreneur, Realtor, and experience curator, Kimmberly is an expert in hospitality, guest experience, accommodations, and event logistics. At MSC, she coordinates our sponsorship relationships and oversees participant experience, helping to create welcoming and impactful experiences that connect guests to Montgomery’s history, culture & community.