The 2026 Southern Pilgrimage, Refounding Legacies, marks the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, exploring places where everyday people worked to protect and expand our rights and freedoms – since before our nation was founded through the U.S. Civil Rights Movement. Over the course of six days, we'll draw lessons from movement birthplaces, former capitals, and major battlegrounds across the "Upper South" states of Tennessee, West Virginia, North Carolina, and Virginia.
The Southern Pilgrimage is a joint program of the Center for Community Partnerships and Monticello’s Getting Word African American Oral History Department at the University of Virginia. This year's trip takes place from June 6, 2026 to June 13, 2026.
