Building Reparative Organizations: Reflections from the Legacy Museum

At Fearless Spaces Consulting, we are honored to design experiences that spark transformation, deepen understanding, and advance equity. This Juneteenth weekend, we had the privilege of curating and facilitating the inaugural team retreat for the Institute of Black Imagination (IBI) in Montgomery, Alabama, an experience that continues to resonate.

This retreat was not your typical team getaway. The IBI team was intentional about rooting the experience in their ethos and pedagogy—centering Black imagination, joy, curiosity, and collective care. Together, we built an itinerary that wove together site visits, deep reflection, and expansive possibility. Through our partnership with incredible collaborators like Compani B Management and Legacy Trips, we created a retreat experience grounded in truth, innovation, and restoration.

One of the most impactful moments was our visit to the Equal Justice Initiative’s Legacy Museum and National Memorial for Peace and Justice. This experience was at the heart of our learning journey. While difficult, it was necessary. It reminded us that reckoning with the truth is a critical step in advancing justice.

Language as a Tool for Liberation

At EJI, language is used with radical intentionality. From describing the realities of enslavement to confronting the legacy of racial terror and mass incarceration, every word is chosen to humanize and affirm. Phrases like “kidnapped” and “human trafficked” emphasize the violent imposition of slavery, placing responsibility where it belongs, on systems, not survivors. This reframing challenges the euphemisms of history and powerfully names the harm.

As an organizational development firm, we help our clients interrogate the language they use in everything from HR policies to fundraising appeals. This visit reminded us that language is more than communication, it’s a vehicle for truth-telling, healing, and power redistribution.

Toward Reparative Policy and Practice

This experience affirmed what we often say at Fearless Spaces: justice requires more than DEI statements. Organizations must adopt reparative frameworks that acknowledge harm and offer real pathways to healing, especially for Black staff and communities. That includes reimagining benefits, workflows, communication practices, and leadership structures to reflect values of equity and care.

In many workplaces, the urgency culture rooted in white supremacy still dictates norms. Employees who don't meet arbitrary performance standards are often punished in ways that mirror carceral systems. We challenge organizations to consider: What would a culture of care and repair look like instead?

Whose Job Is Healing?

Maurice Mitchell’s Building Resilient Organizations raises the idea of “Unanchored Care”, the belief that individual well-being should not rest solely with the organization. While we understand the importance of boundaries, we also believe that institutions built on oppressive foundations have a responsibility to repair. That doesn’t mean solving everything—it means acknowledging historical harm, redistributing power, and offering real resources for healing.

This is not theoretical. It looks like mental health stipends, sabbaticals, professional development rooted in liberation, and policies shaped by those most impacted.

Designing for Joy, Reflection, and Future-Building

Beyond the museum, the IBI retreat included a guided tour with Auburn University’s Rural Studio, where we explored innovative models for sustainable community design. We shared stories, laughed, and built trust through organic fellowship. We closed the trip with a southern-themed private dinner hosted by local chef Alanna, held in a repurposed plantation house that now serves as an art center, another example of transformation and reclamation in action.

That it all took place during Juneteenth weekend was especially meaningful.

The Invitation

We encourage every organization, especially those committed to justice and liberation, to visit Montgomery. Not just to witness the past, but to confront it and reimagine what’s possible. Transformation doesn’t happen in the abstract. It happens when we tell the truth, sit in discomfort, and build systems that reflect the world we want to live in.

If anything here resonated, we invite you to reflect with us in the comments. And if you’re looking to create immersive learning experiences or reimagine how your organization operates, let’s connect.

In solidarity,
The Fearless Spaces Consulting Team