The Museum for Abolition and Beyond at the John Thompson Legacy Center
John Thompson’s Legacy
John Thompson (JT) was a beloved innovator, visionary, and leader in the movement to center the lives and legacies of formerly and currently incarcerated people. JT spent 18 years wrongly incarcerated, including 14 years on death row at the Louisiana State Penitentiary. To learn more about his life and legacy visit the resurrection archives.
Following JT’s untimely death in 2017, LaVerne Thompson, Promise of Justice Initiative, and jackie sumell established the John Thompson Legacy Center (JTLC) to bring together those who loved and learned from JT. Located in the 7th Ward, it continues JT’s legacy as a space that contributes to mutual aid efforts, offers the neighborhood disaster resilience through our solar-powered generators, and hosts workshops, community education events, and art installations.
Vision
Freedom to Grow is developing the John Thompson Legacy Center as a museum, organizing lab, archive, and vibrant garden. The Legacy Center will chart the under-told history of resistance in Louisiana that connects abolitionist struggles across time, from enslavement to mass incarceration.
Across generations, people held in confinement have turned to creative practice and collective care as tools for survival and transformation. Through art, archival storytelling, and, crucial to our mission, the grounding gifts that plants provide, this space will unlock the imagination of those engaging to dream of a far-kinder and safer future for us all.
We anticipate a full opening in September of 2028. As we expand our programming to reflect our growing vision, we continue to operate as a community center hosting the Abolitionist’s Apothecary, Solitary Gardens’ Greenhouse.