Jun 20, 2025

Fifty Emerging Leaders Selected for the 2025 Class of Social Justice Fellows

The Memorial Foundation, builders of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial on the National Mall, announced the fourth cohort of its Social Justice Fellows Program.  Fifty emerging leaders nationwide have been selected to participate in a year-long curriculum centered around advocacy, community organizing and public policy.  Selected fellows will build a community of support with like-minded leaders while also exploring high-impact practices that move communities and advocates from protest to policy change.

“Engaging a new generation of leaders in the spirit of Dr. King’s legacy is core to our programmatic mission at The Foundation,” said Harry E. Johnson, Sr., President and CEO of The Memorial Foundation. “This cohort marks our fourth group of fellows since launching the program in 2021, contributing to the growing network of emerging leaders matriculating through this transformational learning opportunity.  We have been extremely pleased with the program’s impact and the bold leadership our fellows have demonstrated during and well beyond completion of the program.”

The Fellows Program features four key components: a distinguished lecture series; a personal learning journey to focus on a key area of interest and practical application; a capstone project focused on building a movement for a current issue at the local, regional or national level; and concluding with a capstone convening in Washington, D.C. for an in-person congressional component of the Fellowship focusing on social justice and public policy.  The 2025 lecture series will be anchored by acclaimed journalist Roland Martin, journalist and communication specialist Jeff Johnson, and President and CEO of the National Council of Negro Women Shavon Arline-Bradley.  

Feature speakers include:

  • Tim Wise, American activist and writer
  • Carmen Perez-Jordan, civil and human rights leader
  • Dr. Jamal Bryant, author, social change activist, and senior pastor, New Birth Missionary Baptist Church
  • Ray B. Shackelford, Vice President of Equitable Justice, National Urban League
  • Dr. Janet Taylor, author and community psychiatrist
  • Wisdom Cole, National Director of Advocacy, NAACP
  • Jarvis Stewart, Chairman and CEO, Highland Poe

At the conclusion of the program, the fellows will have new experiences and skills they can take back to communities to assist them in creating positive change.