The Memorial Foundation, builders of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial on the
National Mall, has selected 50 emerging leaders from across the United States for its
fifth cohort of Global Impact Fellows.
Established in 2021, the Global Impact Fellows Program engages emerging leaders
ages 18 to 35 in a yearlong, immersive learning experience rooted in the Foundation’s
core values of Democracy, Justice, Hope and Love.
“Advancing Democracy, Justice, Hope and Love is central to the mission of The
Memorial Foundation,” said Harry E. Johnson, Sr., president and CEO of The Memorial
Foundation. “Through the Global Impact Fellows Program, we are educating and
engaging a new generation in the teachings and principles of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,
which helped bring transformational change to our society. The 2026 Fellows represent
a growing network of community-rooted advocates who are prepared to expand their
impact from protest to policy change.”
Fellows are selected through a rigorous application process that evaluates each
candidate’s leadership experience, commitment to service and demonstrated interest in
advancing change within their communities.
Throughout the program, Fellows participate in a Distinguished Lecture Series, peer-
learning workshops and independent study projects focused on community-led
advocacy. They also work collaboratively to explore strategies for community
organizing, public policy engagement, and lasting change within the communities they
serve.
Featured speakers for this year’s Distinguished Lecture Series include award-winning
journalist Roland Martin; the Rev. Shavon Arline-Bradley, president and CEO of the
National Council of Negro Women; author and racial equity educator Tim Wise; author
and community psychiatrist Dr. Janet Taylor; and Wisdom O. Cole, senior director of
advocacy for the NAACP – to name a few.
Through the Global Impact Fellows Program, The Memorial Foundation continues to
invest in emerging leaders committed to carrying Dr. King’s principles forward in their
communities and beyond.