Righs and Civic Leadership

The Institute for Civil rights and Civic Leadership will train an intercollegiate cohort of undergraduate students annually to research and work on Civic challenges in The city of memphis. The Institute will also provide public education on Civic challenges for populations in The memphis region. The Institute will convene an annual cohort of fifteen Civil rights fellows from colleges across memphis to study public issues and engage in community service. Fellows will partner with nonprofits and government agencies where they will complete ten hours of community service each week throughout The fall and spring semesters. Fellows will also conduct research on these public issues. They will write and publish a paper outlining all of The relevant policies and laws for The issue under consideration. Their research and work will provide The foundation for a state of The city report published every two years. Civil rights fellows will also participate in weekly programming where they will share their progress working with community partners, discuss their research, and participate regularly in community building activities and workshops. Additionally, Civil rights fellows will hold a workshop to share their findings and strategies with The public. These community workshops will be a space for conversation and mutual engagement between Civil rights fellows and members of The memphis community. The Institute will also host eight speakers per year. These speakers will discuss their work on public issues, and will spend a day in memphis meeting with community partners to discuss local efforts to address these issues. Finally, The Institute for Civil rights will host a scholar in residence to be present for these annual activities throughout The course of an academic year. In partnership with local colleges and universities, The national Civil rights museum, as well as nonprofits, government agencies, and local business throughout The region, The Institute for Civil rights and Civic Leadership hopes to prepare The next generation of public leaders.