(photo by Tamio Wakayama)

"Freedom" is the most powerful idea in American History, an idea that inspired the original Freedom Schools established in Mississippi during the civil rights movement of the 1960s. During their first year, all Freedom Fellows are immersed in a curriculum that emphasizes the civil rights movement, and the leaders of the freedom struggle stand as historical models for Fellows to follow. Fellows learn that to live up to their heritage and make freedom real today, they must take advantage of the opportunities available to them -- opportunities won through their ancestors' struggles. They must push themselves to become educated, disciplined, and capable enough to make positive changes in themselves and their communities.