2022 Freedom Award Commemorative Program

HONORING

OCTOBER 20, 2022

TAYLOR BRANCH • ISABEL WILKERSON • FREDERICK W. SMITH

In 1968, the attention of the nation focused on the Lorraine Motel. On April 4th of that same year, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., co-founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and acknowledged leader of the Civil Rights Movement, was assassinated. The aftershock of this event plunged the Lorraine Motel, a small African American owned business in the south end of downtown Memphis, into a long and steep decline. The owner of the motel, Mr. Walter Bailey sought public support to maintain the Lorraine as a historic site. Mr. Bailey’s wife, Loree, died on April 9, 1968, after collapsing on the day Dr. King was assassinated.

By 1982, the Lorraine Motel was a foreclosed property. A group of prominent Memphians, led by D’Army Bailey, A.W. Willis, Jr., and Charles “Chuck” Scruggs, were concerned that this historic site would be destroyed through continued neglect and indifference and consequently formed the Martin Luther King Memorial Foundation in an attempt to save the Lorraine Motel. Using a design report by Benjamin Lawless, former Smithsonian Institution Director of Exhibitions, the Foundation began to seek funds for the establishment of the nation’s first comprehensive exhibit chronicling America’s Civil Rights Movement.

The Foundation secured the initial funds that provided a short option to buy the Lorraine. However, members of the Foundation were unable to raise the full contract price of the property alone. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), and Lucky Heart Cosmetics, a business located across the street from the Lorraine Motel, gave the project sizable donations that built further community confidence. The remainder of the purchase price was secured by a loan from Tri-State Bank. During this period, the Foundation changed its name to the Lorraine Civil Rights Museum Foundation.

With this vital support from the City of Memphis, Shelby County, and the State of Tennessee, enough funds were raised to create a civil rights museum within the Lorraine Motel. It was designed to help visitors better understand the history and lessons of the American Civil Rights Movement. The Lorraine Civil Rights Museum Foundation held an official ground breaking in 1987, and on September 28, 1991, the National Civil Rights Museum was officially dedicated.

In February 2001, after two years of planning, the Museum broke ground for an $11 million expansion project entitled, Exploring the Legacy. The expansion includes an overview of some of the world’s most significant human rights movements and the achievements gained through the efforts and sacrifices of courageous individuals who stood by their convictions.

In April 2014, the National Civil Rights Museum completed a $27.5 million renovation project of the historic Lorraine Motel and the exhibits therein. This renovation included content updates, more interactive exhibitions, increased use of historic artifacts, and a more cohesive interpretive campus experience. The Museum chronicles key episodes of the American Civil Rights Movement, examines today’s global civil and human rights issues, provokes thoughtful debate, and serves as a catalyst for positive change.

In April 2018, all eyes turned to Memphis to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. After a yearlong commemoration, the museum helped the world reflect, but not linger, on the past. We used that horrific event to propel us forward with “MLK50: Where Do We Go from Here?”. To affect a commemoration of this magnitude, the museum engaged countless community partners locally and nationally. The Commemoration culminated April 2-4th with a two-day symposium consisting of a Day of Remembrance, the Commemoration Ceremony, commemorating the moment Dr. King was shot a worldwide bell tolling at 6:01 pm, and an Evening of Storytelling which brought together Civil Rights Icons and New Movement Makers in a national dialogue about the Movement then and now.

In 2020 the world shifted during the COVID-19 pandemic and a racial reckoning following the death of George Floyd. The museum remained engaged with its constituents through virtual programming and important conversations. Reopening in July 2020 and again in March 2021 following the surge, the Museum continued to be a staple for visitors nationwide. In 2021, the Museum celebrated its 30th Anniversary with a Community Celebration to say “Thank you” for 30 years. People find that there is a lot more at the museum than a memorial. From our beginning, we’ve told the stories about the men and women who fought for civil and human rights so that all people can live better lives in a just society.

THE FREEDOM AWARD

Since 1991, the Freedom Award serves as a symbol of the ongoing fight for civil and human rights globally. We celebrate The Freedom Award recipients for their tireless contributions to freedom, equality, and justice including Coretta Scott King, Rosa Parks and James Farmer.

Freedom Award recipients include Nelson Mandela, The Dalai Lama, Oprah Winfrey, Stevie Wonder, President Bill Clinton, President Jimmy Carter, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Colin Powell, Dorothy Height, Diane Nash, Cicely Tyson, Danny Glover, Bishop Desmond Tutu, Bono, Eva Longoria, Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte, Mikhail Gorbachev, Myrlie Evers-Williams, Marlo Thomas, Tom Brokaw, Geoffrey Canada, Joan Trumpauer Mulholland, Bernard Lafeyette, Ruby Bridges-Hall, Ava DuVernay, Soledad O’Brien, Benjamin Crump, Bryan Stevenson, Swin Cash, Tawakkol Karman, Rev. Bernice A. King, Hugh Masekela, Joe Biden, Jesse Jackson, John Legend, Hafsat Abiola, Gloria Steinem, Michelle Obama and the Poor People's Campaign.

THE FREEDOM AWARD STUDENT FORUM

The National Civil Rights Museum’s Student Forum, a celebration for and by young trailblazers, is opening its virtual doors worldwide. The program kicks off the Freedom Award festivities and is an opportunity for students to be inspired by the purpose-driven lives of Freedom Award honorees.

The Freedom Award Student Forum is designed to inspire students to stand up for something meaningful in their communities. Segments like Student Spotlight and a Q&A discussion with this year’s honorees engage and motivate young scholars to achieve through their commitments to outstanding community service.

board of directors

Senator Raumesh Akbari

Pamela Alexander

Darrell T. Cobbins

Gregory Duckett

Nnaemeka “Meka” Egwuekwe

Rose Jackson Flenorl

Preston Frazer

Kathy Buckman Gibson

Dr. Aram Goudsouzian

Rabbi Micah Greenstein

Herbert Hilliard

Joseph R. “Pitt” Hyde III

Shaila Karkera

museum staff

Dr. Russ Wigginton, President

Ozakh Ahmed, Program Manager

Veda Ajamu, Director of Community Engagement and DE&I

Laketa Brown, Guest Services Representative

Connie Cason, Guest Services Representative

Arlinda Cathey, Program Manager

Vanessa Clark, Volunteer Manager/Development Assistant

Regina Crawford, Receptionist/Development Clerk

Constance Dyson, Marketing Communications Manager

Angela Faulkner, Human Resources Manager

Henry Fields, Director of Information Technology

Tiffany Ford, Special Assistant to President for Strategic Initiatives and Grants

Debra Gladney, Program Assistant

Tiffany Legington Graham, Chief Development Officer

Carolyn Greene, Executive Assistant to the President

Ethan Hanson, Retail Associate

Andrew Hartsock, Exhibition Designer/Preparator

Valerie Hawkins, Guest Services Representative

Kyra Henderson, Tour Guide

Danielle Hubbard-Smith, Guest Services Manager

TaDarius Johnson, Tour Guide

Brooke Jones, Tour Guide

Gregory Jones, Lead Retail Sales and Inventory Associate

Jasmine Jones, Accounting Specialist

Lisa Krupicka

Connie Lewis Lensing

Johnny Moore

Jonathan Moorehead

William “Billy” Orgel

Elliot L. Perry

William “Bill” Rhodes

Cathy D. Ross

Gail Tyree

Michael Ugwueke

Sylvia Williams

Spence Wilson, Jr.

Korwin (Dre) Jones, Maintenance Technician

Ryan Jones, Associate Curator

Tsitsi (Tee) Jones, Chief Operating & Financial Officer

Dorothy Lerner, Museum Educator

Michelle Lopez, Collections Manager

Caitlyn Maddox, Senior Group Sales Coordinator

Mark Massongill, Facility Manager/Building Engineer

Andrew Mathewes, Director of Development Technology & Analytics

Faith Morris, Chief Marketing & External Affairs Officer

Deborah Nutt, Buyer/Merchandiser

Quentin Owens, Controller

Reginald Sanders, Accountant

LaToya Streeter, Program Accountant

Darren Thomas II, Senior Annual Giving Advisor

Timberly Townsend, Lead Guest Services Representative

Dr. Noelle Trent, Director of Interpretation, Collections & Education

Jameshia Tucker, Sales Associate

Sherryl Tucker, Director of Operations

Hadiyah Weaver, Marketing Communications Specialist

Jericka Webster, Marketing Coordinator

Brittney Williams, Program Coordinator

Lucian Williams, Retail Stock Associate

Tyler Williams, Tour Guide

Greetings,

On behalf of the National Civil Rights Museum, thank you for participating in the 31st Freedom Award.

Since our founding in 1991, the Museum has hosted millions of people in person and virtually through our exhibits, programs and public voice for civil and human rights for all people. We remain inspired by the words and actions of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the countless people who have and continue to seek justice and righteousness.

I hope that tonight’s Freedom Award energizes you to stay in the fight for what is right. I hope that when you think about the National Civil Rights Museum you are reminded that we are all in this together. I hope that Dr. King’s words ring in your ears and give you the courage to carry on making a difference.

In gratitude and solidarity,

RUSSELL

T. WIGGINTON PRESIDENT, NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM

Order of Programme

PRE-SHOW

Musical Director GARRY GOIN and the Freedom Award House Band

OPENING TRIBUTE

Performance, ED MABREY

LAMMAN RUCKER, Host

DR. RUSSELL WIGGINTON, President, National Civil Rights Museum

PRESENTING THE FREEDOM AWARD HONOREES

TAYLOR BRANCH, Freedom Award Honoree

Presented by Sylvia Williams, International Paper

FREDERICK W. SMITH, Freedom Award Honoree

Presented by J.R. "Pitt" Hyde, Hyde Family Foundation

Performance, THE BOMPARTS

ISABEL WILKERSON, Freedom Award Honoree

Presented by Chris Winton, FedEx Corporation

SPECIAL TRIBUTE

JEFFERY ROBINSON

Presented by Eric Brown, Valero Memphis Refinery

CLOSING TRIBUTE

BEBE WINANS

Presented by Willie Gregory, Nike

Dear Friends of the National Civil Rights Museum,

Each year, the Freedom Awards provide a great opportunity for all of us to join together in support of the National Civil Rights Museum’s mission to educate and foster stronger, more inclusive communities.

Congratulations to this year’s Freedom Award recipients, and thank you for advancing the ideals of personal freedom, achievement and equality.

I also want to express my appreciation to our International Paper colleagues for their dedicated community service here in the Mid-South and around the globe. Thriving neighborhoods depend on the efforts of many and their contributions are helping strengthen the communities where we live and work.

Mark S. Sutton International Paper Chairman & CEO

TAYLOR BRANCH is an American author and public speaker best known for his landmark trilogy on the civil rights era, America in the King Years. The trilogy’s first book, Parting the Waters: America in the King Years, 1954-63, won the Pulitzer Prize and numerous other awards in 1989. Two successive volumes remain in demand decades later: Pillar of Fire: America in the King Years, 1963-65, and At Canaan’s Edge: America in the King Years, 1965-1968.

Branch’s 2009 memoir, The Clinton Tapes: Wrestling History with the President, chronicles an unprecedented eight-year project to gather a sitting president’s comprehensive oral history secretly on tape.

He began his career as a magazine journalist for The Washington Monthly in 1970, moving later to Harper’s and Esquire. His cover story for the October 2011 issue of The Atlantic, “The Shame of College Sports,” touched off continuing national debate about NCAA rules that severely abridge the rights of college athletes.

Branch returned to civil rights history in his latest book, The King Years: Historic Moments in the Civil Rights Movement (2013). This short book, dedicated to “students of freedom and teachers of history,” introduces the era with selected excerpts from the MLK trilogy.

In 2019, he won an Emmy Award as Executive Producer for the 2018 HBO documentary King in the Wilderness, a Kunhardt Films production about the final three years of Dr. King’s life.

As of 2022, Taylor Branch is nearing the completion of a new book on the conscious and unconscious centrality of race throughout American history.

Aside from writing, and teaching, Taylor Branch speaks before a wide variety of audiences. He has taught classes at Goucher College, the University of Baltimore, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He and his wife live in Baltimore, MD.

TAYLOR BRANCH

we are proud to salute our

Dear friends of the National Civil Rights Museum, FedEx is proud to support the National Civil Rights Museum and their mission championing civil and human rights globally by encouraging positive social change. The annual Freedom Awards is a celebration of this ongoing work, and FedEx is pleased to have the opportunity to present one of the 2022 Freedom Awards to Isabel Wilkerson. Throughout her life, Isabel has used her voice to illustrate how history can help us understand ourselves and our country. We commend her courage and passion for bringing stories to life through her literary endeavors. She is truly a voice for our time.

We also acknowledge the outstanding contributions of 2022 Freedom Award recipient Taylor Branch. As a noted author and journalist, Taylor has provided a narrative history chronicling the life and accomplishments of Martin Luther King, Jr., and the American civil rights movement. His work has provided a comprehensive view of America during a turbulent and transformative era.

And finally, we are deeply appreciative of the vision of FedEx Founder and Executive Chairman Frederick W. Smith, also being honored as a 2022 Freedom Award recipient this evening. He has served as a catalyst of change. His vision to help people acquire the skills and education needed to access opportunities has had an immensely positive effect on the communities in which we operate around the world. During our 50-year history, FedEx has embraced diversity, equity, and inclusion and its ability to inspire creativity, encourage innovation, and deliver change. We see it in action every day in the many different cultures across our workforce and customer base.

We’re glad to take part once again in the Freedom Awards celebration. On behalf of the more than 700,000 FedEx team members worldwide, congratulations to this year’s award honorees.

Sincerely,

Raj Subramaniam President and CEO FedEx Corporation

ISABEL WILKERSON, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Humanities Medal, has become a leading figure in narrative nonfiction, an interpreter of the human condition, and an impassioned voice for demonstrating how history can help us understand ourselves, our country, and our current era of upheaval.

Through her writing, Wilkerson brings the invisible and the marginalized into the light and into our hearts. Through her lectures, she explores with authority the need to reconcile America’s karmic inheritance and the origins of both our divisions and our shared commonality.

Her debut work, The Warmth of Other Suns, won the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Heartland Prize for Nonfiction, the Anisfield-Wolf Award for Nonfiction, the Lynton History Prize from Harvard and Columbia universities, and the Stephen Ambrose Oral History Prize and was shortlisted for both the Pen-Galbraith Literary Award and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize.

She is a native of Washington, D.C., and a daughter of the Great Migration, the mass movement that she would go on to write about. She won the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing in 1994, as Chicago Bureau Chief of The New York Times, making her the first African-American woman to win a Pulitzer Prize in journalism. She then devoted fifteen years and interviewed more than 1,200 people to tell the story of the six million people, among them her parents, who defected from the Jim Crow South.

As for her new book, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents , the venerable U.K. bookseller, Waterstone’s calls it an “expansive, lyrical and stirring account of the unspoken system of divisions that govern our world.”

ISABEL WILKERSON

FREDERICK W.

SMITH is the founder and executive chairman of FedEx Corporation, which under his leadership has become a global enterprise serving more than 220 countries and territories. Since the company’s inception nearly 50 years ago, Smith has been committed to helping people acquire skills, education, and resources to access opportunity. His dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion has defined the FedEx culture focused on creating opportunities for FedEx team members and communities in Memphis and around the world.

For Smith, giving back and community service have long been personal and business imperatives. Smith served four years in the Marines, including two tours of duty in Vietnam, and has served as co-chairman of both the U.S. World War II Memorial project and the campaign for the National Museum of the Marine Corps. Smith has served on numerous boards, including St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the Mayo Foundation.

As chair of the FedEx Corporate Contributions Committee, he has influenced millions in contributions to advancing inclusion, empowering economic opportunity, and encouraging learning and leadership for nonprofit organizations on the front lines of advancing social change. FedEx has long supported civil and human rights initiatives including sponsoring free admission days during the annual MLK Day and educational programming at the National Civil Rights Museum (NCRM) and other civil rights museums across the mid-South. Smith’s commitment to diversity has influenced programs such as the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP), and the FedEx-HBCU Student Ambassador program for students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), which combines philanthropic investments with career preparedness and job opportunities.

Smith’s leadership at FedEx has led to equitable opportunities for team member advancements, and a measurable boost to local and global economic vitality. As a corporate neighbor and visionary entrepreneur, his support for small businesses has led to training, mentoring, networking, and capital access to help diverse entrepreneurs grow and prosper.

Smith is a member of the Aviation Hall of Fame and the Business Hall of Fame. He was cited in Forbes “100 Greatest Living Business Minds” and has been named a top CEO by both Barron’s and Chief Executive magazines. Under Smith’s leadership, FedEx continues to be cited as one of FORTUNE’s “World’s Most Admired Companies” and Black Enterprise’s “Best Companies for Diversity.”

FREDERICK W. SMITH

we are proud to salute our

October 20, 2022

Dear Freedom Award attendees:

I've proudly served as the Vice President and General Manager of the Valero Memphis Refinery since 2020.

We operate the only oil refinery in Tennessee and produce the petroleum products the Mid-south needs.

As Team Valero, we strive every day to foster a safe, supportive environment in which individual differences, cultures and backgrounds are valued.

Community service and charitable contributions in the City of Memphis are part of our core values.

Priorities can change.  I challenge my organization to maintain a culture of safety, environmental excellence and community involvement.

On behalf of our 300 employees I salute the work of the National Civil Rights Museum and congratulate this year's Freedom Award recipients.

Warm Regards, Eric

Brown

Eric Brown

Vice President and General Manager Valero Memphis Refinery

Special Tribute

JEFFERY ROBINSON is the executive director of The Who We Are Project. Until April 2021, Robinson was an ACLU deputy legal director and the director of the ACLU Trone Center for Justice and Equality, which houses the organization’s work on criminal justice, racial justice, and reform issues. Since graduating from Harvard Law School in 1981, Jeff has three decades of experience working on these issues.

For seven years, he represented indigent clients in state court at The Defender Association and then in federal court at the Federal Public Defender’s Office, both in Seattle. In 1988, Jeff began a 27-year private practice at the Seattle firm of Schroeter, Goldmark & Bender, where he represented a broad range of clients in local, state, and federal courts on charges ranging from shoplifting to securities fraud and firstdegree murder.

He has tried over 200 criminal cases to verdict and has tried more than a dozen civil cases representing plaintiffs suing corporate and government entities. Jeff was one of the original members of the John Adams Project and worked on the behalf of one of five men held at Guantanamo Bay charged with carrying out the 9/11 attacks.

In addition to being a nationally recognized trial attorney, Jeff is also a respected teacher of trial advocacy. He is a faculty member of the National Criminal Defense College in Macon, Georgia, and has lectured on trial skills all over the United States. He has also spoken nationally to diverse audiences on the role of race in the criminal justice system.

He is past president of the Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and a life member and past member of the board of directors of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Jeff is also an elected fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers

JEFFERY ROBINSON

Dear Friends,

Ford Motor Company is honored to join the National Civil Rights Museum in welcoming you to the 2022 Freedom Award celebration.

Ford is proud to be a longtime supporter of the National Civil Rights Museum and their efforts to chronicle the American Civil Rights Movement and tell the story of the ongoing struggle for human rights. We are particularly proud of our capital grant that funded the Ford Motor Company Theater – the first place worldwide visitors to the Museum stop to learn about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the impact he made on the world.

We are especially honored to support tonight’s Freedom Award ceremony and congratulate Taylor Branch, Frederick W. Smith and Isabel Wilkerson on their well-deserved recognition as 2022 Freedom Award honorees.

May we all be inspired by their outstanding accomplishments as we continue to work together to promote progress and create positive social change.

Mary Culler

Mary Culler President, Ford Motor Company Fund Ford Motor Company

STEVE COHEN

9TH DISTRICT, TENNESSEE

2104 RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING

WASHINGTON, DC 20515

TELEPHONE: (202) 225-3265

FAX: (202) 225-5663

167 NORTH MAIN STREET SUITE 369 MEMPHIS, TN 38103

TELEPHONE: (901) 544-4131

FAX: (901) 544-4329

WWW.COHEN.HOUSE.GOV

Congress of the United States House of Representatives

Washington, DC 20515-4209

COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY

SUBCOMMITTEES:

CHAIR – CONSTITUTION, CIVIL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES

COURTS, INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, AND THE INTERNET

CRIME, TERRORISM AND HOMELAND SECURITY

COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE

SUBCOMMITTEES: AVIATION

HIGHWAYS AND TRANSIT

RAILROADS, PIPELINES AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS

WATER RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT

NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE

SUBCOMMITTEES:

OVERSIGHT AND INVESTIGATIONS

WATER, OCEANS, AND WILDLIFE

COMMISSION ON SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE (U.S. HELSINKI COMMISSION)

September 27, 2022

Dear Friends,

On behalf of the citizens of Tennessee’s 9 th Congressional District, it is my distinct pleasure to welcome you to the 31st annual National Civil Rights Museum’s Freedom Awards as we honor the contributions and achievements of three individuals who have made significant contributions to civil and human rights

Taylor Branch, an author, public speaker, and Pulitzer Prize winner best known for his landmark trilogy on the civil rights era, America in the King Years; Frederick W. Smith, the founder and executive chairman of FedEx Corporation and a proponent of diversity, equity, and inclusion; and Isabel Wilkerson, author of The New York Times bestsellers The Warmth of Other Suns and Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents and winner of a Pulitzer Prize and National Humanities Medal for her work in journalism, join the prestigious ranks of Freedom Award honorees such as Coretta Scott King, Presiden t Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Rep. John Lewis, Julian Bond, and many other champions in the fields of civil and human rights.

I commend the National Civil Rights Museum for chronicling the American civil rights movement, telling the story of the ongoing struggle for human rights, and selecting this year’s trio of Freedom Award honorees for this prestigious honor Their stellar work to advance civil and human rights around the world makes them a fitting choice for the Museum’s signature event So, kudos to Taylor Branch, Isabel Wilkerson, and Frederick W. Smith for his business acumen, progressive policies at FedEx, and his continued support of the Museum.

Also, I would like to congratulate Jeffery Robinson, executive director of The Who We Are Project, who is receiving a special Freedom Award for his work on criminal justice, racial justice, and reform issues, and everyone at the National Civil Rights Museum who played a role in making this event a tremendous success, including Lamman Rucker, actor, educator, activist, and entrepreneur, for hosting.

As always, I remain,

Most Sincerely,

Steve Cohen Member of Congress

FREEDOM AWARD COMMITTEES | ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

freedom award production

Dr. Russell T. Wigginton, Executive Producer

Faith Morris, Managing Producer/Director

advisory committee

Rose Flenorl (FedEx)

Willie Gregory (Nike)

Lisa Jenkins (Valero)

development committee

Connie Lewis Lensing, Co-Chair

Cathy D. Ross, Co-Chair

Darrell Cobbins

planning committee

Bill Andrews

Jonathan Brown

Joy Brown

Arlinda Cathey

Vanessa Clark

Connie Dyson

Angela Faulkner

Henry Fields

Tiffany Ford

Debra Gladney

special thanks

Goodshow LLC

Grapevine Square

Bill Andrews, Goodshow LLC, Director Garry Goin, Musical Director

Rachel Knox (Hyde Family Foundation)

Rachel Ozols Purdom (International Paper)

Shawn Thompson (Ford Motor Company Fund)

Isaac Fordjour

James Golden, Ph.D.

Tiffany Legington Graham

Andrew Hartsock

Kasey Hunter

Korwin Jones

Ryan Jones

Tee Jones

Dory Lerner

Michelle Lopez

Mark Massongill

Faith Morris

Halloran Center for Performing Arts

LEO Events

Memphis Police Department

National Civil Rights Museum Volunteers

Nolan Production Group

Quentin Owens

Beverly Sakauye

Marilyn Sims

LaToya Streeter

Noelle Trent

Sherryl Tucker

Hadiyah Weaver

Jericka Webster

Brittany Williams

Orpheum Theatre

Premiere Flowers 902

Spotlight Productions

IN-KIND SPONSOR

FedEx Charitable Shipping

PRESENTING SPONSORS

INTERNATIONAL PAPER

FEDEX CORPORATION

BLUEOVAL CITY AND FORD MOTOR COMPANY FUND

HOST COMMITTEE

Tyrone and Nelda Burroughs

Mike and Cheryl Ducker

Preston and Ashley Frazier

Adam and Candace Heitzman

Herbert H. Hilliard and Dr. Shirley

Hilliard

Connie Lewis Lensing

Billy and Robin Orgel

Rob Pew and Susan Taylor

Cathy D. Ross

Richard and Allison Smith

PLATINUM

Boeing

First Horizon Foundation

Southland Casino Hotel

DIAMOND

AutoZone

Cummins

GOLD

Bank of America

Baptist Memorial Health Care Independent Bank

The Kresge Foundation

The Kroger Company

Memphis Tourism

Methodist Hospital

Sedgwick

Southeastern Asset Management

State Farm

Sylvamo

SILVER

Amazon Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP

Cigna

Highland Capital Management, LLC

Horseshoe Tunica

Regional One Health

Shelby County Government Mayor's Office

BRONZE

AARP

AT&T

BNSF Railway

Burch, Porter & Johnson, PLLC

Clay & Land Insurance, Inc.

CodeCrew

Commercial Bank and Trust Company

Deloitte

ER2

Ernst & Young LLP

Forvis

Lucia Gilliland

Haizlip Studio

Hilton

Orion Federal Credit Union

ProTech Services Group, Inc

Siemens Industry, Inc.

Anne and John Stokes

J. Strickland & Co.

Tennessee Valley Authority

Truist

Universal Commercial Real Estate, LLC

NONPROFIT

100 Black Men

Christian Brothers University

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Downtown Memphis Commission

Fedtrust Federal Credit Union

Melinda Gomez

Greater Memphis Chamber

Ann and Mason Hawkins

Dr. Mohan and Shaila Karkera

Millington-Memphis Airport

Mississippi Blvd Christian Church

New Direction Christian Church

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Shelby County Commission

Temple Israel

Tennessee Human Rights Commission

United Way of the Mid-South

Stephanie and Spence Wilson, Jr.

Garry Goin

AND THE

AWARD

PRESENTING SPONSORS

PLATINUM SPONSORS

DIAMOND SPONSORS

SILVER SPONSORS

BRONZE SPONSORS

NONPROFIT SPONSORS

Commercial Bank and Trust Company

Anne and John Stokes

Dr. Mohan and Shaila Karkera

Ann and Mason Hawkins

Melinda Gomez

Shelby County Commission

Lucia Gilliland

Ford is committed to building a better world where all people can pursue their dreams.

We are proud to support the National Civil Rights Museum and this year’s Freedom Award recipients.

The Hyde Family Foundation salutes the 2022 Freedom Award Honorees: Taylor Branch

Isabel Wilkerson

Frederick W. Smith

PROUD PARTNERS WITH THE NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM AND OTHER SOUTH MEMPHIS ORGANIZATIONS SINCE 2005. valero.com

Thank you to our Freedom Award Host Committee

Tyrone and Nelda Burroughs

Michael and Cheryl Ducker

Preston and Ashley Frazier

Adam and Candace Heitzman

Prime Examples of Exceptional Humanity

Amazon is proud to be a sponsor of the National Civil Rights Museum Freedom Award gala and a champion for human rights around the world.

Congratulations to this year’s honorees for your remarkable contributions and impact you’re making towards civil and human rights.

Herbert H. Hilliard and Dr. Shirley Hilliard

Connie Lewis Lensing

Billy and Robin Orgel

Robert Pew and Susan Taylor

Cathy D. Ross

Richard and Allison Smith

BROADENING OUR HORIZONS.

When we work together, we create better opportunities for everyone. Boeing is proud to partner with those who open doors for success, as we build a better world for all.

United communities are healthy communities.

Baptist is proud to support the National Civil Rights Museum and other community partners that share our commitment to building healthy populations.

Tonight, we salute the 31st Freedom Award honorees:

Frederick W. Smith

Taylor Branch

Bank of America celebrates the National Civil Rights Museum 2022 Freedom Award honorees. Thank you for your contributions to pushing the movement forward and creating positive change.

We’re proud to share in the commitment to driving progress around diversity, inclusion, racial equality and economic opportunity in the communities where we live and work. Visit us at bankofamerica.com/Memphis.

baptistonline.org

Isabel Wilkerson Get Better.

Baptist Operation Outreach is one of the LARGEST PROVIDERS of health care for the homeless in Shelby County.

©2022 Bank of America Corporation

Pulitzer Prize winner and National Humanities Medal recipient Isabel Wilkerson is a gifted storyteller who has become an impassioned voice for demonstrating how history can help us understand ourselves, our country, and our current era of upheaval. We salute Ms. Wilkerson, 2022 National Civil Rights Museum Freedom Award honoree.

Isabel Wilkerson

American Journalist and Author

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Where there’s a need, there’s a way.

The will to make a difference starts with a desire to see the need. At First Horizon Foundation, we’re proud to support the National Civil Rights Museum’s annual Freedom Award because they never stop looking for ways to serve in Memphis. It’s vision that lifts individuals and transforms our community – one need at a time.

CUMMINS IS PROUD TO SUPPORT THE NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM FREEDOM AWARD

Cummins’ value of integrity drives us to do what is right and act against injustice; and through the Cummins

Advocating for Racial Equity (CARE) initiative, the company is taking a leading role in undoing systemic discrimination against the Black community in the U.S.

Expanding opportunities in Memphis and in cities around the country.

The Kresge Foundation is proud to support the National Civil Rights Museum Freedom Award. kresge.org

A community of good

Together, we’re building a better, stronger community. State Farm® is proud to join our neighbors to support the National Civil Rights Museum.

State Farm, Bloomington, IL

thank you

The National Civil Rights Museum is especially grateful to all our members and donors for the support you give all year long.

Your generosity ensures that the museum continues its mission as a catalyst for positive social change through impactful programming and a safe space for critical conversations.

We’re in this together.

Thank you for being a part of the solution.

Sedgwick believes that differences matter. They help us connect with each other, understand the needs of our customers, support the communities we serve, and perform at our best. When you partner with Sedgwick, whether as a client or a colleague, you’ll experience how we support and celebrate each other – as well as those who depend on us in their time of need. At Sedgwick, caring counts.

Sedgwick is proud to celebrate the National Civil Rights Museum’s Freedom Awards