The National Civil Rights Museum’s Freedom Award Student Forum is a celebration for and by young trailblazers. Presented by FedEx and Ford Philanthropy, this year’s hybrid event is open to school groups nationally as an opportunity for educators and students in 5th-12th grade to be inspired by the purpose-driven lives of Freedom Award honorees. The Student Forum is held October 1, 2026, at the Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church, 10:00 a.m. Central.
The Freedom Award Student Forum will feature its distinguished Freedom Award honorees. The Museum extends the invitation classrooms virtually to engage, via a moderated YouTube chat room, with up to 2,500 in-person students and educators.
This year’s Freedom Award Student Forum will be co-hosted by two Memphis-area high school seniors making their own marks as changemakers.
Jaylen Hunter, a senior at Briarcrest High School, is a native Memphian and a multi-talented actor, singer, songwriter, and dancer. He recently made his major Hollywood debut, starring as young Marlon Jackson in this year’s biopic Michael.
Christian Love, a senior at Lausanne Collegiate School, is a 2025 Keeper of the Dream Award recipient. He’s the founder of Opportunity Bridge 901, a youth-led platform connecting Mid-South students with leadership programs, workshops, summer institutes, and college-prep opportunities to help close equity gaps.