Civil Rights Summer (CRS) provides student leaders from around the country the opportunity to shape the future civil rights movement. The successful first year convinced the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund, and its partners, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the Civil Rights Project at Harvard, and the Citizens' Commission on Civil Rights, to continue running this in-demand fellowship in 2002. The program is supported by a grant from the Ford Foundation.
"Just as Dr. King observed more than 40 years ago, that the "so-called "silent generation" is not so silent," the same holds true today," said Wade Henderson, executive director of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights. "A new generation of civil rights leaders stands ready to carry the movement forward, and the Leadership Conference is honored to be a part of this critical effort."
CRS Fellows spent their first week engaged in intensive academic study and training with The Civil Rights Project at Harvard University. "These remarkable students receive intense academic preparation at Harvard on civil rights history and policy from a multi-racial perspective," said Christopher Edley, Jr., co-director of The Civil Rights Project at Harvard University.
"We expect this program to encourage new student leaders to continue the battle for civil rights and to meet new challenges to establish social and economic justice," said William L. Taylor, acting chair of the Citizens' Commission on Civil Rights.
Following the week of study at Harvard, the Fellows learn about working in coalition to advance public policy by working at national civil rights organizations in Washington, DC.
"These organizations have all recognized the important role they can play in mentoring future social justice leaders," said Karen McGill Lawson, executive director of LCCREF.
Fellows also participate in training exercises and activities aimed at developing the students' coalition building, organizational, and leadership skills and at promoting inter-group understanding and respect. The Fellows play an instrumental role in creating a national student activist network that leverages Internet technology to train, educate, mobilize and connect students dedicated to social justice.
"We are so excited to have this diverse group of young leaders on campus and believe that we may be training the next Martin Luther King, Jr. or Cesar Chavez," said Gary Orfield, co-director of The Civil Rights Project at Harvard University.
