What is The Freedom Tour?
For the past 30 years, S.H.A.P.E. Community Center has taken youth and elders on The Freedom Tour, a 7-day summer pilgrimage across the Deep South to significant landmarks and historical sites from the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. The trip seeks to honor the spirit and efforts of the "foot soldiers"--often the young people of their communities--and symbolically re-traces their footsteps, fostering a sense of awareness & connection to Black history & culture.
Freedom Tour 2026: Road to Alabama
This year, we're taking an immersive journey through Alabama's Black Belt, Gulf Coast, and Industrial Heartlands to explore the region's rich historical depths, and understand its unique contributions to Black culture & Civil Rights history.
Summer Freedom Institute
Travelers will become familiar with the region prior to departure and work with their group-mates to conduct a community presentation at The Freedom Tour Family Reunion upon their return.
Who should apply?
Anyone ages 11-16 who wants to:
- Discover how valuable & powerful they are--both as individuals and as one of many descendents of Civil Rights warriors!
- Learn about Black music, fashion, relationships, neighborhoods, family life, politics, and culture from the perspectives of Black kids & teens in the 1950s and 1960s--and how racism influenced their everyday lives.
- Travel to new cities, experience new cultures, make new memories, and have a fun summer experience with their peers and elders.
- Commit to a sense of curiosity, community, joy, responsibility, service, and a love for all.
Chaperone Requirements
- Must submit to a background check.
For additional information, contact:
Jada F. Smith
Freedom Tour Coordinator
S.H.A.P.E. Community Center
FreedomTour@shape.org
832-656-2654