Freedom Tour Family Reunion 2026

Calling all Freedom Tour alumni!

Hi! How are you? Remember that time, on The Freedom Tour? When you stayed in a hotel for the first time, sat on the bus next to someone you can still call or text to this day, or gained a critical perspective on your history & culture that you hadn’t learned before or since?

Being a Freedom Tour alum means being a direct beneficiary of our ancestor’s efforts, and an inheritor of a long, beautiful tradition of community-building. Even if you only went once, you’re a part of this "family of interdependence" forever!

We’re looking to connect with Freedom Tour alumni from throughout its 30-year history to help support our campaign to:

Restore and preserve our collective memory and build a Freedom Tour Archive.
Gain inspirational and actionable insights about how the Freedom Tour has impacted your personal growth or political consciousness.
Formalize a network of support around this beloved program.

How to help:

Please fill out the form below and/or send the link to someone you know!
Send pictures, stories, memories, etc. to freedomtour@shape.org with the subject line: Freedom Tour Alumni

About 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.

For additional information, contact:

Jada F. Smith

Freedom Tour Coordinator

S.H.A.P.E. Community Center

FreedomTour@shape.org

832-656-2654

Name

First NameLast Name

Email Address

example@example.com

Phone Number

Please enter a valid phone number.Format: (000) 000-0000.

Birthdate

Date

How can we find you on Instagram or Facebook?

Address

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip Code

Who got you involved with S.H.A.P.E. (name/organization/family)? When?

What was the extent of you, your family, or your organization's, involvement with S.H.A.P.E.? (SYEP, Fruit & Vegetable Co-op, Elder's Institute, etc.)

When did you go on the Freedom Tour? (list all years, if more than one. Please note if you're estimating an approximate date.)

Where all do you remember going on your Freedom Tour?

What is your Freedom Tour story, memory, or lesson?

What emotions from your Freedom Tour experience have stayed with you over the years, and what do those emotions mean to you today?

Has the Freedom Tour influenced any choices, relationships, or actions you’ve taken since then (such as education, career, community involvement, civic engagement, or parenting)? If so, how?

What do you believe is the lasting value of the Freedom Tour, and what would you want future participants to take away from the experience?

Would you be interested in sharing your experiences and/or participating in an interview with the research team of Dr. Elizabeth Hordge-Freeman (Rice University), who is studying Civil Rights memory in Black communities?

Do you have any pictures, artifacts, or ephemera that you are willing to donate to the Freedom Tour Archive? (Freedom Tour t-shirts & apparel; Freedom Tour workbooks, guidebooks & journals; fliers, brochures, promotional & informational materials; travel trinkets, souvenirs, mementos; etc.)

For DIGITAL materials:

Please send them to freedomtour@shape.org, with the headline "Freedom Tour Alumni." Please include as much identifying information as you can, including first and last names, dates, locations, and any other relevant or interesting information!

For PHYSICAL materials that you would like to DONATE, please bring them or mail them to:

Freedom Tour Program Coordinator

S.H.A.P.E. Community Center

3903 Almeda Rd.

Houston, TX, 77004

For PHYSICAL materials you would like to KEEP:

Please bring them to be photographed/documented at our Community Send-Off (7pm, Fri., July 24) or the Freedom Tour Family Reunion (5pm, Sat., Aug. 15)!

Would you like to be part of building and/or participating in a Freedom Tour Alumni network, perhaps through mentorship or generally supporting the Freedom Tour and culture education for youth?

Are you affiliated with a S.H.A.P.E. organizational partner?

Organization Name

Donation & Sponsorship Opportunities

Foot Soldier
Under $500
All Foot Soldier donations go toward The Freedom Tour Fund (operational costs). Foot Soldiers receive:

Freedom Tour 2026 Commeorative Postcard (1)
Recognition at the Freedom Tour Family Reunion

Freedom Conductor

$500
Freedom Conductors donations cover the full cost of a child to attend The Freedom Tour. Freedom Conductors receive:

Freedom Tour 2026 Commeorative Postcard (1)
Hand-written trip summary & thank-you letter
20% discount on the Official Freedom Tour 2026 Yearbook
Reconition at the Freedom Tour Family Reunion

Pullman Porters
$500-$9,999

Pullman Porter donations support The Freedom Tour Fund (operational costs). Pullman Porters receive:

Freedom Tour Commeorative Postcard (1)
Trip summary & hand-written thank-you letter
20% discount on the Freedom Tour Yearbook
Freedom Tour t-shirt (1)
Recognition at the Freedom Tour Family Reunion

North Stars

$10,000+

North Stars serve as marquee Freedom Tour sponsors and receive:

Freedom Tour Commeorative Postcard (2)
Trip summary & hand-written thank-you letter
Recognition on Freedom Tour t-shirt, signage & sponsor materials.
Signed copy of the Freedom Tour Yearbook by the class of 2026
Freedom Tour t-shirt (2)
Recognition & remarks at the Freedom Tour Family Reunion

Freedom Tour Season Calendar

June - July
June 12 - July 24 (Fridays)
S.H.A.P.E.'s Summer Freedom Institute
Students only.

June
Saturday, June 27
Sweet Tea & Lemonade Social
11 am-5 pm | Fundraiser and community social.

Friday, July 24
Send-off + Community Prep-Day
7 pm | Pre-trip community prep session + send-off. Help us pack and prepare for the trip.

Sunday, July 26 - Saturday, August 1
Freedom Tour 2026: Road to Alabama
TBD am | Student drop-off

TBD pm | Student pick-up times

August
Saturday, August 15
Freedom Tour Family Reunion
5 pm | Live trip recap, presentation, and community close-out party.

Are you available to help volunteer with fundraisers, community events, and preparation activities for The Freedom Tour?

Freedom Tour Alumni Call

Tell us About Your Freedom Tour Experience

Additional Ways to Support