Seattle, WA – Marguerite Casey Foundation (MCF) is thrilled to announce the newest cohort of Freedom Scholars, a prestigious award recognizing exceptional scholar-activists committed to advancing justice and equity. The Freedom Scholar awards, established by MCF in 2020, are designed to support and amplify the work of individuals dedicated to addressing critical social justice issues. Over the past five years of awards, MCF has awarded $9,500,000 to 38 Freedom Scholars. This year, the Foundation is proud to award $250,000 in unrestricted grants to each of the four selected scholars.
“On behalf of Marguerite Casey Foundation (MCF), I am thrilled to introduce the 2024 Freedom Scholars and look forward to their ongoing transformative work in the year ahead,” said Dr. Carmen Rojas, president and CEO of MCF. “This cohort includes poets, movement scholars, abolitionists, and individuals working at the intersection of law and transformative social policy. The collective work of this year’s Freedom Scholars reflects MCF’s commitment to supporting scholarship relevant to social movements and recognizes the important role scholars play in conjunction with organizers in contesting for state power to ensure that our government prioritizes the needs of marginalized people and communities.”
The Freedom Scholar awards are a cornerstone of MCF’s mission to shift the balance of power toward communities historically excluded from shaping societal structures. Freedom Scholars serve as vital bridges between academia and social justice movements, providing innovative and strategic leadership that drives transformative change in communities that have been historically marginalized.
About the Freedom Scholar Awards:
Since its inception, the Freedom Scholar program has made a profound impact, distributing a total of $9,500,000 to 38 scholars over the past five years. Each scholar receives a one-time, unrestricted award of $250,000, allowing them the flexibility to advance their research and movement-building efforts in meaningful ways. The awards underscore MCF’s commitment to fostering scholarship that benefits movements led by Black and Indigenous people, migrants and queer individuals, and other marginalized communities.
The Foundation is excited to highlight the fifth cohort of Freedom Scholars.
- Natalie Diaz, MFA – ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY
- Daniel Martinez HoSang, PhD – YALE UNIVERSITY
- Nadine Naber, PhD – UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS CHICAGO
- K. Sabeel Rahman, JD – CORNELL LAW SCHOOL
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Marguerite Casey Foundation is dedicated to shifting the balance of power toward communities historically excluded from shaping society. Through strategic investments and support, MCF works to amplify the voices of marginalized communities and foster systemic change. For more information, visit CaseyGrants.org
