The Memorial Foundation Announces Onexia Thompson, of Grayson, Ga. as 2021 Social Justice Fellow

Gwinnett resident joins young leaders from across the nation selected for program to realize Dr. King’s Dream

Washington, D.C.— The Memorial Foundation (TMF), builders of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, announces Onexia Thompson of Grayson, Georgia as a member of its inaugural class of the Social Justice Fellows Program, a part of the Foundation’s commemoration of the Martin Luther King Memorial’s 10^thanniversary. Fifty young leaders from across the country will convene virtually for eight weeks over the summer with a curriculum centered around advocacy, community organizing and public policy in order to build a community of support with like-minded leaders explore high impact practices that move communities from consumers of a movement to activism and develop an understanding of leadership for long-term sustainable community change.

“With the goal of transforming protest to policy, the challenges of today require a new generation of bold leadership,” said Harry E. Johnson Sr., President and CEO of the Memorial Foundation. “We have found the very best young leaders who embody and will inspire others to follow Dr. King’s principals of democracy, justice, hope and love. We designed the Social Justice Fellows program to help the participants grow in their ability to pursue Dr. King’s vision of equality and we are thrilled about the potential of our first class of fellows.”

As a fellow, [Last Name], will participate in the fellowship’s four key components: a distinguished lecture series; a personal learning journey to focus on a key area of interest and practical application; a capstone project focused on building a movement for a current issue at the local, regional or national level; and concluding with, for those who complete the full program, a concluding program in Washington, D.C. for an in-person Congressional component of the Fellowship focusing on social justice and public policy. Acclaimed journalist Roland S. Martin will host the distinguished lecture series for the Fellows Program, which will feature dialogue with national leaders including Marc Lamont Hill, Angela Rye, and Dr. Jelani Cobb. At the conclusion of the program, the fellows will have new experiences and skills they can take back to communities to assist them in creating positive change.

Sponsors of the Social Justice Fellows program include: Centene, Amazon AWS, Wells Fargo, PVH, General Motors, Northrop Grumman, National Association of Realtors, Cross River Bank, Ford Motor Fund, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, T-Mobile, White & Case, Discovery, Raytheon, and Macy’s.  

About The Memorial Foundation, Inc: Located in Washington, D.C., The Memorial Foundation, Inc. exists to promote awareness of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and its tenets of Democracy, Justice, Hope, and Love. The 501C3 nonprofit organization also supports the general upkeep of the Memorial, which is the 5th most-visited memorial on the National Mall and sees more than 5 million visitors per year. Learn more atwww.thememorialfoundation.org. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

About Onexia Thompson

(Photo Courtesy of Onexia Thompson)

Onexia Thompson is a recent graduate from Georgia State University who is pursuing her career in intellectual property law. Onexia Thompson’s passion is to pursue a career that will help the black community, specifically business owners, secure their businesses and investments through intellectual property. During the course of her college career, she Participated in programs such as the Black Law Students Association, Black Leadership of Georgia, and interned with Think It’s A Game Records. All which helped her navigate her career focus to ensure the rights and ownership are protected of black entrepreneurs, and to educate them on how to do so. In 2019, Onexia began her journey as a podcaster who broadcasts about the advocacy of issues black women face in America. She uses this platform to further educate young black women, and provide them with a safe space to share stories. Onexia stands firm in her belief that in order to empower you must educate, and seeks to continue empowering one community at a time.