The Memphis 13 Foundation

The Memphis 13 Foundation believes that civic learning requires relational readiness, that communities must first develop the capacity to listen, sit with discomfort, and choose compassionate engagement before historical content can produce meaningful civic transformation.

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Rooted in the lived experience of the thirteen first-graders who nonviolently desegregated Memphis City Schools in 1961, the Foundation bridges public history, the arts, and large-scale public engagement. Its programming is interdisciplinary, integrating film, creative expression, and somatic engagement practices to support civic learning, historical reckoning, and trauma-informed community transformation. Through sustained partnerships with educational institutions and cultural organizations, this work has reached tens of thousands of students, educators, and community members, demonstrating measurable impact and responsible stewardship of public and private funding.