During Invigorate: A B.Y.O. Brunch for Public Health in November 2021, PHIMC had the distinct honor of presenting Chicago Freedom School with the Mary F. Morten Award for Justice, for its vital role in catalyzing youth-led social change.

Shortly before the award presentation, Mary F. Morten — a well-respected consultant, filmmaker, and nationally recognized advocate for racial and gender equity — interviewed leaders from Chicago Freedom School and PHIMC on her podcast, “Gathering Ground”:

As much as we wish things were different, young people engaged in organizing and advocacy work often need the support of accomplices to make sure they make it past the gatekeepers to the “adult” world — which is where this time’s “Gathering Ground” guests come in. Tony Alvarado-Rivera and Keisha Farmer-Smith work with Chicago Freedom School, a Chicago institution that creates new generations of critical thinkers who use their unique experiences and power to create a just world.

The work of the Freedom School has spanned almost 15 years and has earned it the Mary F. Morten Award for Justice at Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago’s BYOBrunch for Public Health. A little later in the episode, we also hear from Karen A. Reitan, President and CEO of PHIMC, about why CFS was chosen for this honor.

Listen here:
“Gathering Ground” Episode 27: Chicago Freedom School
aired October 26, 2021