Higher Ground Society

06/17/2026

Freedom Schools make a difference—but don’t take our word for it! Read a few reviews from last year’s sessions.

Then register to join our June 27 Elba session in person or virtually using the links belowww!

Register ✅: https://tr.ee/wa2s87z5Jj

Donate 🙏🏿: https://tr.ee/cRG3e_QCpM

06/03/2026

Ummm…we know Summer just started but… CLASS IS BACK IN SESSION!

That’s right! HGS Freedom School is BACK and we can’t wait to begin our tour across the state of Alabama. First stop—Elba!

Dr. Theo Foster will be kicking us off at Elba Public Library with “Book Bannings, Civil Rights Literacies and Voting Rights Won/Lost,” an expansion of his latest Substack by the same name. During this session we’ll be exploring how literacy and storytelling can help build a more informed, engaged, and equitable society. With an eye on current events, together we’ll examine the role of Civil Rights Movement history and diverse perspectives in preserving democratic values, inspiring civic participation, and empowering the next generation of leaders.

Register today to join us in-person or virtually to dive into a very timely topic!

HGS Freedom School is once again made possible by the incredible Alabama Humanities Alliance!

Register (In-person): https://bit.ly/hgsfselba
Register (Virtual): https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSejVTbeX8nJpCv6rk_6Usec7dm9V9qB3RELhETSFcHyd42bGw/viewform?usp=send_form
Read Dr. Foster’s Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/civilrightsepitaph/p/book-banning-civil-rights-literacies?r=1g28x8&utm_medium=ios

03/04/2026

Last month, we launched our “Black History Summer” fundraising campaign because we subscribe to the belief that Black history deserves to be explored all year round. The “Black History Summer” campaign supports this notion by helping us facilitate our Freedom School series this summer. We’re expanding to new communities and will need all the help we can get. Use the following link to contribute and help us reach our $2,500 goal: https://givebutter.com/blackhistorysummer2026.

02/02/2026

Last summer Higher Ground Society launched a pilot series of Freedom Schools across the state of Alabama. Following the blue print of the Schools from the 1964 Freedom Summer, we gathered Alabamians in small communities, and led by university scholars, explored Civil Rights Movement history, contextualizing the Movement’s lessons within today’s world.

In 2026, we will expand on our 2025 Freedom Schools across successive. In the spirit of “Black History 365,” for the month of February we invite you to donate to programming costs that will help us celebrate Black History not only during Black History Month, but throughout the year, and particularly during the summer months. Your contribution will help us host an extra Freedom School session (totaling four), secure venues in new communities, support scholar preparation and presentation, livestream production for those attending from afar, and acquire supplies that make each session dynamic and engaging.

We look forward to celebrating Black History Summer with you! Thank you for your support!

01/30/2026

This is an amazing fellowship program with the opportunity to produce dynamic research. Check it out!

New year, new projects! Kick off 2026 with funding for your Alabama folklife research! Graciously supported by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Alabama State Council on the Arts! alabamafolklife.org/fellows

01/29/2026

‼️ The Culture Keeper Mutual Aid Fund is now accepting aid requests! Follow the link to learn more: https://www.highergroundsociety.org/culture-keeper-mutual-aid-fund.

Cultural workers like artists, scholars, humanities teachers, library and museum workers are now able to request aid from the Fund if they have met their contribution requirements. We’re so excited to finally be able to support the cultural industry in this way!

If you’re not a cultural worker, but love the work they do for communities across the country…your contributions to the Fund are more than welcome.

01/27/2026

Our next new board member is Justin Quinley!

Hailing from Fairhope, Justin is a geospatial scientist and lifelong Alabamian whose work helps communities better understand their landscapes, histories, and environments. For more than a decade, he has supported environmental restoration, water resource management, cultural preservation, and public mapping efforts across the Southeast. As a Senior Geospatial Scientist, he collaborates with engineers, scientists, and local partners to translate complex data into clear, community-centered insights, while mentoring early-career analysts.

Justin’s background in archaeology and cultural resource management shaped his belief that places tell stories and that data is most powerful when paired with lived experience. His work often blends mapping, storytelling, and public engagement, reflecting a deep commitment to the arts, creative expression, and civic dialogue. He holds a degree in Anthropology with a minor in Geography from The University of Alabama and is a certified GIS Professional (GISP). Justin’s values closely align with Higher Ground Society’s mission to foster connection, understanding, and creative expression across Alabama’s communities.

We’re so excited to bring Justin and his unique skillset on board! Join us in welcoming Justin! 👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿

01/26/2026

The HGS fam is growing! We’re excited to welcome two new board members to the ranks. First is Jelani Moore.

Jelani Jahi Moore holds a bachelor’s in media studies and a master’s in community planning from Auburn University. Raised in Huntsville, Alabama, he developed an early commitment to community service and public art. As an undergraduate, he conducted a three-month ethnographic journalism project in Elba, Alabama, producing a series on the town and organizing local public art initiatives, work that earned him the Newman Civic Fellow Award in 2015.

In graduate school, Moore led a team developing a repositioning plan for the Montgomery Housing Authority, and after graduating in 2022, he joined the Authority as a real estate coordinator. He remains active as an event organizer, public speaker, artist, and volunteer, and serves with Rising Gardens, LLC, supporting community-based food and education initiatives. In his free time, he enjoys running, tennis, outdoor activities, reading, writing, film, and spending time with family.

We are thrilled to have Jelani bring his energy and expertise to the organization! Help us in welcoming him! 👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿

11/20/2025

Today’s the day! And there’s still time to register for this session! Just use the following link to register and receive access: https://bit.ly/mindfulnessirlworkshop

See you there!

HGS is BACK with another FREE Culture Keeper virtual professional development opportunity!

On November 20, Join North Carolina arts and cultural organizer and wellness entrepreneur Shannon Stokes as she helps us discover how mindfulness meditation can be used as a tool of self-care and power in real life. In this session, Shannon will share her journey with meditation, the Mindfulness Collaboratory cohort, and how she moved from being burnout and overwhelmed to cultivating a consistent practice of living with intention and joy. Session attendees will participate in a guided meditation followed by a writing prompt that will explore areas of their life and work, and identify pathways of self-care to enhance their unique genius and authentic self.

Register using the following link: https://bit.ly/mindfulnessirlworkshop

…and we will see you THERE!