By Tawanda W. Johnson
Special to the AFRO
Before Corryn Grace Freeman accepted the role of executive director at Future Coalition in 2023, her friend sent her the job description and told her, “this looks like you.”
The mission of the organization, which began in 2017 as March On/Future Coalition, is to provide resources to help young people effect change in their communities. The organization was instrumental in helping mobilize events such as March on for Voting Rights, Earth Day Live and March on the Polls.
“I decided to be an executive director of an organization like this because I genuinely believe that younger people deserve a seat at the table,” said Freeman. “A lot of the innovation that we need is in young people.”
Freeman, 34, who resides in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., beams with pride as she discusses some of Future Coalition’s programs. For example, its Future Incubator helps youth-led and grassroots groups with professional tools to operate organizations that focus on social movements.
“We have Abundant Beginnings in California, a school that is nurturing the next generation of young activists,” she said with a bright smile.
“There’s also the Youth Direction Action Fund, which provides grants to young organizers leading community justice work.”
“We service about 500 people a year and give out about $800,000 annually in grants through our Youth Direction Action Fund grant,” she explained.
The organization’s work has had a profound impact on Zero Hour, which works to elevate the voices of young people in the fight against climate change.
“It gave Zero Hour a home to plan and build the U.S. climate strikes in 2019, and the virtual mobilization for Earth Day in 2020,” said Zanagee Artis, a founding member and executive director of the organization.
Freeman’s passion for helping young people make a difference in their communities can be traced back to her upbringing in Columbia, Md.
Her parents – the Rev. Dr. Bowyer G. and Terri Lee Freeman – stressed to their family the importance of lending a helping hand to those in need.
They also taught by example.
Rev. Bowyer was a longtime pastor in the Baltimore region and served as the former NAACP president in the Howard County Chapter. Terri Lee Freeman has held various high-profile roles at museums, including her current position as president of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum.
“They made it very clear to us that we had a responsibility to not only stay where we are but to bring the collective with us,” she said, adding, “None of us are free until all of us are free.”
In addition to her parents, Freeman said her experience as a Howard University student played an integral role in her development as a social activist.
“I learned a lot about our history and was able to connect with different types of activists,” she recalled. “I believe in liberation, and I take a Black feminist approach to my organization, which is about inclusion, hearing other people’s voices, and not necessarily abiding by hierarchical structures.”
Follow Future Coalition on Instagram or email the organization at futurecoaliton.org.
