• More than 1,700 Michigan students attended the Ford Freedom Award Scholar’s Experience
• Essay contest winners were awarded more than $20,000 in scholarships and prizes
• 19^th annual Ford Freedom Award celebrates “Talents That Unite! How African Americans Bring Diverse Communities Together Across America”

DETROIT, May 25, 2017 – More than $20,000 in scholarships and prizes were awarded to Michigan students May 23 at the annual Ford Freedom Award Scholar’s Experience, which celebrates young people who find new and creative ways to promote diversity.

The event, held this week in conjunction with the 19^th annual Ford Freedom Award ceremony, brought together 1,700 students from schools across the state who submitted essays explaining how they could use their passions to help bring people together.

Ford Motor Company, in collaboration with the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and Detroit Newspapers in Education, hosted the contest for students in grades 4-8.

Mohammad Muntakim, an 8^th grader at Davison Elementary-Middle School in Detroit, received $5,000 for his first-place essay highlighting his passion for building respect and understanding through Academic Games, an interest he shares with Rod Beard, assistant executive director for the Michigan League of Academic Games.    

Other winners include:

• Avery Roberson, 5^th grade, Bates Academy - second place ($2,500)
• Madisyn Link, 8^th grade, Trinity Lutheran School - third place ($1,000)
• Jillian Lesson, 8^th grade, West Hills Middle School; Nafisa Chudhury, 6^th grade, Dickinson East Elementary School; and Jackson Huff, 8^th grade, Trinity Lutheran School each received honorable mention ($500 each).

As part of its Challenge Grant program, Ford Motor Company Fund, the philanthropic arm of Ford, awarded an additional $10,000 to be shared among the five essay contest winners. Students will receive a year of mentoring as well as funding to bring their ideas for uniting communities to life.

“The Ford Freedom Award Scholars Experience gives students the opportunity to learn from and engage with those making history and impacting change,” said Shawn Wilson, multicultural manager, Ford Motor Company Fund. “We recognize the immense talents of our Michigan students and want to encourage them as they move forward in their educational pursuits. The Ford Freedom Award embodies what we hope students will become and contribute to society.”

Ford Freedom Award honorees are distinguished individuals who dedicated their lives to improving the African American community and the world at large. The Ford Freedom Award scholar serves as a living legacy, carrying forth the ideals of the honoree and advancing those achievements for a new generation.

This year’s theme – “Talents That Unite! How African Americans Bring Diverse Communities Together Across America” – celebrates the accomplishments of legendary talents of the past and present, and heralds the influence of their work on the future.

This year’s Ford Freedom Award recipient is the late August Wilson, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and author who is best known for his play “Fences,” the 1987 Tony Award winner for best play.

The 2017 Ford Freedom Award scholar is Floyd Norman, a distinguished animator and the first African American to be hired at Disney. Norman’s career spans nearly six decades including work on family favorites such as “The Jungle Book”, “Mulan” and “Alvin and the Chipmunks.” In 2007, Norman received the prestigious Disney Legend award. He also co-founded Vignette Films to produce movies about black history for high schools.

Ford Motor Company’s support of the African American community dates back to the early 20^th century, when it was the largest employer of African Americans in the auto industry. Ford and Ford Motor Company Fund, the company’s philanthropic arm, continue to build on that legacy with signature initiatives that include Ford Freedom Unsung, Ford Blue Oval Scholars and the Ford Historically Black Colleges and Universities Community Challenge.