Our History
It all started with Civil Rights tours.
Freedom Lifted was launched in 2012 as a travel company focusing on social movement history tours. Between 2012 - 2022, we led more than 750 students, teachers, clergy, activists, and families on tours to sites related to the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. Deep South.
During that time we collected 463 participants surveys. Responses revealed that 98.3% of all participants gave our tours an overall rating of either “great” (4 out of 5) or “outstanding” (5 out of 5).
How did we do this critical work?
We intentionally framed our travel to the Deep South as immersive learning experiences in the strategic Southern campaigns of Black-led resistance to and the defeat of Jim Crow.
By combining reflective facilitation with expert talks on and off the bus, we helped participants gain a deeper context for the sites they visit and connect this history to the calls to action for racial justice today.
Past Guided Tour Clients
What’s next?
Freedom Lifted led its last tours in 2022. Mia shared more about this decision in her blog Saying Goodbye to Civil Rights Tours.
However, we still deeply believe in the value of this type of travel. To this end, we’ve made all of our resources and knowledge accessible digitally and through consultation. We are happy to help group leaders plan their own trips.
“[Mia] is an incredible curator and an intentional educator. I am thankful for her vision for sharing this important American history with students, so that they are empowered to be change makers.”
— HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER
Our work now focuses on education for groups and individuals who want to lead with a social justice lens.
What we learned from curating and leading these journeys deeply informs our approach to leadership and organizational development.
Learn more about our learning lab, our Justice at Work training, and our youth education offerings. We look forward to new types of partnerships in 2022 and beyond!
ABOUT MIA
Meet the founder & CEO
Hi, I’m Mia Henry!
I am an educator, facilitator, and strategist working to help leaders and groups live into their social justice values.
I born and raised in the U.S. Deep South. My people were entrepreneurs, Black church leaders, NAACP + SCLC members, mass meeting attendees, HBCU graduates, sharecroppers, and, five generations ago, enslaved people.
I grew up learning about the history of the Black Freedom Struggle in the U.S. at the dinner table from my parents and family in Alabama who shared their personal stories and from the books they told me to read.
I am a legacy and I live on purpose.