- Event to honor late inventor Elijah
McCoy; CODE2040 founder Laura Weidman Powers; and Lotus 1-2-3
developer Mitch Kapor and his wife, Freada Kapor Klein, social
activist
- Program features an evening of fashion,
music and technology, including a concert by GRAMMY Award Nominee
Ledisi, appearances by Lyndsey Scott, Big Sean and Van Jones
- Proceeds to benefit Charles H. Wright
Museum of African American History in celebration of its 50th
anniversary
Ford Motor Company is bringing its commitment to innovation to
the 17th Annual Ford Freedom Award, which next month celebrates the
achievements of past and present technology entrepreneurs.
Under the theme Celebrating Technopreneurs: Builders of the
Innovation Economy, Ford and the Charles H. Wright Museum of
African American History salute the achievements of three
entrepreneurs who used technology to affect change: Ford Freedom
Honoree Elijah McCoy, inventor; Ford Freedom Award Scholar, Laura
Weidman Powers, founder of CODE2040; and special Legacy Award
recipients Mitch Kapor, Lotus 1-2-3 developer, and his wife, Freada
Kapor Klein, entrepreneur and social activist.
The event takes place at 6 p.m., Tuesday, May 5, at the Max M.
Fisher Music Center in Detroit.
“At Ford, we recognize the power of innovation and technology
and the impact it has on making our lives better,” said Ziad
Ojakli, group vice president, government and community relations,
Ford Motor Company. “We are proud to honor these diverse
individuals for their pioneering work, and we further salute them
for sparking the imagination of our youth.”
The Ford Freedom Award honoree is a distinguished African
American who dedicated his or her life to improving the African
American community and the world at large. The award is presented
posthumously. The Ford Freedom Award scholar is an African American
who has excelled on a national or international level in their
field. The scholar serves as a living legacy, carrying forth high
ideals, and serving as inspiration for a new generation.
This year, the Ford Freedom Award honoree is Elijah McCoy. The
son of fugitive slaves, the Michigan-raised McCoy trained as a
mechanical engineer and went on to receive nearly 60 patents, many
of them involving lubrication for steam engines. One invention, an
automatic lubricator, distributed oil evenly over an engine's
moving parts, allowing locomotives and other machinery to run
continuously for long periods of time without pausing for
maintenance. McCoy died in Detroit in 1929.
The 2015 Ford Freedom Award scholar is Laura Weidman Powers,
founder of CODE2040, an organization that provides fellowship
opportunities in Silicon Valley for blacks and Latinos in
engineering. CODE2040 takes its name from the year when ethnic
minorities are expected to represent the majority of the U.S.
population. The organization is working to ensure multicultural
groups are trained to fill the growing number of STEM-related
jobs.
This year a special Legacy Award will be given to Mitch Kapor
and his wife, Freada Kapor Klein. The two will be honored for their
philanthropic efforts toward educational access, diversification in
technology to include more blacks and Latinos and Latinas, and also
creating technological social impact in various underrepresented
communities.
Other notables attending the event and presenting include
Detroit native Big Sean, multiplatinum-winning musician and founder
of the Sean Anderson Foundation; Van Jones, founder of #YesWeCode;
and Barrington Irving, founder, Flying Classroom. Lyndsey Scott,
technology expert, app developer, actress and Victoria Secret
model, will also serve as a presenter at the Ford Freedom Award VIP
reception and champagne red carpet host.
As part of the Ford Freedom Award educational outreach, Laura
Weidman Powers, will address nearly 1,700 elementary and middle
school students from around the state. The 2015 Ford Freedom Award
scholarship essay winners will be announced during the program,
which will also honor winners from last month’s Ford STEAM Lab
Hackathon.
“African Americans have contributed to the technological
advancement of the United States since its inception, so much so
that our most recent permanent exhibit, ‘Inspiring Minds: African
Americans in Science and Technology,’ is completely dedicated to
exploring this fascinating history,” said Juanita Moore, president
& CEO of The Wright Museum. “We’re proud to partner with Ford
Motor Company in presenting this year’s program in a way that
highlights technology and entrepreneurship – two areas very
relevant to our society’s present and future.”
Proceeds from the event will benefit the Charles H. Wright
Museum of African American History, also celebrating its 50 year
anniversary.
Tickets are $40 per person, or $35 for Wright Museum members. A
special, limited number of Platinum VIP reception tickets are
available for $185, which includes a celebrity red carpet
experience, photo opportunity with the honorees and presenters. The
evening’s award program will include a special concert performance
by recording artist and GRAMMY nominee Ledisi in partnership with
the GRAMMY Foundation®.
The Ford Freedom Award program is made possible by a grant from
Ford Motor Company Fund. For additional event and ticket
information, call the Max M. Fisher Music Center (Orchestra Hall)
box office at (313) 576-5111 or go to www.fordfreedomaward.com.
About Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services
Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services works with
community and global partners to advance driving safety, education
and community life. Ford Motor Company Fund has operated for more
than 65 years with ongoing funding from Ford Motor Company. Ford
Driving Skills for Life is free, interactive, hands-on safety
training focused on skill development and driving techniques, while
addressing inexperience, distractions and impaired driving.
Innovation in education is encouraged through Ford Blue Oval
Scholars, Ford Next Generation Learning and other inspiring
programs that enhance high school learning and provide college
scholarships and university grants. The Ford Volunteer Corps
enlists more than 30,000 Ford employees and retirees each year to
work on local projects that strengthen their communities and
improve people’s lives in more than 40 countries around the world.
For more information, visit http://community.ford.com.
About the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American
History
The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History
provides learning opportunities, exhibitions, programs and events
based on collections and research that explore the diverse history
and culture of African Americans and their African origins. Founded
in 1965 and located at 315 East Warren Avenue in Midtown Detroit’s
Cultural Center, The Wright Museum is the world’s largest
institution dedicated to the African American experience. For more
information, please visit www.TheWright.org.
For news releases, related materials and
high-resolution photos and video, visit www.media.ford.com.
Ntouch CommunicationsLisa
Wilmore313.980.4766lisawilmore5@aol.comorCharles H. Wright
MuseumNikia Washington313.494.5866nwashington@chwmuseum.org
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