Hancock Heritage Fellowship
Education is the key to changing the future. Immerse yourself in African American heritage and culture.
The Why
The summer of 2023 was transformational for me. Not only did it mark the end of my tenure as Mayor of Denver after three terms, a total of 12 years, but shortly after my last day in office, I embarked upon a 21-day solo drive across the deep south. As an African American history buff, this was the realization of a long-term dream. Initially, I took this journey as an opportunity to release, refocus, reconnect spiritually and culturally, and take the time to tour historic African American sites, including former slave plantations, history museums, and other sites less notable but still intriguing, such as Bryant’s Grocery and Meat Market in Greenville, MS. In this store, Emmitt Till allegedly whistled at the white woman.
This journey was much more impactful to me than I initially imagined. I rank it as one of the most profound travel experiences I have ever had, along with my trips to South Africa and Israel. While I planned it for personal reconnection, I walked away with a profound purpose: to honor the sacrifices, resilience, immeasurable courage, and valuable contributions to America and the extraordinary brilliance of our ancestors. In an era where it’s commonplace for some people to question, attempt to rewrite, or even eliminate the teaching of African American history, this purpose designed a new mission for me: to promote, educate, and protect African American history by boldly bringing it to young people. While these misguided debates occur in State legislatures and Gubernatorial offices, local boards of education, and University campuses around the nation, before, during, and after my journey, a level of anger fell on me. I could not get out of my head the narratives of the young and old victims of lynching I read about while touring the Museum of Peace and Justice in Montgomery or the sense of presence of former enslaved as I walked the slave plantations in New Orleans and Charleston. Ultimately, I concluded that people cannot erase history and the uncomfortable facts that sometimes come with it. Author and Philosopher George Santayana once noted, “Those who cannot remember [learn] from the past are condemned to repeat it.”
As the vehicle to help accomplish this mission, I founded the Hancock Foundation, Inc. Its mission is to promote increased cultural awareness and education in all segments of society.
-Micheal B. Hancock, Founder/CEO
The Action
The Hancock Family Foundation is proud to present the Hancock Heritage Fellowship. The program inducts 10 to 15 high school sophomores and juniors each year to participate in an 8-month immersive African American History Fellowship.
The deep immersive experience will include a study of African American (AA) history and field practicums at historic sites and museums around the United States.
The Plan
The first Cohort class will be selected in the spring of 2025. By mid-winter, schools and civic organizations will be solicited to nominate students to apply for the fellowship. We expect this selection process to be highly competitive. Each Fellow will be awarded up to a $3,700 stipend ($3,000 for the summer phase/$700 for the seminar phase) to participate in a highly controlled and disciplined program. Fellows will be selected following the application process in late April/early May. The program will commence in late June. The program is divided into four phases, including a seven-week program in the summer, convening four days a week for seven hours a day. The summer phases also include two excursions to the deep south. Because most high school students at this age work over the summer months, each Fellow will receive a $3,000 stipend throughout the summer. Phase IV comprises seven seminars and the Fellows as Educators initiative for younger students. Attendance in seminars is mandatory. As an incentive, Fellows will receive a $100 stipend per seminar attended. A formal graduation and induction ceremony will be held after the program in spring 2026.
The Foundation will track and periodically convene each cohort for quality check-ins and programming. Plans include developing scholarships and partnerships with higher education institutions for Fellows who plan to major in Black History.
Tentative 2025 Fellowship Program Framework
| Schedule | Activity | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Phase I Week 1: June 17-20 |
Denver Classroom | Denver |
| Week 2: June 28-July 2 | Whitney Plantation Visit | New Orleans |
| Phase II Week 3: July 8-13 |
Edmond Pettus Bridge/16th Street Baptist Church/MPJ | Selma, Birmingham & Montgomery |
| Week 4: July 13-15 | MLK Center/MLK Birthplace/Civil Rights Museum | Atlanta |
| Week 5: July 15-17 | McLeod Museum | Charleston |
| Week 6: July 22-25 | Denver Classroom | Denver |
| Phase III Week 7: July 29-August 1 |
Lincoln Hills Seminar-AA Colorado History | Boulder County |
| Week 8: August 5-8 | Denver Classroom | Denver |
| Phase IV Seminars |
Monthly Seminars and Programming | Denver |
Hancock Heritage Tour
After a successful pilot launch in 2024, the Hancock Foundation is proud to announce the annual Hancock Heritage Tour serving adults who are curious about African History and desire an immersive experience at selected sites throughout the United States and other parts of the world. We aim to provide an engaging, educational and thought-provoking experience, led my topical experts and veteran facilitators. Selected sites for each annual tour will be announced in February of each year and will take place in the Fall of the same year.
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