The Southern Early Childhood Association (SECA) honored Morgan Freeman, founder of the Tallahatchie River Foundation, with their 2017 Friend of Children Award on Friday, March 10, in Biloxi.
This award is given at the organization’s annual conference to an individual who is a nationally recognized children’s advocate. Recipients are selected by a vote of the SECA board.
Nominees meet the following criteria: they have made a contribution nationally in the field of advocacy and have made a contribution in fostering the professional growth and development of early childhood professionals.
Joining the ranks of former Senator and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, children’s television host Fred Rogers, former First Lady Laura Bush and singer Dolly Parton, Freeman accepted the award via video conference, saying, “I owe much of my success to the exposure to literacy that I received growing up here in Mississippi. I view it as my responsibility to pay that success forward ... to me, that means investing in early childhood.”
Freeman’s foundation, the Tallahatchie River Foundation, collaborates with local, state and national partners to prioritize children in rural Mississippi communities so that all children thrive by third grade.
The foundation collaborates with communities to implement proven solutions by investing in and coaching them to achieve high aspirations for their children.
In his hometown of Charleston, and nearby communities in Tallahatchie County, the Tallahatchie River Foundation funds and supports the work of the Tallahatchie Early Learning Alliance, which leads one of the original 11 Mississippi-funded pre-K programs.
On the work of his foundation team, Freeman said, “I cannot accept this recognition alone, because it is not I who do the work. My daughter, Morgana, and the foundation team who work tirelessly to translate my desires into action are the real heroes.”
Additionally, Freeman called attention to the work of other Mississippi and national organizations working on behalf of Mississippi children saying, “And none of our work is possible, of course, without our local partners. School districts, ICS Head Start and private child care providers collaborate to provide pre-K to Tallahatchie’s 3- and 4-year-olds, as well as Excel by 5, Children’s Defense Fund, Campaign for Grade Level Reading, Mississippi First, and Barksdale Reading Institute, just to name a few.”
Morgan Freeman is an actor, producer and narrator, winning an Academy Award in 2005 for Best Supporting Actor in the film “Million Dollar Baby.” He was born in Memphis. His daughter, Morgana Freeman, is the executive director of the foundation.
Since 1948, SECA has connected preschool, kindergarten, primary teachers and administrators, caregivers, program directors and individuals working with and for families to promote quality care and education for young children.
Over 20,000 individuals working in every aspect of child care and early childhood from Texas and Oklahoma to West Virginia belong to SECA.
IN THE PHOTO: Actor Morgan Freeman looks on as schoolchildren file past him during a recent visit to Charleston Elementary School. Freeman has been honored for his foundation’s work with pre-K students. (Photo by Melanie Thortis)
