ATLANTA, GA — December 16, 2025 — The Kenneth Lockett Foundation (KLF) announced today a new partnership with the Southern Center for Human Rights (SCHR), which will serve as the inaugural host site for the K.H. Lockett Truth and Justice Fellowship — a full-time, paid summer program for undergraduate juniors and seniors pursuing careers in law, journalism, or public service.
SCHR will host the first Fellow in Summer 2026, providing hands-on, real-world experience in high-impact justice and advocacy work. The Fellowship, created and administered by KLF, is designed to prepare emerging civic leaders for meaningful careers in the public interest field.
“Our mission is to prepare Georgia’s next generation of civic leaders,” said Daniel Varitek, President of The Kenneth Lockett Foundation. “Partnering with the Southern Center for Human Rights ensures that our inaugural Fellow learns from one of the most respected justice institutions in the Deep South. It’s the ideal environment for ambitious students committed to justice, servant leadership, and strengthening Georgia’s democratic systems — and it reflects exactly the kind of galvanizing opportunity that Kenneth himself was drawn to.”
“SCHR has a nearly 50-year history of training the next generation of people working zealously for systemic change in the criminal legal system. We are honored to partner with The Kenneth Lockett Foundation as the first host site of the Truth and Justice Fellowship and are inspired by their commitment to building the leadership of students dedicated to public interest advocacy,” said Terrica Ganzy, Executive Director of the Southern Center for Human Rights.
A core pillar of KLF’s mission is expanding access to civic leadership for students who might otherwise be excluded from pursuing early public-interest opportunities due to financial constraints. The Fellowship is intentionally structured as a full-time, paid placement for the summer, which ensures the Fellow can engage fully in SCHR’s justice and advocacy work. Removing financial barriers allows students to pursue public service based on purpose and talent, not privilege, and reflects KLF’s commitment to building a more equitable civic pipeline in Georgia.
This inaugural placement at SCHR sets the foundation for a Fellowship model that pairs real-world experience with principled leadership development across Georgia. SCHR’s decades-long record of advocacy and its role in shaping the Deep South’s justice landscape make it a powerful environment for the program’s first year.
Applications for the 2026 Fellowship open January 5, 2026, with the selected Fellow announced in May 2026. More details, including eligibility and program structure, can be found at lockett.foundation/fellowship.
About The Kenneth Lockett Foundation
The Kenneth Lockett Foundation, launched in September 2025, prepares the next generation of Georgia’s civic leaders by expanding access to impactful, early-career experiences in law, journalism, and public service. Through programs like the K.H. Lockett Truth and Justice Fellowship — the Foundation’s flagship undergraduate fellowship — KLF connects talented students with career-defining roles inside Georgia’s leading civic institutions. Guided by the legacy of Kenneth Henry Lockett III, the Foundation supports young leaders who demonstrate integrity, public purpose, and a commitment to strengthening democratic systems in the Deep South. As an incipient but fast-growing civic organization, KLF is building accessible pathways that enable students to lead with impact, responsibility, and service.
More: lockett.foundation
About the Southern Center for Human Rights
The Southern Center for Human Rights is working for equality, dignity, and justice for people impacted by the criminal legal system in the Deep South. SCHR fights for a world free from mass incarceration, the death penalty, the criminalization of poverty, and racial injustice. For fifty years, SCHR has led the fight for transformational changes to the criminal legal system, securing many legal victories on behalf of our clients. SCHR has argued and won five death penalty cases at the U.S. Supreme Court; helped advocate for the creation of Georgia’s statewide public defender system; and forced county, state, and federal governments to make significant improvements in prisons and jail conditions across the South. SCHR continues to lead multifaceted advocacy campaigns to support communities of color, people experiencing poverty, and other system-impacted community members in the Deep South.
More: schr.org