Michael Negussie ’21 is among the 28 individuals in the inaugural cohort of .
In an announcement, President Joe Biden said the cohort “will learn how to establish and protect freedom and justice and equity, not just at home but around the world.”
The fellowship, awarded to selected current Fulbrighters, was established to honor the legacy of civil rights leader and former member of the U.S. House of Representatives John Lewis.
Negussie, who double majored in politics and art at 6VӰ, is currently in Ethiopia as a Fulbright U.S. Student Program participant. His Fulbright project seeks to launch a public debate program for high school students in Addis Ababa, with the larger goal of forming Ethiopia’s first international debate team.
Through the debate program, Negussie hopes to develop students’ critical thinking, public speaking and leadership skills.
“My project was chosen [for the Fulbright-John Lewis Fellowship] because it will help encourage conflict resolution, civic engagement, and critical thinking, which is what John Lewis worked on for much of his life,” says Negussie.
Negussie immigrated to the United States from Ethiopia at age 2 when his family won a diversity visa. In high school, debate provided a source of “intellectual creative stimulation,” he says. His participation took him to the global stage, when he was selected to represent the United States at an international debate tournament, an experience that inspired him to return to Ethiopia years later to establish a debate program.
Negussie couldn’t be happier to return to his motherland to expose Ethiopian students to the formative experiences he had in high school.
“This is essentially me living out a childhood dream,” he says.
He believes that debate programs cultivate a culture of open dialogue and equip students to be informed and engaged citizens. Ultimately, he hopes that the debate program will serve as a foundation to raise up Ethiopia’s next generation of leaders and thinkers. In the shorter term, he hopes to send an Ethiopian team to the 2025 International World Schools Debate Tournament.
The Fulbright-John Lewis Fellowship will provide Negussie and other fellows opportunities to participate in virtual activities such as a dedicated lecture series, leadership training, development opportunities and an in-person capstone seminar.
“By bringing together this diverse community of researchers throughout their Fulbright experience,” says the fellowship’s website, “the Fulbright-John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship will help these participants share knowledge with their peers, conduct meaningful research, and promote the Fulbright Program’s goal of cross-cultural exchange and mutual understanding.”
Following the Fulbright, Negussie will pursue an M.A. in Global Thought at Columbia University.