Beginning in Louisiana, Nelson will engage college students, faculty, community, and political leaders in post-election conversations about America’s future as the nation looks beyond its 250th anniversary.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: Sophia A. Nelson
Phone: 240-489-1970
Email: staff@RedefiningFreedomCenterVirginia.org
LEESBURG, Va., November 4, 2026 — The Redefining Freedom Center of Virginia, through its Speakers Bureau, today announced the launch of a national college civic engagement, civility and leadership tour featuring its founder and CEO, Sophia A. Nelson, Esq. The initiative begins in New Orleans November 9–13 with engagements at four universities and Ellevate Louisiana, bringing the post-election conversation directly to students and emerging leaders.
Nelson, a Forbes columnist, award-winning journalist, bestselling author, and national television constitutional commentator, will engage participants in examining the responsibilities of citizenship, opportunities for public service, and the barriers facing young Americans seeking their place in the American Dream.
“The voters have spoken. Now we need to hear from the next generation,” Nelson said. “What do young Americans want their country to become? What barriers stand between them and the American Dream? What do they need from those elected to serve them—and how do they want to lead themselves? They deserve a place in this conversation and a meaningful role in shaping the answers.”
The inaugural week includes Loyola University New Orleans, Tulane University, Xavier University of Louisiana, and Dillard University, alongside Nelson’s keynote address and breakout sessions at Ellevate Louisiana’s conference for women leaders. Programs will connect civic participation with leadership, constitutional understanding, and the everyday concerns shaping students’ futures. Women’s gains in the midterm elections will also inform conversations about women’s voices, opportunity, and public leadership.
The Louisiana launch reflects both Nelson’s longstanding relationships in the state and its connection to her home in Virginia. President Thomas Jefferson’s administration secured the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, doubling the territory of the United States. That history provides a starting point for examining the nation’s growth, its constitutional debates, and the continuing work of extending freedom and opportunity.
Nelson’s previous Louisiana engagements include Grambling State University, Louisiana Delta Community College, LSU Health Shreveport, and a commencement address at Southern University in Baton Rouge. She considers Louisiana a home away from home and credits the enduring support of her Alpha Kappa Alpha sisters across the South-Central Region as an important part of that connection.
Following the Louisiana launch, the Center plans to bring the initiative home to Virginia in 2027. Additional engagements are being explored in Georgia, Texas, Pennsylvania, California, and Michigan, with Ohio and North Carolina also under consideration. Expansion will proceed as university and community partnerships develop, supporting the Center’s broader national and global civic formation mission.
Virginia will be a priority for the Center’s proposed pilot work in civic education, civic engagement, and technology that supports public participation. Through public-private partnerships under consideration in the Commonwealth, the Center aims to develop and test practical approaches that connect students and communities with opportunities to learn, serve, and lead.
The initiative will emphasize the connection between civic life and everyday concerns—including affordable housing, healthcare, education, and economic opportunity—while encouraging young Americans to see public service as a noble calling and themselves as essential participants in the nation’s future.
About the Redefining Freedom Center of Virginia
The Redefining Freedom Center of Virginia is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded by Sophia A. Nelson, Esq., to bridge divides, strengthen civic formation, and advance freedom, human dignity, and responsible leadership. Through education, dialogue, and community partnerships, the Center connects constitutional principles with everyday civic life.
Website: redefiningfreedomcenterofvirginia.org
Media inquiries: Redefining Freedom Center of Virginia
Telephone: 240-489-1970
ABOUT THE TOUR — NEW ORLEANS LAUNCH
America at 250: Building the Next Generation of Civic Leaders
The New Orleans launch brings together college students, faculty, university officials, and community and women leaders for conversations about America’s future following the 2026 midterm elections.
Drawing on Nelson’s book, Redefining Freedom, and its Four Freedoms—Personal, Shared, Lived, and Protected—the engagements will explore how Americans exercise freedom, uphold shared responsibilities, and prepare another generation to lead.
Participating institutions and engagements
Loyola University New Orleans: Meet-and-greet conversations with university officials, student government leaders, and law school faculty leaders.
Tulane University: A women’s leadership conversation drawing on The Woman Code and the Newcomb Institute’s 2026 Werlein Carter Lecture, Redefining Freedom at 250, moderated by Tulane Professor Scott Nolan.
Xavier University of Louisiana: At the nation’s only Catholic historically Black college or university, Nelson will engage Exponential Honors students, women and Greek student leaders, and the broader campus community. The campus-wide conversation will be moderated by renowned pollster and Xavier professor Dr. Silas Lee, with discussion encompassing faith, free speech, freedom of religious expression, and civic responsibility.
Ellevate Louisiana: A keynote address and breakout sessions with women leaders from across Louisiana, focused on voice, connection, leadership, and responsibility to the next generation.
Dillard University: At the historically Black university led by Dr. Monique Guillory, a Black woman serving as president, Nelson will participate in faculty engagement, a Black Woman Redefined conversation with young women, and the Justice Revius O. Ortique Jr. Lecture on Law and Society, presented as a university convocation.
Nelson has donated 100 copies of Black Woman Redefined to Dillard University for its women students.
Looking ahead
Virginia is the priority for the initiative’s 2027 development. Outreach also includes Georgia, Texas, Pennsylvania, California, and Michigan, with Ohio and North Carolina under consideration. Philadelphia universities and the National Constitution Center are among Nelson’s Pennsylvania outreach priorities.
Books and additional information
Publisher-arranged reduced pricing will be available for selected Nelson titles. Approved ordering links and purchase codes will accompany the final tour materials.
Visit redefiningfreedomcenterofvirginia.org for updates.
