This summer I had the incredible pleasure of teaching at a Freedom School located at the Dayton Boys Prep Academy. Freedom Schools were started in the 1960’s as a way for African Americans to be taught reading and writing skills by the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).
Their mission was to liberate people from oppression using the tool of popular education. Freedom School was then reformed by Marian Wright Edelman to help urban and inner city youth. They now span across the United States, with over 130 program sites located in 24 states.
The founders and volunteers of the program teach nearly 12,000 young minorities that they can achieve anything through education.
The idea of Freedom Schools is noble, that education is the key. For six weeks they hold classes and provide lunch to students.
The school’s mission is to improve the academic skills of all who attend. They do this by working with the children that attend and teaching them various lessons on reading and writing.
They also use positive actions and thoughts to empower the children.
Everything is designed to put the participants in a great mood mentally and spiritually. Freedom School starts everyday with Harambe, a Swahili word that means “all pull together.” It promotes a sense of community through working together, pulling together, helping each other, caring and sharing.
Each day consisted of singing a Hallelujah song, doing some reading out loud, a motivational song and several cheers and chants to hype the kids up about reading. They also enact a moment of silence, and recognitions of a job well done, and finally announcements.
I enjoyed the challenge of working with the reading level group two’s (third through fifth graders). Unfortunately I feel like what I did wasn’t truly enough.
Yes, they were reading and writing better at the end of the program but six weeks is not enough to help our youth in excelling in academics. We all need to do more. Many of the young men I encountered had unbelievable trouble with reading and writing.
One young man who was in a higher level reading group and entering high school couldn’t write a five sentence paragraph for an assignment. This is not the fault of the young man but of our education system and society.
Even in this time of 2018 we still encourage are minority youth to be entertainment stars or athletes! What about the need for scholars?
If we don’t encourage those who are underprivileged just as much as those who are privileged we fail at bettering ourselves and progressing forward in society.
The young men I worked with this summer had incredible potential, but I feel that it will not come to full bloom unless it continues to be nurtured and encouraged at home.
I’m begging you, the reader and a person who is apart of our present society to remind all young children that education is the way. Freedom Schools can only do so much, it’s up to us to help make reading and writing a priority for the younger generation.
I encourage you to donate and volunteer your time to the Freedom Schools program and others like it, if you are willing and able.
We need to make it so that through education those who don’t have the financial or parental opportunities and support in the world don’t just survive, but thrive in this harsh, confusing, unfair setting we call life.
Justin A. Baker
Staff Writer