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Recognizing the 10 year anniversary of the Summer Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools in the City of Saint Paul Public Schools.
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WHEREAS Freedom Schools were birthed in the 1960’s in Mississippi as a direct response to the Civil rights movement, civil unrest and mis-education of sharecropping with intentions to energize disenfranchised African Americans to become active political participants at the nexus of the struggles for liberation and full citizenship; and
WHEREAS Freedom schools at it’s genesis engaged elementary and high school students to become social change agents that would participate in the ongoing Civil Rights Movement;and
WHEREAS Freedom schools recognized the integral role and contribution of Black Activists and educators who have historically provided a counter narrative to inequalities and injustice through education grounded in needs, aspirations, and wisdom of local community organizing and has been instrumental in disrupting the school to prison pipeline; and
WHEREAS today we celebrate the ongoing partnership of Saint Paul Public Schools as an independent sponsor of CDF Freedom Schools which is a free, research- based educational and cultural six-week summer program for scholars currently in grades K-8; and
WHEREAS the program integrates reading, conflict resolution and social action in activity based curriculum to promote social, cultural, and historical awareness with enriching group activities, field trips, culturally affirming materials, well-trained and caring staff, and parent involvement with an emphasis on literacy, math, leadership development and college and career readiness; and
WHEREAS CDF freedom Schools culturally responsive approach has strengthened the connection between academic achievement, self-confidence, pride in cultural heritages and identities, and success motivation over time and has been instrumental in closing the achievement gap specifically for African American students; and
WHEREAS we acknowledge the many trailblazers, pioneers, educators and activists who have been taught, trained and encouraged through CDF Freedom Schools to believe in and have hope for a liberated future for our children; and
WHEREAS when there started to be a shortage of teachers, particularly of BIPOC heritages, CDF Freedom School’s former scholars and Servant Leader Interns (teachers of the research-based and culturally responsive Integrated Reading Curriculum) have become Licensed Teachers, Counselors, Administrators, and some are on the Superintendent Licensure Track; and
WHEREAS today, we uplift a trailblazer, Dr. Darcel Hill, Executive Director of Saint Paul Public Schools CDF Freedom Schools, Freedom School Express (FSX) After-School, Virtual Freedom School Connect, FS Empowerment for Success (African American Males Centered) and FSX Teacher Pathways/Junior Servant Leader Interns celebrating her 26th summer in The Movement; and
WHEREAS she began in Freedom Schools as a parent, helping her son find his voice in reading and attending parent empowerment workshops. Shortly after, she was invited to attend the National training and serve as a servant leader intern and first Assistant Site Coordinator. After one week, she was promoted to program Director of project SPIRIT after school and CDF FS of Saint Paul and eventually the Executive Director in 2013; and
WHEREAS she wrote and was awarded a 21st Century Community Learning Center grant for 989 thousand dollars in 2004 and was able to expand from serving 50 scholars in church basements to 300 with the Saint Paul Area Council of Churches to being co-sponsored by SPSS; and
WHEREAS the program experienced exponential growth that exceeded the SPACC capacity which threatened the continuation of the program and through organizing of parents, educators, trainers, teachers, NAACP, The Carter family, principals and the superintendents, SPSS became the independent sponsors providing the support for the program to continue and flourish into what we see today; and therefore
BE IT RESOLVED that since it’s partnership with SPSS in 2014, CDF Freedom Schools has served and impacted over 12,000 students and parents as direct attendees of their programs, countless community members, educators, trainers and supporters; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED the Saint Paul City Council recognizes and celebrates the passion, perseverance and community driven efforts of the CDF Freedom Schools to not only envision a just world for our youth but to teach them skills and pathways to create it.