The original Freedom Schools were built around the idea of understanding who we are and the struggles communities face under oppression:
Today, our communities still face many of the same struggles they did in the 1960s: segregation, inadequate education, poor housing options, an out-of-control criminal justice system, and systemic racism.
Like the Mississippi Freedom School, we're equipping youth with the skills they need to build a more just, transparent and connected democracy.
Youth enrolled in our smartphone filmmaking programs learn how to access, engage and think critically about media, They also learn how to work in video production teams with their peers to create videos that communicate powerfully, effectively, and in a collective voice about critical problems we're facing.
As members of the NYC Mayor's Office Youth Filmmakers Leadership Council, their goal for the 2023-2024 school year is to use the knowledge and skills they gain to build a Bedford-Stuyvesant Community Media Network capable of raising the visibility of local small businesses and countering the ill-effects of gentrification.
