FAMILY AFFAIR
FROM JUNE 2021 ISSUE OF WEST END PHOENIX
During the pandemic, Nauoda Robinson, co-director of FreedomSchool, has adapted the organization’s transformative justice practices and procedures to meet the needs of parents and children participating in programming online.
Everything they do, every step they take, is for each other.
That’s the de facto motto at FreedomSchool Toronto, a grassroots community organization that aims to inform, equip and engage local Black children regarding Black pride, Black histories of resistance and community organizing. With more than a dozen staff members serving hundreds of families across the GTA, the organization provides an experience that confronts anti-Black racism but also deepens knowledge and has a lot of fun.
The programming – from Black Power Saturday School and a Black Liberation Comic Book Club during the school year to popular summer camps and year-round events in the community – ultimately supports Black kids’ creativity and intelligence, building self-awareness and confidence.
This summer, FreedomSchool is programming a Freedom Fighter puppet-making workshop and a movement-based STEM camp that explores Black liberation through voguing, dancehall and self-defence martial arts and teaches robotics, coding and music production. Another of its camps will focus on cooking and food sovereignty; kids will join Posh, FreedomSchool’s resident chef, to cook dishes that will be delivered to their families for the week. Much of the organization’s programming prioritizes registration for Black youth in custody, Black youth in care and Black LGBTQ2S+ youth.
FreedomSchool also seeks to build capacity for Black liberatory education in Ontario and systemic change in the school system through curriculum fairs, staff training and public advocacy. “We support Black parents in navigating suspensions and expulsions, the Children’s Aid Society and the criminal injustice system, and we support a framework for Black mental health,” says LeRoi Newbold, FreedomSchool’s co-founder.
In regular, pre-pandemic times, FreedomSchool operated in a number of spaces in the city. Staff have held workshops at Rose Avenue Public School in St. James Town, hosted lunches for the Trans Day of Remembrance/Trans Day of Resilience at the 519 community centre on Church Street, held curriculum fairs at university campuses, and organized activities in outdoor settings – for example, they hosted a Decolonial Moon Ceremony in a park adjacent to the Humber River.
Since the pandemic took hold, the school’s work has continued almost exclusively online. “We have had to re-envision our program to deliver it safely during the pandemic,” says Newbold. The school now delivers materials to children from Brampton to Scarborough – in addition to youth in custody and care – so they can participate in programs.
“Our co-director Nauoda Robinson has worked to develop online transformative justice procedures and practices,” Newbold adds. “We have shifted a lot of our energy toward supporting Black parents and children when it comes to mental health and food insecurity.”
West End Phoenix asked FreedomSchool staffers and students to tell us what being a member of its community means to them. This is what they shared with us.
Anisah, student
“FreedomSchool teaches young kids, people of colour, how to love themselves. This society is full of injustice. But when you’re there, you can learn – because sometimes, maybe your parents can’t tell you, but FreedomSchool can.
FreedomSchool has taught me that I can be a leader and that it’s okay to be different. And it’s really fun. I get to hang out with a bunch of people that understand. I have a place where I can just talk.”
Posh, FreedomSchool chef
“Even in a city as diverse as Toronto, Black lives fall through the cracks. We are constantly in search of support, protection, love, encouragement and community. Freedom School fills that gap for all the families we serve, not just the students, but parents as well. We have created a family dynamic that goes beyond the walls of our learning spaces. We aren’t only teachers and instructors at FreedomSchool; we are aunts, uncles, big brothers and sisters, and moms and dads when we need to be, who will go to the ends of the world for any one of our kids.
I have always wanted to be a parent, but I didn’t know if I had what it takes to be the parent I want to be. But being around my babies at FreedomSchool with their different personalities, opinions and temperaments and seeing the different parenting strategies in the community has taught me that all it takes is love, understanding and encouragement.
For me, attending FreedomSchool gives me a sense of purpose. It’s more than just giving back to my community. I’m passing on the knowledge of the most influential people in my life through my cooking in hopes of making a positive impact in their lives.”
Ella, student
“Being a part of the FreedomSchool was amazing! I felt really comfortable and loved to talk to kids around my age. We definitely had similar experiences, so that made it even better. It taught me that I am not alone – that I am loved and to love my Blackness.
I think it’s important for Black kids to have an outlet to talk to kids like them and about issues happening in the world. Especially because we didn’t always have that. It’s one more step for making a better world for everyone.
The pandemic was hard. Really hard. But I’m looking forward to the future. You never know what might happen! I’m definitely interested in who or what I will become and the relationships I will have. It’s what makes me get up in the morning.”
Naomi Bain, educator, program designer
“I’ve been with FreedomSchool since 2016. It has slowly become a staple in my life. My co-workers are my chosen family, the students are my nieces and nephews. Going to FreedomSchool is like going to a family reunion every day. It’s a place filled with so much love, healing, understanding and amazing food. There are days that are better than others. However I wake up with a smile ready to go most days.
FreedomSchool is an important place because it really provides a steady family commitment. The educators and students need spaces where they can be supported in their Blackness in a city that continues to be anti-Black. Our students end up being equipped with skills that they can use in their everyday lives. I have seen success story after success story from our students – kids who were struggling in school become top of their class. The staff don’t stop when school stops. We are there to help with homework, provide ongoing support to parents and actively build community.
It’s been hard to manage during the pandemic. Not being able to be physically present, not being able to feel everyone’s energy and give out multiple hugs a day sucks. However, we do our best virtually and we have found amazing ways to expand our community online.
FreedomSchool has taught me that there’s a place for me in this world where I will be seen, heard and valued. It has taught me that children can be the biggest educators if we just take time to listen. It has taught me that there is a family of folks out there that will love me and have patience with me when I do mess up. It has taught me accountability and it has given me hope.”