List includes access to healthcare, healthy food, childcare, transportation, youth activities
By Jada Wright-Greene
From the July-September 2025 issue of Critical Times. Print versions are available for free at WSLR+Fogartyville and other community gathering spaces in Sarasota and Manatee counties.\
This summer, community spaces in Bradenton and Sarasota will once again buzz with the energy of young minds discovering their roots, reclaiming their narratives, and building future leaders.
The Manasota ASALH Mobile Freedom School is returning for eight-week sessions, serving elementary and middle school students across four sites in the region.
Led by the Manasota branch of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), the Freedom School is not a typical summer program. It’s a living, breathing classroom on wheels—a mobile learning environment dedicated to teaching African and African American history in ways that are honest, engaging, and affirming. It’s about truthtelling, empowerment, and equipping young people with knowledge often missing from traditional curricula.
The sessions will build on the momentum and success of previous years. Certified teachers will guide students through a powerful, age-appropriate curriculum that explores the richness of Black history. It’s not just about history—it’s about identity, critical thinking, and cultivating future leaders who understand the world and their power to shape it.
Each week, students will gather in community centers and trusted neighborhood spaces, creating a consistent rhythm of learning and connection. Manasota ASALH Freedom School aims to provide not just academic enrichment, but also joyfulness, pride and purpose.
The vision behind the Mobile Freedom School is rooted in a response to a growing need. As educational policies in Florida increasingly restrict the teaching of Black history, initiatives like this become even more vital. We are not just filling gaps—we’re building bridges. We want our children to see themselves in the story of America, not just as footnotes, but as central characters.
This mission wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of community partners. The 2025 program is funded by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County and the Masala Giving Circle. Their support ensures that the program remains free and accessible to families across the region.
Parents and guardians interested in enrolling their children can register at the local community partner sites: Roy McBean Boys & Girls Club and Sarasota Housing Authority in Newtown, Boys & Girls Clubs of Manatee County and The 13th Avenue Dream Center in Bradenton.
We welcome all students in grades K–8, regardless of background, who are curious and eager to learn in an affirming, culturally rich environment.
As the Manasota ASALH Mobile Freedom School rolls into its next chapter, it brings with it a sense of empowerment and purpose. This summer, history will come alive—not just in textbooks, but in the hearts and minds of a new generation.
Jada Wright-Greene is the executive director of Manasota ASALH.