Freedom Schools were temporary, alternative, and free school programs for African-Americans mainly in the South, as part of a nationwide initiative during the Civil Rights Movement to achieve social, political, and economic equality in the United States.

 

First developed by the SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) during the "Freedom Summer" of 1964 in Mississippi, Freedom Schools filled in the educational gaps that African-American (and poor white) children received due to poor schooling systems. Participating students would receive a progressive curriculum over six weeks, encompassing reading, writing, arithmetic, history, and civics. During the Civil Rights Era, nearly 40 Freedom Schools were started, with up to 2,500 student participants, including parents and grandparents.

 

Today, the Uplift Foundation and Children's Defense Fund seek to continue their work through their Freedom School initiatives, beginning with our six-week program.