The NAACP New York State Conference has announced that it will run a modern version of a Freedom School in the city, with the first classes set to launch on April 18 at Brooklyn’s Medgar Evers College.
Open to students from elementary school through college, Freedom Schools’ Saturday classes are entirely free for all participants. High school students will receive $20 gift cards, as will the first 20 registering parents. The deadline to register for the April 18 session is April 16, 2026.
Created to be safe and culturally affirming, the classes will focus on African and African American history and civic leadership. The intent is for the classes to help young people critically examine their racial identity and social issues in the community.
The New York Freedom Schools are modeled after ones created during the Civil Rights Movement’s 1964 Mississippi Freedom Summer, when the Council of Federated Organizations established Freedom Schools that taught Black history, constitutional rights, and literacy in the segregated South.
The NAACP NY’s revived Freedom Schools are meant to again focus on building Black civic infrastructure. The program is being launched in partnership with Inspiring Minds NYC, Breaking the Cycle Consulting Service, and the Center for Law and Social Justice at Medgar Evers College. L. Joy Williams, president of the NAACP New York State Conference and former Brooklyn NAACP leader, noted that this new Freedom School is the realization of a broader vision she has for the organization.
“I’ve always known that I wanted to do a Freedom School, even when I was president of [the] Brooklyn NAACP,” Williams said. “Getting the resources and everything in order to execute it, and so now being elevated to state leadership, it is part of my overall plan … this 10-year plan that I put together for the NAACP here in New York.”
A core principle for the new school will be teaching Black history. Williams emphasized the importance of the community reclaiming its role as educator. “One of the phrases that is often said that grinds my gears is the ‘they don’t teach us our history’ complaint, which makes absolutely no sense, because that’s nobody’s responsibility but ours,” Williams claimed.
The program will focus on New York’s current political landscape and the future of Black political power. “Most of the conversation about Black political power here in the state of New York is talking about our waning power … whereas we’re focused on how do we build the next generation of primary voters,” Williams said. “That starts with political and civic engagement and knowledge of history, even at a younger age.”
The New York Freedom School will be a five-and-a-half-hour program focused on both academic and physical well-being. During orientation, students will be grouped by their interests, age, and literacy levels; “opportunity youth” — those currently disconnected from school or work — are also encouraged to take part. The program will include academic lessons, tutoring, and enrichment classes in hip-hop, dance, and physical fitness. Civic engagement classes will look at the history of African American participation in New York state government, especially as the state prepares to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in New York on July 4, 2027.
“The Freedom School is really an opportunity for us to gather our younger generations in a space where they feel safe and affirmed,” Williams said — “that we address the issues of literacy and cultural competency and are able to empower young people to have a positive sense of themselves, their history, and then also give them the skills, tools, and resources to advocate for themselves right now — while also building the next generation of advocates for the future.”
The NAACP Freedom Schools’ current session runs from April through July, and there are plans to expand the program. The NAACP hopes to bring Freedom Schools to every corner of the state, with the help of its network of more than 50 branches and 13,000 members.For more information, see tinyurl.com/NAACPFreedomSchool.