Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter School
Philadelphia Freedom School
MBONGI
Mbongi: Mbongi is a word in the Kikongo language which means "learning place". When people come together to resolve a community problem, the problem-solving meeting is referred to as an Mbongi.
In spite of physically not being able to convene at our Wednesday location, The Center for Black Educator Development and Philadelphia Freedom Schools would like to pull together our community of current Liberation Academy students, interested high school students, Junior Servant Leaders, Servant Leader Interns, alumni, supporters, and friends to engage in a #virtualmbongi with us.
Our Wednesday sessions this year have been focused on issues of educational equity, freedom, social justice, and the elements of reparation and repair. As the vast majority of Philadelphia public and charter school students have lost access to formal instruction, our questions about access to resources, funding, and our intellectual genealogy become even more relevant.
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What can we learn from how our ancestors and historical freedom fighters educated themselves and others in times of crisis
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How will the city of Philadelphia provide repair and educational equity after this shutdown?
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What would reparations look like in 2020, in the aftermath of these economic challenges?
The power of young people, actualized as Servant Leaders, organizing their communal efforts in order to address and resolve the issues facing their communities, has remained at the center of crucial shifts throughout the course of history.
As this historical moment faces us, now is our time.
Howard University professor Greg Carr, Ph.D., will lead "Mbongi, a learning space for the High School and College students to come together and discuss "The Education of Black People" by W.E.B. DuBois.
ATTEND AN MBONGI
08 JULY
The Hampton Idea with
Dr. Greg Carr
15 JULY
Galileo Galilei with Dr. Greg Carr
22 JULY
Diuturni Silenti with Dr. Greg Carr
29 JULY
The Future with
Dr. Greg Carr
2020 Summer Book
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Undoubtedly the most influential black intellectual of the twentieth century and one of America's finest historians, W.E.B. DuBois knew that the liberation of the African American people required liberal education and not vocational training. He saw education as a process of teaching certain timeless values: moderation, avoidance of luxury, a concern for courtesy, a capacity to endure, nurturing a love for beauty. At the same time, DuBois saw education as fundamentally subversive. He insistently calls for great energy and initiative; for African Americans controlling their own lives and for continued experimentation and innovation, while keeping education's fundamentally radical nature in view. Though containing speeches written nearly one-hundred years ago, and on a subject that has seen more stormy debate and demagoguery than almost any other in recent history, The Education of Black People approaches education with timelessness and timeliness, at once rooted in classical thought that reflects a remarkably fresh and contemporary relevance.
2018 SUMMER BOOK
Barracoon
Event: Philadelphia Freedom Schools Presents "A Call to Action: Criminal Justice Reform Town Hall Discussion"
CLASSROOM WITHOUT WALLS
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Through year-round and summer-specific projects that begin with our kindergarten students, our servant leaders read, learn, and teach-back continuously. Through a classroom and academy model, students are trained to teach curriculum- which consist of preparing lessons, discussing ideas, pedagogy, and are encouraged to engage in deep thought with each other, educators, community organizers, and professors of diverse expertise. Before entering the college setting, a Philadelphia Freedom School young person focuses on the importance of scholarship through literacy as a pathway to comprehension. This academic standard is implemented through the Mbongi- which the traditional translation is a “Classroom without Walls”. This environment is organized to properly prepare our young people to believe in a culture of rigor, research, and practice. This expectation of academic practice is interwoven into every activity and conversation. In general, the essential prompts a young person may be asked by an adult are: “How do we know what we know? How can we be sure? Is their historical precedence for your argument?” and “How can we prove through evidence and/or research whether what we believe is true?”