ILittle Free Library Project - MAY 5 INSTALLATION DAY! On May 5, 2015 we introduced our Little Free Library Project to Brockton! Joining us were the students of Southeastern Vo-Tech, Eduardo, Ryan and Denzel - the install team! We were joined by our sponsors and artists, and everyone who has worked so hard on this inspirational project - The Boys and Girls Club, The Family Center, LoveALLiance Church, FDNA members and members of the City Mayor's Office. Rev. Jill Wiley of Messiah Baptist Church, the artist of our quilt-themed LFL, spoke to the crowd about the inspiration for her design. Lynn Smith, Treasurer of the FDNA, welcomed the children in attendance to place the inaugural books into the LFL. Then, so the children of the Family Center could participate, we had another unveiling On May 27th at 3:00p in Finnegan Park; and so the students of the Torch Club could join in, a third unveiling in the park next to the Boys and Girls Club on May 20th at 4 pm. Come have some fun with us! And bring a book to donate to your favorite LFL! LFLs are located in Finnegan Park next to the telephone building on Crescent at Montello; in the Douglass Garden on Frederick Douglass Avenue at Paddy Lane; in the park next to the Boys and Girls Club on Warren Ave close to Belmont; and on City Hall Plaza between city hall and the garage, on VFW Parkway. * * * * * * * * * * * * On January 19, 2015, the Martin Luther King Jr holiday, a day of service, members of the Frederick Douglass Neighborhood Association (FDNA) are excited to announce that by the spring of 2015 they plan to install four “Little Free Libraries” (LFL) in various locations in the vicinity of Frederick Douglass Avenue in downtown Brockton. Little Free Libraries (LFL) are wooden boxes typically built in the shape of houses. They are located where anyone walking by may pick up a book (or two) and exchange another book to share with others. A coalition of partners will be involved in building, installing and maintaining the four diminutive structures. Students of Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical School are in charge of design and construction; and members of FDNA, the Boys and Girls Club, Community Connections of Brockton, and Love ALLiance Church are volunteering to add colorful paint and architectural details and stock the libraries/boxes with donated books. The installation of our four LFLs is scheduled for May 5, 2015, from 11 am to 12 noon. Check our Facebook page for updates on weather, locations, etc. More information about the Library Projects across the U.S. is at the bottom of this page. JANUARY 2015: Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical School creates our LFLs Keon Scott attaches a knob Keon and Nicolas Ross adjust door Mr. Raimondo and Mr. Blanchard supervise Four LFLs just need that finishing touch! FEBRUARY 2015: LFLs are delivered to our nonprofit partners for decorative paint MARCH 2015 : our artists are hard at work decorating our four LFLs. Here is a peek at one work of art in progress. April, 2015: We present our request to the City of Brockton Parks Commission to allow us to install our libraries where children and adults can enjoy them while in our parks. The Parks Commission says YES ! Mr. Douglass in his office in Haiti. Photo courtesy of the National Park Service. To the left, in the park at the corner of Montello and Crescent Streets, next to the telephone company building and across the street from the Family Resource Center. To the the right, next to the Boys and Girls Club in the park at Belmont and Warren. A montage of our four LFLs, taken by Andy P. One theme is The Four Seasons, one is Helping Hands, one is Quilts Tell a Story, and one is The Torch Club Lights the Way. The Torch Club of the Boys and Girls Club of Brockton will honor Frederick Douglass and our city's boxing history on their LFL. The Love ALLiance LFL will reflect the four seasons. The first Little Free Library was built in 2009 by a Wisconsin man to honor his schoolteacher mother who loved reading. It was a model of a one-room schoolhouse that he put on a post in his front yard with a sign on it saying “Free Books.” The idea caught on and by January 2014, the number of registered Little Free Libraries in the world was conservatively estimated at nearly 15,000. The website http://littlefreelibrary.org/ shows many photos of LFL and identifies where most are located, including sites in Massachusetts such as Dedham, Needham, North Attleboro and Cambridge. While the Little Free Libraries movement is not part of the local public library system, the FDNA sees its LFL project as a unique way to promote the cause of reading for which Frederick Douglass was a shining symbol in his life’s work as a noted author, journalist and speaker. Frederick Douglass was convinced at an early age that reading was his way out of slavery. As it was illegal to teach slaves to read in the 1800s, Douglass learned innovative ways to learn: he would snatch up scraps of newspapers from the ground, for example, and read them when no one was looking. There is an outstanding Public Library here in Brockton that everyone should be proud of. These small houses are simply another way to make books accessible to folks on a whim as they pass one by. Louis Lemieux, pastor of the Love ALLiance Church in downtown Brockton, one of the partners in this project, summed his congregation’s involvement up this way: “We love the opportunity to create pockets of community in our neighborhood. This is one way to bring people out of the isolation of their daily life to discovering, sharing and discussing the books they have found in the little libraries. In this way a Little Free Library can have a large impact on the culture of our neighborhood.” Here are some random images from around the Web on some beautifully decorated LFLs in various U.S. locations.

2017 information: Images from our 2016 Swap Full of visitors I'm a description. Click to edit me So many plants! Choices, choices How does your garden grow? Welcomed by Ruth and Nancy I'm a description. Click to edit me The Garden Club in the house Eric and Ann, the petunia winner I'm a description. Click to edit me We can plant! I'm a description. Click to edit me Good Samaritan donates to the Garden I'm a description. Click to edit me Show More

Years In Review Each Year our community grows. First the garden, now the street. First an annual event, now several a year. We learn, we build and we share. We are the Frederick Douglass Neighborhood. 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 Archives

/ join To join, volunteer, donate, or stay in touch, here's our contact information. Follow updates posted on this website and our Facebook page. Frederick Douglass Neighborhood Association The Frederick Douglass Neighborhood Association (FDNA) takes its name from America’s early civil rights leader and the street in Brockton named in his honor, which runs from Main Street to Warren Avenue in downtown. We believe that everyone deserves to live in a beautiful and vibrant neighborhood. We are an all-volunteer group of citizens who live, work and worship in the area around Frederick Douglass Avenue. We honor the legacy of Frederick Douglass and the threads in his life that are woven today within the diversity of our city through community education, engagement and the arts. Together, we work to enrich our neighborhood by : • Encouraging the beautification of our neighborhood through the arts and maintenance of the privately owned land currently used as a garden on Frederick Douglass Avenue; • Building appreciation for the history of Frederick Douglass, the Underground Railroad, and the connection of that history to the Brockton community of today; • Organizing social gatherings to build community; • Supporting local businesses by contributing to economic initiatives; • Serving as a forum and a facilitator for neighbors to convene on shared topics of concern to the area. Visit us or message us via Facebook HERE . EMAIL US at: fdnabrockton@gmail.com To learn more about us, you can watch our slideshow by following this link: Smilebox about FDNA To watch an innovative presentation about Frederick Douglass click here . Our thanks to all our members, supporters and volunteers, and of course to all of the great people of our City of Champions: Brockton, Massachusetts.

/our vision We are Brockton citizen residents and volunteers who honor the legacy of Frederick Douglass in our neighborhood through community engagement and the arts. In May of 2004, a street in downtown Brockton, Massachusetts was renamed for Frederick Douglass, an orator, statesman, and abolitionist who had once been a slave. Some call him America's first civil rights activist. Not far away was the location of the stables of Edward E. Bennett. During the years around the Civil War, the stables were one stop of the Underground Railroad. At this location stood a sycamore tree which was the symbol of liberty for the slaves who hid in this building. It was also a place where great human rights activists such as Mr. Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison, Wendell Phillips, Lucretia Mott and Amelia Bloomer addressed the issues of the day. In 2004 the tree had to be cut down due to damage from a storm. A slice of that tree is on display at the Brockton Public Library. A clone of the tree was planted at the Brockton Historical Society Museum. In 2014, the 10th anniversary of the renaming of Frederick Douglass Avenue, our neighborhood association was born. Our mission in 2014 was to bring attention to the 10th anniversary by enhancing the community garden and hosting community events to bring neighbors together in celebration and unity. Our year was a great success, and you can enjoy those events on our 2014 in Review page. We are committed to organizing our neighborhood, effecting meaningful change, and honoring the legacy of Mr. Douglass and his connections to the ethnic diversity of Brockton today: he worked with Cape Verdean shipbuilders, served as Minister to Haiti, stood with Daniel O'Connell as Ireland fought for independence, supported Susan B. Anthony and women suffragettes , fought for equal pay for black soldiers during the Civil War, and is our inspiration as our country's first civil rights activist as our city and country struggle with modern issues of fairness, equality, and racial harmony. As Mr. Douglass once said, “If there is no struggle, there is no progress”. If you live, work, worship or play in our neighborhood, come join us ! Click here to learn about our "Stride Toward Freedom" project completed in 2015. "In conclusion, my dear young friends, be not discouraged. Accept the inspiration of hope. Imitate the example of the brave mariner, who, amid clouds and darkness, amid hail, rain and storm bolts, battles his way against all that the sea opposes to his progress. You will then reach the goal of your noble ambition in safety." — Frederick Douglass, Blessings of Liberty and Education, Manassas, Va., 1894

I'm a title. Click here to edit me. The Team Dr. Joao Rosa and Amilcar Cabral Charlot Lucien and Toussaint Louverture Willie A. Wilson Jr and the Underground Railroad in Brockton Professor Lee Farrow and Susan B. An City Councilor Thomas Monahan Our community Audience and supporters Closing song This ittle Light of Mine Show More

Program 4.12.18 The stage is set The presenters are ready Lynn Smith welcomes the audience Mayor Bill Carpenter Willie A. Wilson Jr Elenaor Wentworth/Susan B. Anthony Jean Derenoncourt/Haiti Adriano Cabral/Cape Verde Show More

/2020 The speech in English The speech in Haitian Creole CLICK ON THIS LINK TO VIEW AND LISTEN TO THE PODCAST: https://noubeproductions.com/2020/06/29/ what-to-the-slave -is-the-4th-of-july/ The speech in Spanish AS OF JUNE 20, WE ARE FULLY SUBSCRIBED ! No more readers are needed. Our thanks to all who stepped forward! Stay tuned for information on when our podcast will be available. Our FIFTH Annual Reading of Frederick Douglass' iconic speech "What To The Slave is the 4th of July" will be in a different format in 2020, due to the COVID19 pandemic. We are delighted to work with Emmy Award Winning producer Noube Rateau and Noube Productions to create a podcast of the speech. Mr. Rateau will also merge the audio files with images to create a video production of the speech. We will read the speech as One Community With Many Voices - some will read in English, and some will read in the language of their ancestors to honor our roots, and pay homage to the diversity that is Brockton. To volunteer to read a paragraph, contact the FDNA President John Drusinkskas at jdrusinskas27@gmail.com He will advise of the paragraphs that may still be available to read. He will then give further instructions on how to connect with Noube Productions to record your choice. To read the MassHumanities version of the speech which we use as our template, click on the pdf file.

2017 Happenings Plant and Seed Swap 2017 Plant and Seed Swap 2016 Reading Frederick Douglass 2017 PopUp Village 1917 - 2017 Summer "Sundae" Social The Pergola 2016 The Little Free Library .....and more.......

FDNA 2019 Reading featured on "CBS Sunday Morning" In their July 5, 2020 broadcast, CBS Sunday Morning featured the "Reading Frederick Douglass Together" grant program that is funded by MassHumanities. FDNA was asked for permission to use clips from our 2019 reading during that broadcast, which also featured the City of Somerville's Reading. Normally held in our community garden, FDNA had to move indoors in 2019 due to thunderstorms that drenched the area. Messiah Baptist Church graciously opened their doors for us. When you watch the clip, look for the indoor scenes which feature our readers: Willie A. Wilson., Jr., Fran Jeffries, Mark Linde, Michelle DuBois, and young Ashton Guerlande. Follow this link to view the 5 minute segment: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/frederick-douglass-admonition-on-the-moral-rightness-of-liberty-for-all/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab6i&linkId=92908535&fbclid=IwAR2NxB76anPHoyziwl5qu5F103ASu_JNmmsU9R4cToj1SaRAvRaDy7jIgLI Willie A. Wilson Jr. Charlot of Ashton and sister CBS credits Willie A. Wilson Jr. 1/5

Our Plant and Seed Swap was a terrific success! Out thanks to everyone who volunteered, participated, and came.

We are grateful to our sponsors whose generosity allowed us to offer this program free to our community: Brockton Housing Authority, the Just Checking In Foundation, the Eastern Bank Foundation, HarborOne Bank, Rockland Trust, State Representative Gerry Cassidy, Lynn Smith, State Representative Claire Cronin, and the Psi Iota Omega Chapter of AKA. To see photos of the event, click here . An Evening With Frederick Douglass April 12, 2018, 7 pm Join us at the War Memorial Building Auditorium, 156 West Elm Street, for an impactful and memorable evening. Charles Everett Pace, renowned scholar and actor, will bring his one man performance art to Brockton, portraying Mr. Douglass. His presentation will focus on Mr. Douglass in New England, his relationship with William Lloyd Garrison, and the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society. Following his speech there will be a Q&A session and light refreshments. The program is free, but due to the limited seats available an RSVP BY EMAIL IS REQUIRED. Email fdnabrockton@gmail.com to place your name on our guest list so we may hold seats for you. There is free parking availble at the venue and across the street at the former Registry of Deeds Building. The auditorium is handicapped accessible via elevator. The program will start at 7 pm SHARP and end around 8:30 pm, with a reception and light refreshments until 9 pm.