Douglass in his office in Haiti (National Park Service) Cabral vidaslusofonas.pt Douglass and Anthony, Sculpture Garden Rochester, NY Artist rendition of potential panels in our garden The Garden As Text Many chapters in the life of Frederick Douglass have themes that touch the diversity of Brockton today. Our goal is that the garden's Stride Toward Freedom Path will serve as the “text” to stories that will highlight those connections and create a common ground and bond of understanding. In each instance, we also ask “What would this civil rights activist and freedom fighter’s philosophy, approach and advice be as we grapple with the challenges of our society and our city today?” Haiti : Frederick Douglass served as the minister to Haiti for two years. Toussaint Louverture (1743 to 1803) was the leader of the Haitian Revolution – the only slave revolt which resulted in the establishment of a nation. In a preface to a biography of Louverture by Victor Schoelcher (that was never published), Douglass wrote: “The whole Christian world was at that time against (Louverture). England, France, Spain, Portugal, the United States and Holland were all slaveholders. They could only look with horror upon a great Negro leading his class in rebellion for its freedom. His high character, his valor, his wisdom, and his unflinching fidelity to the cause of liberty are an inheritance of which his people should be proud.” Ireland: Douglass traveled to Ireland and Britain in the 1840s, arriving in Ireland in 1845 at the cusp of the devastating Famine. Daniel O’Connell (1775-1847), Irish campaigner for Catholic Emancipation and Repeal of the Act of Union, played a prominent role in the anti-slavery movement there. In an article that appeared in ‘History Today, author Christine Kinealy wrote: “Visiting Ireland in 1845, Frederick Douglass was appalled by the poverty of the Irish people, likening their condition to that of the most degraded American slaves. When touring the United Kingdom, prior to a lecture in Cork, Douglass was referred to by O’Connell himself as ‘the Black O’Connell’, thus linking the two men in the public mind with the abolitionist cause.” Cape Verde: Douglass worked for several years in the shipyards of Baltimore as a caulker. It is not surprising that he ended up in New Bedford and Nantucket, which in the early 1800s were populated by many Cape Verdeans and Azorians who had arrived in whaling ships. Also prevalent in Nantucket and New Bedford were the Quaker “Friends”, who took an early stance against slavery and inequality. Amilcar Cabral (1924 – 1973) encouraged Cape Verdeans and people of Portuguese Guinea to support the opposition against colonial rule. He helped to organize a liberation movement which eventually became the African Party for Independence for Guinea and Cape Verde. He was assassinated in 1973. He is quoted as saying: “Always bear in mind that the people are not fighting for ideas, for the things in anyone’s head. They are fighting to win material benefits, to live better and in peace, to see their lives go forward, to guarantee the future of their children. . .” Brockton Abolitionists: Hotel keeper Edward F. Bennett (1804 -1887) of Brockton was also outspoken in his position against slavery. A huge sycamore tree outside of his stables was a symbol of liberty for the slaves who hid in his building, a stop on the Underground Railroad. That tree and stable was located on High Street – now Frederick Douglass Way – just steps from our Garden. Women’s Rights: Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906) spoke out for equal rights for women at our Liberty Tree, as did many other suffragettes. When 300 women gathered in Seneca Falls, New York for the very first women’s rights convention, Frederick Douglass was one of only 40 men to attend. The “Declaration of Sentiments” drawn up at that convention contained eleven resolutions, and the ninth stated it was a woman’s duty to secure the right to vote. In an editorial published that same year, 1848, in The North Star, Douglass wrote, ". . . in respect to political rights . . . there can be no reason in the world for denying to woman the elective franchise.” Douglass and Anthony had a lifelong friendship – but it was not always an easy one. Anthony fought for universal suffrage and did not agree that the black man should receive the right to vote before women did. “Men, their rights, and nothing more; women, their rights, and nothing less.” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: From the “I Have a Dream” speech delivered 28 August 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C.: “We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now . This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.”

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.......

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

I Please join the City of Brockton's Frederick Douglass Neighborhood Association as we unveil, dedicate and celebrate our "Stride Toward Freedom, Together" Walkway and signs. The date is November 15, 2015. The panels will tell the story of four civil rights icons from around the world whose lives are connected to that of Frederick Douglass. Meet the artists, the scholars, and the students who have worked tirelessly to make this Walkway a reality. During the one hour ceremony we will hear about the history of the Avenue and the Underground Railroad in Brockton, the story of the fire at the Ardmore Hotel that once stood on this site, and the story of our four honorees. Most importantly, we will get to thank all of the volunteers, supporters and members who walk with us as we build common ground, community spirit, and pride in our neighborhood and our history. The garden is located on Frederick Douglass Avenue, which runs one way from Main Street to Warren Avenue. Parking lots are available on the street next to the garden for your convenience. The event will take place rain or shine.

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

FDNA Annual Meeting 2026 FDNA Annual Meeting January 27, 2026 Voted In: Cindy Pendergast-Chair/President Cynthia Hodges -Vice Chair Heather Nelson-Treasurer Jamie Hodges—Clerk/Secretary (All officer terms will be for one year) Board Members Louis Lemieux Carol Griffin Annette Thomas Marc Osborne 2026 FDNA Action Plan I. Governance, Operations & Communications Form Committees: Garden & Beautification; Murals/Avenue Branding; Youth & Schools; Fundraising; Communications/Volunteers Public Meetings: Work with team to set dates for 3–4 public meetings for 2026 and publish on City Website Communications/Transparency: Publish a 2026 events calendar + volunteer sign-ups link on our website. Establish a quarterly newsletter schedule & ongoing event promotion Finance: Establish monthly bookkeeping, financials report Lead: Heather Nelson | Timeline: future meetings II. Signature Events & Programming (Spring–Summer) Frederick Douglass Bust Unveiling Event at Liberty Tree: Partner with Mayor’s Office; explore keynote speaker, possible street event Lead: Cindy Pendergast | Mayor check-in: ASAP Annual July 4th Reading: “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” to be held on July 11 at 10:30am. Funding: Mass Humanities ($2K) | Partners: African American Association, Messiah Baptist, NAACP and others "Discussing Douglass" ongoing series : Recurring (quarterly?) program perhaps in a "book-club style"; honor Jill Wiley (Liberty Tree quilt) Funding: Creative Impact Fund ($2.5K) | Partners: Historical Society, Library, BHS Educational Trip: Historical tour of New Bedford Timeline: Spring planning III. Liberty Tree, Garden & Avenue Branding Liberty Tree Quilt: Pick up from Jill Wiley's husband and deliver to FDNA (completed) Lead: Cindy Pendergast Garden & Maintenance: Spring planting (May); monthly volunteer schedule; youth engagement, update fencing, plant trees, install trash receptacle with plan for emptying Funding: Rep. DuBois/Mendes earmark ($25K) ± Beautification funds Plan by: End of March Murals & Branding: Murals (Firestone wall + sites), banners on street lights, signage on fencing and improved branding along street Funding: Rep. DuBois/Mendes earmark ($25K) ± Beautification funds Plan by: End of April | Implementation: Summer/Fall Creation of Abolitionist Park: Advance planning with Mayor’s Office Timeline: Ongoing IV. Youth, Volunteers & Partnerships (March+) Youth & Schools Outreach: BHS, MassHire, GBYP, Boys & Girls Club, JROTC Volunteer Recruitment: Garden + events (LoveALLiance, Garden Club, Cape Verdean Assoc., GBYP) V. Fundraising & Sustainability Fundraising Strategy: Evaluate banquet, street event, vendor booths; estimate costs and speakers Deliverable: Feasibility report | By: May 1 2025 Grant Awards ● Mass Humanities Grant - $2000 Grant Awarded for Reading Douglass Together ● Creative Impact Fund (Black-Owned Brockton) - $2500 awarded with Project focus: Discussing Douglass ● DBA Beautification Fund Grant – $5,000 for garden and Liberty Tree ● Earmark was made for $25,000 from State Reps Dubois and Mendes Contact If you'd like to attend any of our activities, send a note. FDNABrockton@gmail.com

FDNA tells our story in a 1917 PopUp Village in Brockton, MA.

2015 2015 Year in Review - highlights of events throughout the year Blessing of the Animals, October 4 A 20 minute open-air prayer service was held to honor 12th century St. Francis of Assisi. People of all ages were invited to bring teddy bears, pet photos, dogs, cats and all beloved creatures for this special event in the newly rejuvenated garden. Reverend Jill Wiley presided. Stride Toward Freedom, Together The Sunday, September 20, 2015 Program was funded by a Mass Humanities Grant : Fo more information, see our pages: Program And Grant Reading of Frederick Douglass, June 28 We gathered at our Liberty Tree in Brockton, where Mr. Edward Bennett, Brockton abolitionist, greeted the audience and told the story of his stable, which was a stop on the Underground Railroad in the mid 1800s. Mr. Douglass addressed the city at this very site, most likely while on a speaking tour for the Massachusetts Antislavery Society in 1841. Accompanied by songs performed by members of our Brockton churches, we walked from the Liberty Tree to the Douglass Garden where we read the speech in three languages familiar to our community: English, Haitian Creole, and Cape Verde Creole. The Massasoit Theater Company started us off, and then members of the audience read in the language each chooses. After completion of the communal reading, we enjoyed conversation, community spirit, and ice cream sundaes in the garden. Picket Fence Public Art Installation, August 25 The students in "WAVE": Work-Achieve-Volunteer-Experience, a program of YouthWorks and the Brockton Area Workforce Investment Board, dewsigned, painted and installed these welcoming gates to our garden in the summer of 2015. More pictures HERE . Spring Clean-Up, April 21 Members of the Brockton Boys and Girls Club joined with FDNA Volunteers in April of 2015 to rake up leaves, deadhead old plants, pull weeds, spread mulch, and get the garden ready for a busy year.

"The fence is installed for the Brockton Community to enjoy. Visit the Frederick Douglass Community Garden at 95 Frederick Douglass Ave to see this wonderful work of public art designed and installed by the YouthWorks Summer Jobs WAVE participants. We are very proud of our WAVE Team. Thank you for your time and dedication to serving our community this summer. Special thanks to Jimmy Palantzas, Stephanie Savas, Paul Landerholm, Mr. Nick and Mrs. Chris Palantzas." ................Krystel Love, Director of Youth Services, YouthWorks OneStop Career Center WAVE: Work-Achieve-Volunteer-Experience A program of YouthWorks and the Brockton Area Workforce Investment Board. Learn more at www.bawib.org You are invited Art Work in progress Expert installation help WAVE Rocks! Walking the fence through downtown Its new home in the community garden Looks good! Time out for lemonade Mayor Bill Carpenter approves

An Evening with Frederick Douglass Speakers representing the diversity of Brockton join Mr. Douglass in the April 2018 program Douglass Bicentennial Display 2018 installation at the Brockton Post Office for the Bicentennial of Douglass' birth WAVE project Freedom Path of concrete art with social justice quotes installed by the youth of Brockton Ice Cream Sundae Sunday Dusty the therapeutic miniature horse joins in the festivities, August 2018 2017 Summer Sundae Social We learn about Frederick Douglass Having ie cream & meeting neighbors Delicious Reading Douglass in 12 languages Show More Our story in images 2013-2018

/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