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.

IStride Toward Freedom, Together Our event on Sunday, September 20, 2015 was well attended, and well received. To view the two hour video of the event, follow this link to YouTube. We thank Brockton Community Access and videographer Michael Simmons for the recording, edited down by about 30 minutes to a two hour format to fit our local Brockton cable programming schedule. https://youtu.be/zXZLtvsyQyo * * * * * * * * * To learn more about the program, here is a narrative: What did Frederick Douglass learn from the leadership of Toussaint Louverture of Haiti? When Douglass visited Ireland in 1845 and stood next to Daniel O'Connell and experienced the poverty and struggle of the Irish people as they faced the great potato famine, what traits of nonviolent activism did they share? When Douglass lived in New Bedford, did he work with the skilled shipbuilders of Cape Verde, free and proud black craftsmen? What lessons did freedom fighter Amilcar Cabral learn and put into action from Douglass and O'Connell and Louverture almost 150 years later? As we negotiate the social contract today, who are the voices of equality? Who leads the fight against injustice? What qualities are critical in our leaders today? As income inequality, and racial conflict, and police interaction, and immigration issues dominate current events, how can we learn from these icons of nonviolent protest and masters of change? Professor Lee Farrow of Stonehill College, Charlot Lucien of the Haitian Artists Assembly, Dr. Joao Rosa of Bridgewater State University, and Willie A. Wilson Jr. of the Brockton Historical Society will be our guides during this exciting discourse. The program begins at 2 pm and ends at 4:30 pm with a networking reception that will include light refreshments. Our thanks to Mass Humanities, who funded the major cost of this event, the Just Checking In Foundation, the Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation, Mayor Bill Carpenter of the City of Brockton, Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School, Susie Q. Shaw, our Artist in Residence, and the volunteer/members of the Frederick Douglass Neighborhood Association for their support of our ongoing work in the community, and of this program.

Pathway to Justice - part of the Douglass Bicentennial Commemoration On August 20, 2018 The Frederick Douglass Neighborhood Association (FDNA) unveiled the “Pathway to Justice” art piece created by the students of the Summer WAVE Program. The WAVE program is a summer enrichment program under the auspices of the Brockton Area Workforce Investment Board (BAWIB) that provides the opportunity for youth who are 14 and 15 to volunteer and gain minor work experience on which to build. WAVE is an acronym that stands for Work-Achieve-Volunteer-Experience. The students researched civil rights icons from Douglass to Malcolm X to Ghandi to John Lewis, and then designed 30 12x12 concrete pavers with original artwork and words or phrases that capture the essence of the continuing struggle for the truth, justice and equality that Douglass fought for all his life. They then installed the pavers as a "Pathway to Justice" in the Douglass Community Garden. The BAWIB Youth One Stop Career Center offers universal access to a system of year-round workforce development programs for the region’s young adults. The site functions as a hub of high-quality employment, training, and supportive services to 14 to 24 year olds residing in the Brockton Service Delivery area. YouthWorks collaborates with social service agencies and private-employer partners to ensure positive, measurable outcomes.

FDNA Annual Meeting 2025 FDNA Annual Meeting 🗓 Tuesday, June 17 at 7:00 PM 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 Contact If you'd like to attend any of our activities, send a note. FDNABrockton@gmail.com

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

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.

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

Garden awaits its guests Balloon man on the patio Thank you for our pergola Balloons are fun Ben McGrath History tour with Willie Wilson Yoga with Shaynah A good class The reward

/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.

Our fall cleanup in October put the garden to bed for the season....but here are a few photos of the joy the garden gave us this year. See you in the Spring of 2018! 1/1

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

2024 Events and Activites We are the neighborhood. Fall Clean Up Nov 10, 2024 Wonderful crew at the garden today! On the second Sunday of each month, Love ALLiance church chooses a community service activity instead of having service. This month they joined with Frederick Douglass Neighborhood Association joined up to do a little fall cleanup and prepare the garden beds for winter. ��� It was a beautiful day! #community City of Brockton Reading Douglass Together July 13, 2024 We had a nice turn out in spite of the showers. The big tent definitely helped! Readers of all ages participated including a 5th grader who read in Portuguese! Our VP Cynthia Hodges of Lady C&J Soulfood & Catering INC. brought her ice cream truck so we were able to give out free treats to our guests! It was a great day. Summer Improvements & Volunteers June 2024 Hello Friends! We have been busy over the last several weeks working on the garden and then, on June 7, an amazing thing happened! We received a generous donation from The Home Depot Foundation, G.Norwood Garden Center, Seones, Tri-Town Construction, LLC of plants, mulch, soil, and stone to beautify the garden for Juneteenth and future events. A special shout out to FDNA Vice President, Cynthia McCall-hodges, who made the connections for all that to be possible! A team from Frederick Douglass Neighborhood Association, Messiah Baptist Church, and faithful members of the community SHOWED UP and worked so hard on a hot day to get everything installed. You will notice there's a nice combination of perennials and annuals to complement the existing plants! Even two Haitian men who were walking by offered to help. Truly an amazing community effort. Did I mention the team who has been WATERING?!! Firestone graciously gave us permission to use their faucet so we can hook up a hose when we need to water! This morning a team of us added more mulch and used a pressure washer to try and remove the graffiti from the wall. We made progress! THANK YOU again to all who have generously offered their time and commitment to the garden. It makes a difference in our community! "Keep Brockton Beautiful Day" May 18, 2024 Had some helpers today as we worked at the Frederick Douglass Garden for the citywide “Keep Brockton Beautiful” event! Fairway Landscaping even brought a crew who donated their time to mow and trim the garden. So great seeing the kids and adults working side by side!