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

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.

The Stride Toward Freedom, Together Path (named after Dr. King's book about the Montgomery bus boycott) was created as part of our 2015 Mass Humanities-funded project. The art work was done by local artists; the text is the collaboration of local professors and their students; the sign frames made and donated by Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School; and the graphics engineered by Sign Design, a Brockton-based company. There are four two-sided signs; here is the information on the signs numbered one through four. About the Artist: Adalgisa Andrade I was born on the island of Santo Antao and raised in Sao Vicente, Cabo Verde. At the age of eight I immigrated to the United States to live with my mother in Pawtucket Rhode Island. It was at Jenks Junior High School that I exhibited a talent for drawing and painting. I then came to Brockton to live with my father and went to Brockton high school. In high school I took many art classes and then decided to go to Bridgewater State University. I graduated in 2009 with a Bachelor in Fine Arts and began doing some freelance work as a muralist. In 2010 I began working at Catholic Charities Teen Center the Dorchester MA. I have taught art workshops, teen focus groups and family programming for the past five years. I now have a passion to help others and love teaching art. My style of painting is very colorful and expressive. Amilcar Lopes Cabral was born on September 12, 1924 in Guinea Bissau to a Cape Verdean father and Guinean mother. He grew up in Cape Verde on the island of Santiago. As an adolescent he completed high school on the island of Sao Vicente and later won a scholarship to go study agronomy in Portugal. Amilcar Cabral was profoundly influenced by his environment. He became as a young adult increasingly worried about the conditions of poverty and inequality in Cape Verde and Guinea Bissau. A key turning point in his life was the Massacre of Pidjiguiti in which Portuguese colonial troops shot and killed many dock workers in Guinea Bissau. Amilcar Cabral viewed constructive dialogue as the best way to resolve personal and world conflicts. After attempting without success for many years to win independence through dialogue, the party finally resorted to armed struggle. Along with other African classmates in Portugal, Cabral formed the PAIGC (African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde) with the aim of liberating the African peoples from Portuguese colonialism. In his fight to free Cape Verde and Guinea Bissau, Amilcar Cabral met with many world leaders in search of support. He was received at the United Nations as well as by the Pope. Cabral believed in the dignity of humankind and the natural rights of all people to progress and develop without barriers. Recognizing his personal responsibility to his country and the continent, he once stated that his work in the liberation movement was a way to “pay his debt with his people…” Amilcar Cabral influenced many of the liberation movements in Africa and even shared his ideas with civil rights workers in the United States. He was awarded honorary degrees from U.S. universities. Sadly, on January 20, 1973, Amilcar Cabral was assassinated in Guinea. Two years later, both Guinea and Cape Verde would be free from Portuguese colonialism. One of his often cited quotes is that “Culture is simultaneously the fruit of a people’s history and a determinant of that history”. Amilcar Cabral is today remembered as the father of the Cape Verdean nation as well as of Guinea Bissau; many poems and songs have been written commemorating his life and work. - Dr. Joao Rosa, Bridgewater State University, with student researcher Johari Rosa Connection of Frederick Douglass and Cape Verde As a slave in Baltimore, Frederick Douglass worked as a ship caulker, where he gained a knowledge and love of the sea and sailing ships. He used that information to escape in 1838, disguised in seaman’s clothes. To be able to board a train on the first leg of his trip to freedom, he carried a borrowed protection certificate from a free black sailor. When in New York on his journey, he was assisted by David Ruggles, Secretary of the Vigilance Committee of the Underground Railroad, printer, and black activist journalist. Mr. Douglass married his fiance Anna Murray in Ruggles’ home. It was Mr. Ruggles who suggested that Frederick and Anna travel to New Bedford, as it had a robust ship building industry that might afford Douglass the opportunity of work. African-Americans had been a part of New Bedford’s history from the early 1700s, attracted by a strong Quaker presence and opposition to slavery. Many free seamen from the Cape Verde islands were skilled workers on the docks and on the whaling ships. According to the New Bedford Whaling Museum, more than 3,000 African-Americans served on New Bedford whalers between 1803 and 1860. Frederick Douglass lived in New Bedford from 1837 to 1841, working at Coffin’s Wharf. In his autobiography, Douglass writes that while working on the New Bedford docks with free black men, he was “imbued with the spirit of liberty”. It was here that he heard Boston abolitionist William Llyod Garrison speak out against slavery. Nantucket was also a major shipbuilding and whaling center. The vast majority of blacks on that island were Cape Verdeans and Azorians who had arrived on whaling ships. On August 11, 1841, while attending an anti-slavery meeting on Nantucket, Garrison recognized Douglass and asked him to step up to the podium. In what is considered his first public address, Douglass spoke out eloquently for the right of freedom. William Lloyd Garrison, renowned Boston abolitionist, described this moment as “the commencement of Douglass’ brilliant career”. About the Artist: Jean-Claude Sainte Born in Haiti, Jean-Claude Sainte earned a degree in architecture before he immigrated to the U.S. in 1993, with the objective to further his education and to promote the Haitian culture. Sainte began to paint since he was a child and demonstrated a profound passion for fine art; at the age of seven. With the help of his father he attended the “Foyer Des Art Plastiques”, which was one of the most prestigious art academies in Haiti. Later, Sainte became a member of Haiti’s Academy of Fine Arts, (Academie Des Beaux Art), where he specialized in portraits. Jean-Claude participated in an exhibit at Harvard University; the bold forms and bright colors of his paintings stunned the participants of the Harvard Multi-Cultural Art Festival in 2000. He has also participated in many art festivals and exhibitions throughout Massachusetts, as well as other states. One of Sainte’s paintings “Tropical Smile” won the second place at the Mansfield Art Festival in 1998. Another one of his paintings “Cry For Help”, was exhibited at the U.S. State Department in Washington, D.C., where former President Bill Clinton also rewarded Sainte with a medal of honor for his painting dedicated to Clinton. In the year of 2000, the Massachusetts Senate recognized Sainte for his contribution to the cultural revival of the Commonwealth State. Toussaint Louverture (1743-1803) : The Universality and the Modernity of a Legacy In 1793, Toussaint Louverture, who at the age of fifty had spent thirty years of his life in slavery, rose in the ranks of the African slaves of the French colony of Saint Domingue (now Haiti) as a fierce abolitionist, a brilliant military strategist and a statesman. For about 10 years, using knowledge acquired from history books and learning from European military strategists, Louverture – his self-adopted name which means “the Opening” - pursued a relentless military and guerilla war against the Spanish (March 1794), the British (1798) and the French armies (1801-1802), systematically dismantling the slave structure that kept more than 500,000 Africans in bondage. His quest for freedom later took a shift when he moved to assert the autonomy of the French colony under his sole authority, maneuvering in between the competing interests of the European colonial powers and the newly created USA. In 1802 Napoleon Bonaparte sent the most powerful marine armada ever to reconquer its colony, deport its black leaders and reestablish slavery. Captured, he prophetized: “By capturing me, you only took down the trunk of the black freedom tree in St Domingue, it will spring up again, for its roots are multiple and deep.” He died in France in April 1803 while his lieutenants continued an all out war against the French troops, which resulted in 1804 in the independence of Haiti, the first black republic in the world, and in Napoleon selling the Louisiana territories to the US, abandoning larger ambitions of invading continental America. Louverture has since been celebrated across three continents with memorials, academic publications and cultural tributes. More documents now establish his ties to larger abolition movements and their leaders who drew lessons from his life and his approaches to promote equality: equal racial footing, integration and collaboration among whites, blacks and mulattos, the establishment of a multiracial society, forgiveness and reconciliation for the greater national good, hard work and education. From charismatic slave revolt leader Denmark Vesey to uncompromising abolitionists Frederick Douglas, Senator Wendell Phillips, John Brown or contemporary Malcom X, his legacy has been evoked to inspire, rouse, dismantle or build. Douglass said it best about Louverture: “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”. From monuments and streets dedicated to him in Benin, Africa, in France, Cuba or the US, from his evocation in both popular culture (Robeson, Alex Haley) and academic arenas, his legacy continues to thrive, a testimony to his universality and his modernity. But more than the physical or the academic tributes, the fact that his approach to equality, racial harmony and true integration continues to resonate more than 200 years later in policies advocated by contemporary leaders such as Martin Luther King or Nelson Mandela constitutes the true validation of his genius and his legacy. Charlot Lucien – Author, Poet, Storyteller, Haitian Artists Assembly of MA with student researcher Sebastien Lucien Frederick Douglass, The Haiti Pavilion, and the Worlds Fair Because of his service as Minister to Haiti in the 1880s, Frederick Douglass was invited to be the keynote speaker at the dedication of the Haitian Pavilion at the World’s Fair held in Jackson Park, Chicago, in 1893. The building was a landmark and gathering place for Americans of color. Ida B. Wells grew up in the post–Civil War South and became a fierce opponent of lynching. She came to Chicago in 1893 to protest the exclusion of African Americans from exhibits at the World's Columbian Exposition. Wells described Haiti's pavilion as “one of the gems of the World's Fair, and in it Mr. Douglass held high court.” This exhibition celebrated the 400 year anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ voyage, and is often referred to as the “World Columbia Exposition”. Two cities fought for the fair – New York and Chicago. A New York reporter wrote with disdain that the people of Chicago were so full of hot air promises that it was a “windy city” – and this phrase, originally meant as an insult, is used to describe Chicago even today. It took 40,000 skilled laborers to construct over 200 buildings. Because they were made of white plaster, and in the Beaux Arts style (as examples, picture Grand Central Station in New York, or the Boston Public Library), the nickname of the assemblage of buildings was “White City”. Many say that they inspired author L. Frank Baum in his imagining of the Emerald City in the “Wizard of Oz”. When completed, 65,000 exhibits were spread over 600 aces. Visitors could marvel at Eli Whitney’s cotton gin in Machinery Hall, or gaze at the Monster Cheese Wheel in the Canada building Exhibits included everything from Tiffany glass to a California redwood tree. To quench your thirst there was a new invention – carbonated soda. The Fair also featured the debut of many other new consumer products: Cream of Wheat, Shredded Wheat, Aunt Jemima syrup, and Juicy Fruit Gum. From May through October 27 million visitors enjoyed the Fair – about 25% of the entire population of the United States at the time. Because of the enormous size and complexity of the project, it missed the exact 400 year anniversary mark by one year. About The Artist: Susie Q. Shaw Maybe my art will inspire, maybe my art will promote awareness, and maybe it will represent a feeling so when you look at my work you feel understood.....Zouljah Art is customized art for personal and business space. I am a self-taught Visual Artist and Gallery Curator raised in Brockton, Mass. Since the early age of 7, I’ve used art as motivation & a way to get my feelings out. My grandparents always provided drawing supplies and provided me with lessons to master my techniques. In 2010 I decided to take my talent and make it into a business as well as a way to give back to my community. I decided to brand my art with the name “Zouljah Art by Q”. The word Zouljah stems from the Arabic word Zawja (wife) and the slang spelling of Soldier. My earlier art series portrayed women in different emotions and feelings. After my grandfather passed I came to the realization that everyone in their life should take the time to give back as he did. So I held a fundraising event “We Will Paint” at the youth YMCA. The supplies helped me instruct art workshops for children experiencing homelessness at the Family Center in Brockton. It allowed them to keep the supplies so that they could express their feelings as I was able to do when I was small. Since then I have held workshops such as “Paint & Pour to Wellness” with cohost Letitia Richards of www.PeaceofFood.com . I have also visited charter schools in Boston and produced art shows and promotional events to promote my brand. I have had the pleasure of curating & hosting events for Brockton Arts for the past two years. Frederick Douglass Susie Q. Shaw, artist Susan B. Anthony Susan Brownell Anthony was born February 15th, 1820 in Adams, Massachusetts, to a large Quaker family. She was the second of eight children. Susan’s parents always nurtured her confidence, supported her goals and did not impose gender-based restrictions on her, which would be key in her successful fight for the abolition of slavery and gender equality. Susan attended a Quaker school in Pennsylvania, and taught school for fifteen years at Canajoharie Academy. Anthony was an abolitionist, a leader in the temperance and women’s rights movements, a labor activist and an educational reformer -- fighting for eight-hour work days and co-ed education. Anthony’s family was heavily involved in activism, mainly in the fight to end slavery. Through their tireless work in the abolitionist movement, Anthony’s parents embedded the belief in her to fight for what you think is right, which is what she did the rest of her life. Through Anthony’s abolitionist work she met Frederick Douglass while he attended weekly Sunday activism meetings at the Anthony’s home in Rochester, New York. Anthony and Douglass often conversed and strategized regarding the abolitionist movement and women’s rights. Susan was an engineer in the Underground Railroad. She became a member of the American Anti-Slavery Society in 1856 (at age 36), working to end slavery until the end of the Civil War in 1865. Susan B. Anthony also became heavily involved in the Temperance Movement, which sought to make alcohol possession and consumption illegal in the United States. She became the co-founder of the Women's New York State Temperance Society in 1852. Through her work in temperance, Anthony saw the desolate state women and their children suffered when husbands and fathers became alcoholics. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, a longtime friend and colleague, founded the Women's National Loyal League in 1863 and the American Equal Rights Association in 1866. Both organizations supported equal rights, citizenship and voting rights for all disenfranchised populations. In 1868 they founded The Revolution, a newspaper mainly focused on the suffrage movement and the fight for women’s rights. The paper’s motto read: “Principle, Not Policy: Justice, Not Favors. Men, their rights and nothing more; Women, their rights and nothing less.” Susan B. Anthony died March 13th, 1906, at the age of 86 in Rochester, New York. After Anthony's death, a phrase from her last suffrage speech, "Failure is Impossible," became the motto of young suffragists. Women finally obtained the right to vote nineteen years after her death through the Susan B. Anthony Amendment (19th amendment) in 1920. According to the Susan B. Anthony Center for Women’s Leadership at the University of Rochester: “Anthony was described as the "Napoleon" of the suffragist movement. Hers was the organizational and tactical genius. She displayed her skill by appearing before every Congress between 1869 and 1906 on behalf of women's suffrage.” “The vote was indeed close, only one more than the required two-thirds. One congressman left the deathbed of his suffragist wife to cast his vote and then returned to her funeral. Two congressmen came from hospitals to cast affirmative votes. Tennessee was the thirty-sixth state to ratify the amendment. On August 26, 1920, final passage was achieved. Times had changed.” In honor of Anthony’s legacy, two different postage stamps were issued in 1936 and in 1955, and her home in Rochester, NY was declared a National Historical Landmark in 1965. In 1979, the U.S. Treasury Department placed Susan B. Anthony’s image on dollar coins. This was the first time a woman was honored in such way. - Lee G. Farrow, Stonehill College, with research assistant Maria Lopez Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass When 300 women gathered in Seneca Falls, New York in July of 1848 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 women’s duty to secure the right to vote. In an editorial published that same year, 1848, in The North Star, he wrote, ". . . in respect to political rights . . . there can be no reason in the world for denying to woman the elective franchise.” Although his support for women’s rights was steadfast, in 1869 he publicly disagreed with Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. They called for the right to vote regardless of race AND sex. The 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1870- gave black men the right to vote. In April of 1888 he recalled his attendance forty years earlier at the convention in Seneca Falls, and his speech given in Washington, DC included these words in support of women, rather than men, as the primary spokespersons for the movement: “The women who have thus far carried on this agitation have already embodied and illustrated Theodore Parker’s three grades of human greatness. The first is greatness in executive and administrative ability; second, greatness in the ability to organize; and, thirdly, in the ability to discover truth. Wherever these three elements of power are combined in any movement, there is a reasonable ground to believe in its final success; and these elements of power have been manifest in the women who have had the movement in hand from the beginning.” On February 20, 1895, as a regularly enrolled member of the National Women’s Suffrage Association, he joined suffragette leaders at Metzerott Hall in Washington DC where the Women’s National Council held its triennial. Mr. Douglass passed away unexpectedly that very evening at his home in Anacostia The 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote, was not ratified until 1920. This likeness of Daniel O'Connell, inspired by the work of Scottish painter Sir David Wilkie circa 1838, was also created by local artist Jean-Claude Sainte, above. Daniel O'Connell Daniel O’Connell was born on August 6th, 1775 in Chirciveen Country Kerry, Ireland. He was mentored by a wealthy uncle who funded an education for him at the prestigious St. Omar School in France. While in France he experienced the French Revolution firsthand, which left an indelible stain on O’Connell’s mind: an abhorrence of violence. O’Connell studied law in Dublin and was admitted to the Irish Bar in 1798. He was able to establish a law practice, and later became immersed in Irish politics. He founded the Catholic Association in 1823 with the goal of Catholic emancipation. O’Connell’s long term goals included the repeal of The Act of Union, to establish an Irish parliament, as well as to allow voters a secret ballot. His foundation quickly raised money and gathered followers. The Clare election of 1828 marked a turning point in Irish history. With the support from contributions, the clergy, and the previously passive and disenfranchised peasants, Daniel O’Connell was able to secure a seat in the British House of Commons. This was a remarkable feat because he was the first Catholic (in recent history) to hold this position. According to one scholar of Irish history, O’Connell was “active in the campaigns for parliamentary, legal, and prison reform, electoral reform and the secret ballot, free trade, the abolition of slavery and Jewish emancipation…” In 1841, Daniel O'Connell became the first Roman Catholic Lord Mayor of Dublin since the reign of James II in the 1680s. O’Connell’s work continued to repeal the Act of Union, and he was able to attract massive crowds: so large that the government became alarmed and stepped in. The government outlawed these large meetings, sometimes referred to as “Monster Meetings” and accused O’Connell of conspiracy. He was fined and jailed. It was around this time when O’Connell received the lasting title of “The Liberator”. Just as the people of Ireland were confident that O’Connell would usher in desired changes, the devastating Irish Potato Famine of 1847 put a halt to O’Connell’s political action. People were quite literally starving to death, so food, not political reform, became the main priority. O’Connell attempted to seek aid from England, but the services provided did not make a significant relief impact. Unfortunately Daniel O’Connell’s plans for The Repeal Movement were not successful. O’Connell died in 1847 in Genoa, Italy, on his way to Rome during a pilgrimage. According to his wishes, his heart was buried in Rome at the chapel of the Irish College at Sant’Agata dei Goti, and his body was buried under a round tower in Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin. One of his legacies to all of us was his advocacy of global human rights. His position of radical abolition and equal rights for blacks was bold, and not a popular viewpoint at the time. Dr. Christine Kinealy, Director of the Ireland’s Great Hunger Institute at Quinnipiac University and a Director of the Frederick Douglass/Daniel O’Connell Project, writes: “Daniel O’Connell and Ireland were to become a major influence on the fugitive slave’s (Douglass) subsequent political development, and in his transformation from an abolitionist to a human rights activist. O’Connell’s internationalist view on human suffering was to have a profound impact on Douglass’s own political development.” - Willie A. Wilson, Jr. of the Brockton Historical Society with research assistant Nicholas Dunham The O'Connell-Douglass Connection Much like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. later in history, O’Connell mobilized a population in Ireland that was previously passive. O’Connell used a collaboration of the churches, called the “Catholic Association”, to raise not only money, but also one unified voice for the poorest of the poor. In September of 1845 Frederick Douglass, during a two year lecture tour of Ireland and England, appeared next to O’Connell at a Dublin rally attended by more than a thousand people. Douglass later wrote: “O’Connell’s eloquence came down upon the vast assembly like a summer thunder-shower upon a dusty road.” In his comments about his trip to Ireland, Douglass drew an important distinction between poverty and slavery. He said, “The Irish man is poor, but he is not a slave. He may be in rags, but he is not a slave. He is still the master of his body.” O’Connell knew the fight for human rights was a global one: “I am the friend of liberty in every clime, class and colour. My sympathy is not confined to the limits of my own green island; my spirit walks abroad on sea and land, and wherever there is oppression, I hate the oppressor.” In 2011, President Barack Obama, who has written about the influence of Douglass on his own thinking, commented on the O’Connell-Douglass connection: “For his part, Douglass drew inspiration from the Irishman’s courage and intelligence, ultimately modeling his own struggle for justice on O’Connell’s belief that change could be achieved peacefully through rule of law . . . the two men shared a universal desire for freedom – one that cannot be contained by language or culture or even the span of an ocean.” As we understand more about Daniel O’Connell, his connection to Frederick Douglass, and both of their legacies, we understand that as citizens of the world today, human rights are our collective business. Valley To Mountaintop: Fear No Evil Gabriel I. Pittman, artist The Stride Toward Freedom, Together Project In 2015, The City of Brockton and the Frederick Douglass Neighborhood Association (FDNA) partnered to apply for a grant from Mass Humanities to host a Community Conversation and then create a “Stride Toward Freedom” pathway of informational panels in this community garden. With the funding from Mass Humanities, and with generous donations from local charitable foundations and friends, the project was completed in the fall of 2015. The garden land is privately owned, but on loan to the FDNA to be maintained as a pocket park and place of respite, reflection, and beauty in the city. The garden is cared for by a group of loving and dedicated FDNA volunteers. Our project name is taken from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1958 book about the Montgomery bus boycott. It is meant to convey the scope and continuum of the work and sacrifices required to ensure justice and equal rights for all. Along that continuum, we honor iconic fighters for equal rights including Frederick Douglass, who was a speaker at our Liberty Tree in Brockton in the early 1840s. Many chapters in Mr. Douglass’ life connect to Brockton’s population today: his work as a ship caulker alongside Cape Verdeans, his support of equal rights for the Irish, his association with Susan B. Anthony and her fight for women’s suffrage; his service as Minister to Haiti. A panel of scholars and students researched those connections and hosted a Community Conversation at the Brockton War Memorial Building in September 2015 to explore the approach to the social contract of heroes such as Toussaint Louverture of Haiti, Daniel O’Connell of Ireland, Amilcar Cabral of Cape Verde and Susan B. Anthony of the United States. This public discussion inspired the text and original art work created by local artists for the panels you see in the garden today. The ultimate goals of the garden’s pathway are to inspire residents - especially our young adults and our new immigrants - to know more about the history and diversity of their city, to understand how our heroes have provided us with the gift of common ground, and to encourage all Brocktonians to become active participants in our civic process. About Gabriel I. Pittman and Do-Right Ministries Gabriel I. Pittman is incarcerated at State Corrections Institute at Mahanoy, in Frackville, PA. He is 40 years old and has been incarcerated for 18 years. Gabriel grew up in North Carolina, where he was educated and excelled not only academically, but also in sports, on the debate team, in music and on the oratory team. Gabriel earned an academic scholarship to A&T University in Greensboro, NC, where he aspired to become an engineer. After completing one full year of college, Gabriel left school and drifted away from his family. He replaced his structured and healthy life with unstructured and unhealthy activities. Those unstructured activities led to a life plagued with bad choices and wrong decisions. In prison, Gabriel began writing poetry, short stories and public policy commentaries. He also began painting visual art that told human interest stories, grounded in periods of American history. Gabriel is the co-founder of Do-Right Ministries: a social mission that promotes a public discourse about mass incarceration and the need to see the humanity in the least of these through the original art that inmates produce. Do-Right Ministries demonstrates inmate’s redemptive, healing, forgiveness and atonement journey through their original mixed art media. About the Art The subject art is entitled: VALLEY-TO-MOUNTAINTOP: fear no evil. It symbolizes Dr. Martin Luther Kings’ life work: a life well lived, a job well done. Dr. King is looking out over the universe from his mountaintop experience, in spirit form, above the valleys of the shadow of death. The cross represents the cross of salvation. The nine stones represent the recent human massacre of the Charleston Mother Emanuel 9. Dr. King’s eyes portray a “majestic empathy” for what he knew and experienced when he fought for freedom and justice during his time, and what he knows now in the spirit realm as he witnesses injustices continued, while welcoming the Charleston Mother Emanuel 9. In spite of the struggle, his “majestic stare” suggests to the reader: fight on, in spite of obstacles; work on, alienate no one; unleash your energy of fortitude for justice and equality; forgive but don’t forget. Forge ahead to the finish line…FEAR NO EVIL!!!

2025 It was a blooming year! Our garden spilled over ... and now flowers can be seen all along the road. Discussing Douglass What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? We gathered in the Driscoll Art Gallery at the BrPL Main Branch to engage !!! Hosting our first "Discussing Douglass" meeting. We had a wonderful turnout with thought provoking stories and community conversations about Frederick Douglass and his famous speech "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?". Mayor Sullivan presented FDNA with their very own piece of the famous Liberty Tree in Brockton where Frederick Douglass made his speeches. This event was made possible in part with a grant from the Creative Impact Fund and Black Owned Brockton. Hope you will join us for the next "Discussing Douglass" event! Discussing Douglass “I Am a Radical Woman Suffrage Man” May 6, 2025 Driscoll Art Gallery BrPL Together, we reflected on the question: How can two people, raised the same way, end up with different rights? What’s changed — and what hasn’t? Our second "Discussing Douglass" event was a success! We were honored to be joined by State Representatives Rita Mendes and Michelle DuBois. Rep. Mendes shared exciting news: a $25,000 earmark for FDNA is included in the State Budget—pending approval! Gardening The garden near Paddy Lane is in full bloom! Many thanks to the volunteers and donations. Our garden is a respite of beauty in the middle of the city, thanks to you!! 🧤 Garden Meetups We’re organizing monthly garden days to keep everything looking great. Join us: 📆 Last Wednesday of Each Month at 5:00 PM Reading Frederick Douglass Together Saturday July 12, 2025 ~ In the Garden https://lightroom.adobe.com/shares/b0fecc8dbb754fc1aa5f583b281f4b61 Discussing Douglass The topic of our last “Discussing Douglass”event was Anna Murray Douglass, first wife of Frederick Douglass and a catalyst in his journey for freedom. She provided the foundation which made his work possible! Rev. Jill Wiley gave a powerful oration called “I Am Anna”. Willie Wilson gave an informative presentation, both of which sparked deep conversation among the attendees. The Liberty Tree Quilt provided a beautiful backdrop to the conversation. International Douglass Week Our members attended many of the events during Douglass Week (Sept 28-Oct 4). The organizers, Globe Lane Iniative, put together some fantastic activities in collaboration with the many historical groups across our region. Here are some photos of the historical walking tour of New Bedford that Willie Wilson and I attended, sponsored by Mass Humanities. Also in attendance that day was a descendant of Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington! Kenneth B. Morris Jr. is the great-great-great-grandson of Frederick Douglass and the co-founder of the Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives. He is also a descendant of Booker T. Washington, having both ancestors' legacies of anti-slavery and educational work. Morris has dedicated his life to advancing these legacies, and his organization works to end human trafficking and build strong children. It was a beautiful fall day! We were so proud that Globe Lane chose Boston as their 2025 location! ~ Cindy Click the link to see the schedule of events that were held. https://douglassweek.org/events2025

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

FDNA Annual Meeting 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 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 Contact If you'd like to attend any of our activities, send a note. FDNABrockton@gmail.com

/ 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.

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.

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

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.......

Brockton as a member of the Douglass Bicentennial Community. As part of the world-wide commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Frederick Douglass in 1818, the FDNA hosted a number of events, starting with "An Evening with Frederick Douglass" on April 12th. Our travelling exhibit (see details below) was shared with a number of institutions in the city, including the post office, city hall, local schools and the public library. In July, through the generosity of HarborOneBank, the area around our Liberty Tree was cleaned up and a new retaining wall installed. In August of 2018 Dr. Gary Hylander, local professor and historian, led a discussion at the library. His focus was on the time Douglass spent in New England. In October representatives of FDNA travelled to Lynn, Masachusetts for a day that included a tour of the graves of abolitionists in Lynn who were associates of Mr. Douglass, followed by a lively program of spoken word and song at the Washington Street Baptist Church. Our final event of the year was hosted by the Brockton Assembly of God Church and featured local history teacher and scholar Willie A. Wilson Jr who spoke on "Douglass: The Man, The Myth, The Legacy" and his relevance in today's troubled times. Our Douglass Bicentennial Exhibit (see information below) has been traveling Brockton and has been on view at City Hall, the Gilmore School, the Main Post Office, and at the Brockton Public Library where it was part of a July 24, 2018 unveiling and event to celebrate the Library's Immigration Dialogue Series Program. Video of Douglass Exhibit at City Hall Released as part of the Douglass Bicentennial Community Celebration For immediate release February 28, 2018 Contact FDNA - Lynn Smith, 774.381.8050 or madeline-smith@hotmail.com BROCKTON, MA ….. The Frederick Douglass Neighborhood Association (FDNA) has released a video highlighting its exhibit on Frederick Douglass that has been on view to the public during the month of February in the historic Brockton City Hall. City Hall historian Bob Martin and local teacher and historical society member Willie A. Wilson, Jr. provided the commentary for the exhibit, and the priceless Civil War paintings that surrounded in in the Grand Corridor of City Hall. Mr. Martin and Mrs. Wilson were joined for the taping by the President of the Frederick Douglass Neighborhood Association, Lynn Smith. The exhibit is one of several events planned through the City to honor Frederick Douglass, born in 1818, during this nationwide bicentennial celebration. FDNA has joined the Douglass Bicentennial Community. The United States Congress established a commission to plan and carry out programs across the United States to honor Frederick Douglass, one of the most transformative figures in United States history. Escaping from slavery in 1838, he was a writer, orator, and tireless fighter for equal rights and the end of slavery. During the time of the Civil War, Brockton was known as North Bridgewater. City Hall was built from 1892 to 1894. Douglass lived in New Bedford from 1838 to 1842, the year he moved to Lynn, Massachusetts. During this time frame he toured for the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society and gave many speeches in the eastern counties of Massachusetts. It is believed that he visited Brockton (North Bridgewater) during this period of his life. He spoke at a location not far from our Liberty Tree, on Frederick Douglass Avenue, renamed in his honor in 2014. The video was produced by Brockton Community Access and was filmed by Jay Miller. One of the most impactful moments in the filming was Mr. Martin’s description of “The Spirit of 1861”, a painting depicting a runaway slave escaping north, but facing a cruel pursuit by slave hunters with dogs. “I think that this painting, above all, sets the stage for the current Douglass exhibit,” said Mr. Martin. “The painting almost did not make it into the collection, but it is now an important reminder of the struggle echoed in the exhibit.” Mr. Wilson during his comments highlighted the painting of the Massachusetts 54th Regiment and its connection to the relationship that Douglass had with President Abraham Lincoln. The President asked Mr. Douglass to encourage black men to join the 54th – but among other issues, Mr. Douglass had grave concerns over the unequal pay scale between white soldiers and black. To view the video, visit Brockton Community Access at The Brockton Channels on YouTube and click this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUhnp4VYBEE The Douglass Exhibit will travel to the Main Post Office in Brockton on Commercial Street for display during the month of March. Then in August it will move to the Main Branch of the Brockton Public Library. Visitors there will also be able to see the round table made from the 1763 sycamore tree that once stood as a visual cue to Brockton’s stop on the Underground Railroad. Not far from that site is where Mr. Douglass, and many other abolitionists such as William Lloyd Garrison and Lucretia Mott, spoke out against slavery.

"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