From January to February 2025, Freedom House Scholars and Junior Coaches collaborated with the Reckonings Project for a five-week public speaking and storytelling program centered on Roxbury and Dorchester community histories. Guided by Collin Knight from LiveLikeALocalTours, Dzidzor Azaglo and Uta Poiger from Reckonings, and Kevin Williams and Khalimah Kemp from Freedom House, the Scholars participated in workshops that strengthened their skills in public speaking, critical analysis, and narrative design.
Working in teams, scholars explored interview materials of Chris and Kai Grant, Gisel Urena, and Gail Snowden from Freedom House’s intergenerational oral history project. One team studied the connections that founding charter member Melnea Cass had to Freedom House in the 1950s. Through discussions, zine-making, and team presentations, the Scholars examined themes of memory, identity, and local activism, linking community voices to their own lived experiences and visions of the future. The program culminated in two public showcases, one at Freedom House in February and one at Grove Hall Public Library in April 2025, where Scholars shared their thoughts in lively team presentations. This site provides highlights from their creative process and the voices they chose to uplift.