The 1619 Freedom School is a free community-based, after-school literacy program where students improve literacy skills and develop a love for reading through liberating instruction centered on Black American history. We partner with the Waterloo Community School District to identify students who are the most behind in reading and to monitor student reading and academic progress as a result of participating in our program.
Our motto, “Liberation Through Literacy,” resides within the Black tradition of belief that education is the key to freedom, and seeks to remind our children and our community that they come from a heritage of Black people who so believed in the power of literacy that they risked their lives for literacy during slavery, when it was illegal for Black Americans to learn to read and write.
The 1619 Freedom School is an independent nonprofit that relies on generous supporters like you to serve our mission.
Join us!