$200,000 Grant from Community Foundation of Sarasota County Expands Manasota ASALH Freedom School
Sarasota , FL — The Manasota ASALH Freedom School (MAFS), which provides accurate, engaging lessons in African and African American history, is set to expand its reach thanks to a second round of funding — a $200,000 grant from the Marilyn G. Harwell Fungible Fund, a component fund of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County.
Launched in 2023 by the Manasota Branch of ASALH (the Association for the Study of African American Life and History), the Freedom School empowers K–12 students with knowledge of Black history — history that is increasingly restricted in Florida’s public schools.
Freedom Schools were established during the Civil Rights Movement to significantly augment Black history education in the segregated South at a time when it was nearly absent from public school curriculum. In selecting the curriculum for our Freedom School program, we were intentional about choosing content that is both historically accurate and culturally responsive.
Inspired by the original Freedom School movement, MAFS continues the tradition and carries forward its legacy in the Sarasota and Manatee communities by offering any and all K–12 students an honest and enriching education in African and African American history. This curriculum is not just about teaching Black history—it’s about cultivating critical thinking, identity development, and civic engagement in all students, regardless of background.
This new grant builds on initial support provided during the pilot program and will allow for continued growth through a mobile Freedom School model. Manasota ASALH will partner with three community organizations to bring history education directly into neighborhoods:
• Roy McBean Boys & Girls Club (Sarasota)
•Sarasota Housing Authority (Sarasota) •13th AV Dream Center (Manatee County) These partnerships will expand access to free, high-quality education and deepen community connections across the region. Manasota ASALH Freedom School will also continue its valued partnership with Girls Inc. of Sarasota County.
Further, a grant through the Community Foundation of Sarasota County Allen Wirtz Nobbe and Jo Bowen Nobbe Fund in the amount of $10,000 will directly support the work at the Roy McBean Boys & Girls Club this summer.
“We are honored to expand our Freedom School and reach even more students thanks to the generosity of the Harwell Fungible Fund Community Foundation,”
said Jada WrightGreene, Executive Director of Manasota ASALH. “Teaching Black history is not just about the past — it’s about creating a better-informed, more just future for everyone in our community.”
The grant is provided by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County’s Marilyn G. Harwell Fundgible Fund. Marilyn Harwell was in the vanguard of women in publishing in New York City and she became a prominent Sarasota philanthropist and a highly impactful community leader and volunteer.
“Marilyn Harwell was dedicated to advancing the teaching of comprehensive Black American history as a means to open doors to lifelong success and I am confident she would applaud and encourage others to support the work of Manasota ASALH’s Freedom School that is filling the critical gap in our public education,” says Caren Lobo.
The curriculum covers topics such as the history of Africa, the Middle Passage, Reconstruction, the Civil Rights Movement, and the ongoing contributions of Black Americans.
The Freedom School is free and led by certified teachers and trained volunteers.
