About
Mission
To prepare, publish and present an authentic accurate and factual model that teaches African American history, culture, experiences and substantial contributions of African Americans in the state of Florida’s K-12 curriculum and other educational venues.
“I'm for truth, no matter who tells it. I'm for justice, no matter
who it is for or against. I'm a human being, first and
foremost, and as such I'm for whoever and whatever benefits
humanity as a whole.”
Objectives
- Subheadline To encourage the accurate and unbiased teaching of African American history,
culture, experiences and invaluable contributions in the state of Florida and this
nation - To develop strategies and solutions to support and strengthen public education in
marginalized communities - To develop and adequately support 40 Freedom Academies across the state of
Florida - To create significant afterschool programs for students in Title One schools in
marginalized communities across the state of Florida, using an age-appropriate
African American History Curriculum to strengthen reading, writing and mathematics
skills - To create summer “Freedom Schools” to teach youth the importance of African
Americans contributions, self-respect, personal responsibility and African American
contributions - To empower and encourage the three private HBCUs in Florida to develop
laboratory schools on their respective campuses by 2025 - To cultivate and create partnerships with foundations, businesses and
philanthropists to support programs and events that consistently celebrate the
contributions of African American history, culture, literature, faith and heritage
Task Force Sub-Committees
- Curriculum Development Committee
- Resource and Research Committee
- Selection of 40 Start-up Schools Committee
- HBCUs Laboratory School Committees
- Partnership and Coalition Building Committee
- Development of After School Freedom Academies Committee
- Save and Strengthen Our Public Schools Committee
- Publishing of Black History Stories and Facts in Black Newspapers Across America
Committee
Task Force Leadership
Reverend Dr. RB Holmes, Jr., Chair
Pastor, Bethel Missionary Baptist Church,
Tallahassee; Chair, Social Justice Ministry
Florida General Baptist Convention, Inc.;
President, Tallahassee Chapter/National Action
Network
Reverend Dr. James Wright, II, Co-Chair
Associate Professor and Co-Director of the
Social Justice and Innovation Lab
Florida State University
Dr. Dana Thompson Dorsey, JD, Co-Chair
Associate Professor of Educational Leadership
and Policy Studies, University of South Florida
Dr. Larry E. Rivers, Honorary, Chair
Author, Slavery in Florida; Distinguished
Professor, Florida A&M University
Dr. Marvin Dunn Honorary, Chair
Author: Territorial Days to Emancipation; Author:
A History of Florida through Black Eyes
Barbara Ruth Arnwine, Esquire
Founder and President, Transformative Justice Coalition
Vince Evans
Executive Director, Congressional Black Caucus
Dr. Linda Groomes
CEO, Achieving My Purpose, Inc.
Dr. Ronald Holmes
Author and Education Consultant
Cecil Howard, Esquire
Regional Director, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity;
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Consultant
Reverend Dr. Alphonso Jackson, Jr.
Director, Young Pastor’s Division, Florida
General Baptist Convention, Inc.; Executive
Pastor, New Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church,
Miami, Florida
Pastor Marcus E. McCoy, Jr.
Senior Pastor, Historic Greater Refuge
Memorial Church, Orlando, Florida; CEO, Equal
Ground; Faith Director, Faith Outreach
Elder James Morris
Presiding Bishop, CME Council of Churches
Professor Delacy Sanford
Director of Upward Bound, Edward Waters
University, Jacksonville, Florida
Valerie Scoon
Teaching Professor at Florida State University
Film School; Former film executive at Harpo
Films, Warner Bros. and PBS
Reverend Dr. Brett Snowden
Dean, Florida General Baptist Convention, Inc.
Congress of Christian Education; Dean,
National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.
Congress of Christian Education; Pastor,
Greater Bethel Missionary
