Freedom House is a nonprofit community-based organization in Roxbury,

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

(a neighborhood of

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

). Freedom House is located in an area sometimes referred to as Grove Hall that lies along Blue Hill Ave. at the border between the Roxbury and Dorchester neighborhoods of

. Although it was historically identified with Roxbury, Freedom House currently refers to itself as being located either in Dorchester or in Grove Hall.Freedom House
Official Web Site

Mission

The mission of Freedom House is to promote economic self-sufficiency and social justice for residents in historically underserved neighborhoods through targeted educational development, increased civic and political engagement and progressive cultural advocacy.

History

Freedom House was founded in 1949 as a center of civil rights and advocacy for Boston's African American community. The founders were the social workers (and married couple) Otto P. Snowden and Muriel S. Snowden. The initial goal of Freedom House was to centralize community activism in the fight for neighborhood improvement, good schools, and harmony among racial, ethnic, and religious groups in Roxbury (a neighborhood of

.About Freedom House
"Freedom House Photographs: Roxbury People, Places and Events 1950-1975," Northeastern University Libraries, 2008. Criticized in the 1960s by black militants for taking a "self-help" approach to racial equality, Freedom House re-examined its mission, and went on to play an increasingly critical role in the struggle for civil rights in Boston, especially during the period of desegregation of Boston's public schools. Freedom House's original location was at 151 Humboldt Street in Roxbury. In 1952, it moved to 14 Crawford Street on the Grove Hall section of Roxbury. On the night of January 31, 1960, a fire destroyed the Crawford Street facility. A rebuilding campaign ensued, and Boston Mayor John F. Collins was the first to "buy a brick" to help in this effort. The rebuilt facility opened in 1961 and remains the current home of the organization.Finding aid for the records of Freedom House
Northeastern University Libraries, Archives and Special Collections, Boston, MA. In 1984, Muriel and Otto Snowden retired as co-directors. A number of directors have served since then; the Executive Director is currently the Snowden's daughter, Gail Snowden. In 1996, Freedom House considered merging with other community organizations, although in the end it decided not to do so.

Activities

The initial focus of the organization was on urban renewal; neighborhood improvement programs designed to protect Upper Roxbury from urban blight began in 1949 when Freedom House helped to organize neighborhood clean-up projects and playground construction. Concerned over the escalating number of bars in the neighborhood, Freedom House led the community in an effort to reduce the number of new and renewed applications for liquor licenses.Freedom House Photographs
Online exhibit. Northeastern University Libraries, Archives and Special Collections. Boston, MA.. Early programming also focused on strengthening relations between the African American and Jewish residents of Upper Roxbury. An interracial preschool, one of few in the city, was established and Freedom House participated in a Black-Jewish Roundtable fostering business ties and friendships between black and Jewish entrepreneurs. In the area of education, Freedom House administered Project Reach, supported by a private donation, which gave scholarship funds for minority students to go to college. Freedom House also provided scholarship counseling. A travel/study program provided scholarships for high school students to study in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

for the summer. In the years before court-ordered desegregation, Freedom House also raised money to support Operation Exodus, a voluntary desegregation project that bused predominantly African American students from overcrowded schools in Roxbury and Dorchester to predominantly white, underenrolled schools in other parts of Boston. In 1966, Operation Exodus discontinued busing children; the Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity (

METCO The Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity, Inc. (METCO, Inc.) is the largest and second-longest continuously running voluntary school desegregation program in the country and a national model for the few other voluntary desegregation bu ...

) began busing Boston children between the city and suburban schools on a voluntary basis. Exodus bused children within the

City of Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- most p ...

while

was a separate program of urban and suburban exchange.

School desegregation School integration in the United States is the process (also known as desegregation) of ending race-based segregation within American public and private schools. Racial segregation in schools existed throughout most of American history and rema ...

was court-ordered in Boston in 1974, and in that year, the Freedom House Institute on Schools and Education was established. The Institute began as a means of information dissemination to African-American families, as well as to ensure the safety of school children being bused to neighborhoods attempting to block the desegregation order. The Institute grew to become a locus of community action, offering tutoring and teacher training, and providing a forum for communication between families and city administrators. In the area of employment, Freedom House held job fairs, including Boston's first job fair for minorities, and promoted affirmative action. They raised money for college scholarships for black students and for study programs in Africa. They even established a credit union.Edgar J. Driscoll Jr., Globe Staff (1988, October 1). "Muriel Snowden, 72; Cofounder of Freedom House in Roxbury" (Obituary, third edition) ''Boston Globe'', p. 75. Retrieved December 17, 2008, from Boston Globe database via Proquest Massachusetts Newspapers (restricted to subscribers). Freedom House has often acted as a forum and meeting place for the community, in times of grief as well as in times of celebration. The Center has held galas, fashion shows and tea parties to raise money for causes that it supported, celebrated the anniversaries and birthdays of notables like

Edward Brooke Edward William Brooke III (October 26, 1919 – January 3, 2015) was an American politician of the Republican Party, who represented Massachusetts in the United States Senate from 1967 until 1979. Prior to serving in the Senate, he served as th ...

, an African-American U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, and held Christmas and Halloween parties for children. More than 500 residents attended a mass meeting at Freedom House after the murder of 16-year-old Daniela Saunders in 1963. Currently, Freedom House programs focus on education, technology, and leadership development. Freedom House provides tutoring for the MCAS (Mass. school achievement tests), access to a computer lab, and technology training. Freedom House also works with other organizations and the

to lower the dropout rate in Boston's high schools.

References

External links

Freedom House Photographs
Over 2,000 photographic images from the Northeastern University Libraries, Archives and Special Collections. *Th
Freedom House, Inc. records, 1941-2004 (bulk 1949-1986)
are located in the Northeastern University Libraries, Archives and Special Collections Department, Boston, MA. *Th
Muriel S. and Otto P. Snowden papers, 1911-1990 (bulk 1947-1985)
are located in the Northeastern University Libraries, Archives and Special Collections Department, Boston, MA. {{coord, 42, 18, 37.6, N, 71, 5, 3.2, W, region:US, display=title Roxbury, Boston Organizations established in 1949 Movements for civil rights Civil rights organizations in the United States African Americans' rights organizations Non-profit organizations based in Boston Organizations based in Boston 1949 establishments in Massachusetts