By Joanie Harmon for The LA Sentinel
Originally published July 22, 2026
Since 2011, Community Coalition (CoCo), has supported a cohort of Freedom Schools scholars in South Los Angeles, in partnership with the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF). The six-week program aims at mitigating summer learning loss and providing students with a safe and positive environment while out of school.
CoCo pays for every aspect of the South LA program, held at The SEED School. Daily breakfast and lunch, books, materials and weekly field trips are provided free for Freedom Schools Scholars from grades 3-12, as well as transportation for those who need it.
Christian Flagg, CoCo’s director of youth organizing, serves as program director of Freedom Schools. He said that 70% of this year’s cohort attended last year’s program and that siblings following in their footsteps have increased its impact on addressing gaps in academic success and mental wellness.
“A lot of the work that we know needs to happen to support our students is structural,” said Flagg. “In the summertime, if young people don’t have structured programming, there is a regression [and] space for them to not have the best experience, if left to … idle hands.”
Each day begins with an assembly called, “HARAMBEE,” a Swahili word that means to “all pull together.” The assembly propels Scholars toward a productive day with music, movement and esteem-building songs and chants, as well as guest speakers, who read a book aloud. As well as sharing culturally-relevant literature, Flagg said the guest speakers, among them lawyers, business owners and community organizers, provide the students with exposure to “a professional that can represent possibility for their future.”
Christina Griffin-Jones of California Cause read “Born on the Water” to Freedom Schools Scholars at a recent HARAMBEE assembly. The book by Nikole Hannah-Jones, author of “The 1619 Project,” and Newbery Medal winner Renée Watson, describes a young girl’s search for her family’s unknown history, due to the enslavement of their African ancestors.
“My heart is just so full right now because I remember how much I loved being read to when I was young,” said Griffin-Jones. “People who looked like me and [were] from my community shared their love of reading. I knew that reading wasn’t something that they were trying to torture me to do, but … a lifelong commitment.”
“The federal government has gutted the reading curriculum that reflects Black and Brown youth,” said Mitchell. “Having a summer program that not only staves off learning loss but elevates cultural values that allow students to see themselves while inspiring them to read and connect to content, is so important.”
The day continues with curriculum created by the CDF, taught by college students and recent graduates who work as Servant Leadership Interns (SLIs). Reading within grade levels is followed by lunch and an afternoon rotation of STEAM-related arts activities and gym time.
Favour Akingbemi was born in Nigeria and grew up in Los Angeles. She recently graduated from Yale and plans to teach middle or high school math. This summer is her third session as a SLI.
“Kids have things in their personal lives [that] can impact the way they show up and interact with each other and with us as well,” Akingbemi said. “We’re equipped with tools to deal with those things and … support to handle situations where kids may not be having the best day. Being able to reinforce that belief in them that they can get through it and find strategies to cope with things … is very rewarding.”
Laueens Jeanbaptiste, who will start his second year at CSU Northridge this fall, worked as support staff for Freedom Schools last year and this year, was hired as a SLI.
Jeanbaptiste, whose parents emigrated to the United States from Haiti when he was seven, attended Freedom Schools for two years.
“It was a great opportunity for me to apply this year to be a SLI, to be a teacher, to lead the youth and hold this space in their mind as a leader,” he said. “It’s a blessing … to help the youth know their full potential and grow into the people they know they can be.”
“Both [students] and some of the teachers we work with have consistently reported that our Scholars showed improved academic performance, social skills, and a positive outlook on their future,” says Mitchell. “Our organizers who work with LAUSD teachers and administrators attest to the positive impact it has on students once they return to school in the fall.”
“Our goal is to encourage scholars to believe in their ability and responsibility to make a difference in themselves, their families, schools, communities, country and the world through hope, education and action,” she says.
Freedom Schools was inspired by the 1964 Freedom Summer Project, founded by Dr. Marian Wright Edelman, the first African American woman admitted to The Mississippi Bar. The project’s aim was to register as many African American voters as possible in Mississippi.
