Dear Freedom Writers

Dear Freedom Writers,

My name is Dr. Jendayi Mbalia. I am pleased to make your acquaintance. Please allow me a moment of your time to share with you a bit more about Freedom Writes and why we exist.

I have worked as an educator in various capacities for over ten years. Throughout my time working with students, I noticed a disconnect. Particularly, I noticed Black and Brown students were disengaged in their learning spaces. As I continued my professional and academic career, I began to research this disconnect/disengagement. I asked questions of both students and teachers. The most important question I asked was, “why don’t you like this class?” I received many responses, most of which pointed to a lack of connection between the students, the materials, and the teacher. The Black and Brown students that I worked with did not feel seen. Their identities, experiences, and desires were left out of their learning narratives. As a result, I explored what it would look like to intentionally include their identities, experiences, and desires in their learning.

Here we are today. Freedom Writes is an education company designed with the identities of Black and Brown students in mind. Our work is rooted in the intentional inclusion of their identities, experiences, and desires. Our vision, equitable learning experiences for all students, is one we hope you help us to actualize. We invite you to partner with Freedom Writes and help to reshape current and future learning spaces by transforming them into spaces of freedom.

In Solidarity,

Dr. Jendayi Mbalia