Family Freedom Center

ENGAGE EMPOWER & EDUCATE!

Family Freedom Center works to empower the community by reconstructing socio-cultural narratives and unapologetically embracing what it means to be Black, both historically and in the present day. Family Freedom Center does this by facilitating culturally specific and inclusive spaces aimed to engage, empower, and educate community members in Duluth and the broader Twin Ports area. This work began with our inception in 2015 as an initiative within Community Action Duluth, to take a culturally responsive approach to the war against poverty. Family Freedom Center operates an inner-city youth center, "The Center", that serves ~450 youth annually. The Center provides free meals to youth daily, as well as food and grocery assistance to families, and offers culturally relevant workshops that prepare youth for adulthood by helping them develop financial literacy, healthy living, and leadership skills.                                    

Neighborhood Youth Services (NYS) at the Washington Center, in Duluth MN, is now a part of Family Freedom Center! As the new operators of The Center, we're honored to bring our services to Hillside and help create a safe and prosperous space for children and families in this community. 

We adopted the Neighborhood Youth Services program as part of our organization, because we believe in its mission to help our kids succeed both in school and at home. NYS was founded over 30 years ago, and we want to uphold its tradition of being a haven for children and families, while adding new educational and recreational programs that will benefit the families of Hillside.

Mission: The Family Freedom Center seeks to empower the community by reconstructing cultural and socio-economic narratives and unapologetically embracing what it means to be Black, both historically and present day. Family Freedom Center will do this by exploring alternative means of education and providing resources that bridge the gap between community and students.  This bridge will engage members of the organization with love, respect, guidance, knowledge, and pride. Family Freedom Center programs will foster positive change in various systemic landscapes that directly impact the Black community while being inclusive to the Duluth community at large.

In practice, Family Freedom Center works to meet this mission with community allies. This began with our inception in 2015 as Family Freedom Schools, a program within Community Action Duluth. In 2018 Family Freedom Center was awarded our 501(c)3 status. We continue to build cultural resilience and deliver relevant programs that address structural racism and aspects of internalized oppression that affect marginalized families in Duluth. Family Freedom Center Founder Xavier Bell, built Family Freedom Center on 4 pillars.

Developing Family Self Sufficiency  

Economic Development through Micro-Business 

Youth and Family Education  

Intersection of Race/Poverty and Class