Community Fellows, Summer 2023: Celebrating the African Spirit
The mission of Celebrating the African Spirit (CAS) is to acknowledge, articulate, research and commemorate the lives of enslaved Africans in Poughkeepsie, New York. Our work is rooted in the reality that slavery existed in the MidHudson Region, and in Poughkeepsie from the earliest days, and enslaved adults and children were major contributors to the growth of what is now the City of Poughkeepsie and the Mid-Hudson Region. The works, language and traditions of Africans, both enslaved and free, are part of the legacy, which is American history, and should be taught to, and treasured by, all Americans. This lack of knowledge contributes to ongoing denial regarding the consequences of centuries of slavery, our violent and racist past, and the pervasiveness of racism and inequality in America today.
Project or Position Title: Community Outreach and Summer Youth Coordinator
Project or Position Description:
The summer will be a busy time for CAS, bookended by Juneteenth and by Frederick Douglass Day in August. Yet the centerpiece of CAS’s summer work will again be our intensive Summer Youth Program. CAS recognizes the importance of educating others about Poughkeepsie’s history of enslaved Africans and their descendants. Last summer, we piloted a two-and-a-half-week program to learn with four Poughkeepsie high schoolers about these stories, and the voices that have gone unheard in our community.
This summer we plan to revise the program somewhat and to increase the number of high school students to between 8 and 12. Since 2021, CAS’s program has been built for students of the diverse Poughkeepsie community to learn more about where they come from and to find their voices through connecting current issues in their communities to longstanding histories.. By the end of this program, participants became grounded in historical research and work with local historians, graphic designers & printers to develop visual memorials – primarily posters – though we will consider expanding the possibilities for a final project. Students also develop practical skills, including graphic programming and design. At the end of the summer sessions, students will display their work and participate in our annual Frederick Douglass Day on July 29, 2023.
Summary of Duties and Responsibilities:
For the past two summers, CAS has been fortunate to have two Vassar summer Community Fellows each time, and they were critical to this program, assisting with outreach and the application forms, designing materials and co-designing the syllabus, and maintaining close relationships with the high school student participants. Now that we have a basic model in place, this summer’s CF will co-coordinate revising and implementing the process and being key to the functioning of the program and its many dimensions.
Last summer, students met in different locations, including the historic Clinton House in downtown Poughkeepsie, the Media Classroom of the Vassar library, and Vassar’s Loeb Art Center. The two-and-a-half-week program included multiple outside sessions with local community members, graphic designers, and artists. A real highlight was also our day-trip to New York City to visit the African Burial Ground and the Schomburg Center for Black Research and Culture.
Specific Skills/Experience Required for the Project:
- People skills, including experience with both K-12 and older generations of folks.
- Comfortability and ease with a Black-led and centered, multiracial, multi-class, multi-generational community organization and priorities
- Communications, technical, and social media skills.
- Artistic/design ability.
- Punctuality, self-discipline, and acute awareness of how the Community Fellow will be modeling engagement, participation, and general behavior for the high school student participants throughout the duration of the program.
Other Requirements:
Ability to drive a car and gain permission from Vassar to borrow a Vassar vehicle would be a godsend for CAS, as there are student pick-ups and other local transportation needs.
Mentorship Opportunities from Organization:
CAS has learned a good deal from our past two summer intensives, including the importance of strong mentorship from the get-go. CAS members themselves pride themselves in being different models of adult leadership and community-minded involvement and learning throughout our lives. Vassar Community Fellow(s) will get a good sense of how to engage with different City of Poughkeepsie communities and will be able to turn to us for resources and counsel.
Time Commitment:
- Fellows should expect to be available during the organization’s work hours.
- Occasional weekend and evening hours for events, meetings.
APPLY HERE!
Help us celebrate, honor, and revitalize the words of Frederick Douglass at College Hill Park. Frederick Douglass spoke in Poughkeepsie in 1858, and together we celebrate his life with drumming, singing, dancing, and readings of his words.