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Dear Friends,
Black History Month has us asking big questions. Can we bridge the political divide? Can we create systems of racial and social justice? Will all of our children get the education they deserve?
To do our part, FabNewport has several strategies:
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We are inspiring young people to grow skills that empower students with the confidence to make the changes they want to see in the world. The youth are our best hope for the future. Our impact is evident in the student profiles which you can find in our magazine and in this eblast below.
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We are bringing the adults into this. As part of a trust-building campaign, we meet bi-weekly with Newport school administrators and community leaders of color (see the feature on Sankofa below) to grow a deeper understanding of the historical inequities while working towards a more just future. We must heal before we can deal!
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We are deepening our connections with local and national practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and funders who understand the power of creating forward-thinking educational systems that put the students and the community at the center.
In this issue, we share stories about:
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Sankofa Community Connection, an organization working to increase “pride of place” within Newport County’s African American community.
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Deborah Adekunle, a PVD Young Makers Intern who is making an impact on after-school programs in Providence and nationally.
We invite you to celebrate and honor Black History not only this month but all year!
Sincerely yours,
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Sankofa / Building Trust and Equity
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As you likely know, FabNewport’s mission is to “Inspire the maker in all of us.” As an organization, we initially focused on inspiring youth to make things as a way to gain new skills. Now our focus is increasingly on helping middle and high school students “make their lives” more broadly. Partnering with FabNewport to help with this is a Newport-based non-profit organization called Sankofa Community Connection. This local non-profit is working to increase “pride of place” within Newport County’s African American community. As part of our celebration of Black History Month, we want to introduce you to Sankofa Community Connection and the three women who run it.
Sankofa’s leadership team consists of Niko Merritt (Founding Executive Director), Ellen Pinnock (President), and Nycole “Marvelous” Matthews (Vice President). These three women have many things in common: they are all BIPOC (Black, Indigenous or People Of Color) residents of Newport County, they all have children that have participated in FabNewport activities, they all see a need for an organization that would bring awareness, encouragement and education to empower the BIPOC and African American community in Newport County, and they all also currently work at FabNewport.
We encourage you to read more about Sankofa, including its leadership role in a Newport based Trust and Equity Alliance, here.
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ASA Ambassador and Youth Advocate
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We were excited that Debbie, who you've likely read about before in our communications, was profiled by the national advocacy organization, the Afterschool Alliance, of which she is an ambassador. Her profile is below and you can find the video on Instagram at AFTERSCHOOL4ALL.
Deborah Adekunle, a 16-year-old high school intern in FabNewport’s PVD Young Makers program, moved to Providence from Nigeria 5 years ago. Debbie, as she likes to be called, was introduced to the PVD Young Makers program through Wanskuck Community Library’s makerspace. In the three years since she got involved in PVD Young Makers, Debbie’s commitment to her own growth, as well as those middle school students she now mentors, has caught the attention of lots of people in Providence, and beyond.
For the 2020-2021 school year, Debbie was chosen to represent PVD Young Makers as a Youth Ambassador in the Afterschool Alliance, a national organization that works to ensure that all youth have access to affordable, quality afterschool programs. The Alliance said of Debbie, “Through her two afterschool programs, Debbie has been able to make an incredible impact in her community.”
As part of our coverage during Black History Month, FabNewport is excited to highlight Debbie’s work and achievements during the past three years! |
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Wanting to know more about us?
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This e-blast is for keeping the entire FabNewport extended community of supporters up-to-date on our work. If you have thoughts, questions, or feedback, I'd love your input!
Drop me a line and let me know what you'd like to see, read, or hear about in future communications. 
I can't wait to hear from you!
Cheers,
Daniel Restrepo,
Director of Communications.
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