With the help of our foundations, local businesses, and loyal donors and friends like yourself, Freedom House is blazing a new trail for the 21st century. Please click below for more information.

Freedom House is designated a 501(c)3 organization. All contributions are tax deductable

222wwff

Our History

Freedom House was founded in 1949 by Otto and Muriel Snowden. Following their retirement in 1984, Freedom House has been managed by a series of Directors: Cynthia Parris, 1984; Acting Director Ambrose Nangeroni and other board members, 1984-1986;Toye Brown, 1987 1991; Juanita Wade, 1991-1995; Acting Director, Juanda Johnson, 1995-1996; Interim Director Norman Huggins, 1996; Interim Director Ron Ancrum, 1997-1999; Harlan Jones, 1999-2001; Scott Darling, 2001-2002; Ricardo O. Neal, 2003-2008. Gail Snowden became Chief Executive Officer in October, 2008.

In 1987, the New Directions Initiative was created to increase access for African Americans and other minorities to relevant education and training programs, leading to more jobs and higher income levels. Another major activity during the 1980s was in the area of economic development and housing in the Grove Hall section of Roxbury and Dorchester. Educational programming focused almost entirely on basic skill building, college preparation, computer literacy, and access to scholarships.

Project REACH (the Road to Educational Achievement) was launched in 1988, from a private donation, to provide financial support for the college education of 50 African American and Hispanic Boston high school graduates a year between 1988 and 1992. Project REACH quickly emerged as a community-based program to produce a cadre of future leaders and provide critical scholarship counseling. Over 300 young people received their diplomas and several now serve on the Freedom House Board of Directors.

Despite the economic recession which began in 2009 and continues into 2010, Freedom House continues to launch new programs and searches for sustainable funding from foundations, corporations and donors through its Campaign for Sustainability. Freedom House received a capacity building grant from the Boston Foundation in March 2010 for its college program and organizational needs.

Freedom House focuses on education, technology and leadership development initiatives. Programs organized under the Reach Institute include Project Listen for high school students, PUSH for College Students, One Step Closer serving young adults who have dropped our of high school, the Goldenaires senior group and there are very promising programs currently in development in the forthcoming Snowden Center for Civic Engagement and Action.

View the Freedom House archives online at Northeastern University.

Our Staff

Chief Executive Officer - Gail Snowden

Snowden served as Board Chair of Freedom House from 1996 to 2001 and Chair Emeritus from 2001-2008. Snowden is a 36 year veteran of the banking industry and a nationally recognized leader in urban community development. She developed and led the community investment efforts at BankBoston and Fleet which resulted in the formation of a nationally recognized specialized retail and investment group with a targeted focus on urban low income communities and minority and women owned business. She also served as President of the Fleet Foundation. Snowden most recently was the Chief Financial Officer and Vice President for Finance and Operations at the Boston Foundation from 2004-2007. She is a graduate of Harvard College and earned her MBA at Simmons College. Snowden has received numerous awards and honorary degrees from leading Boston area colleges and universities including Simmons, the University of Massachusetts Boston, Babson College, and several others.

Board of Directors

Kwabena Abboa-Offei, Chair
Lori Smith Britton, Vice-Chair
Richard Olson, Jr., Treasurer
Herbert S. Cohen, Esq., Secretary-Clerk

Board Members

Nigel Charlton
Antoinette Coakley, Esq.
Michael F. Glavin
Lisa J. Guscott
Gintas Kriscuianas
Jessica P. Lipnack, Ph.D
Gregory Magny, PMP
Tulaine Shabazz Marshall
Dr. J. Keith Motley
Susan M. O’Connor
William L. Parker, Esq.
Jeffrey Zinsmeyer

Administrative Team

Vonnessa Goode-Knight
Program Manager
Preparing Urban Students for Success in Higher Education
vgoodeknight@freedomhouse.com

Marie Hovis
Executive Assistant
mhovis@freedomhouse.com

Kimberly Amyouny
PUSH Case Manager
kamyouny@freedomhouse.com

Marcial Victorino
IT/Desktop Specialist
marcial@freedomhouse.com

Facilities Team

Curtis Handsom
Facilities Coordinator
chandsom@freedomhouse.com