This series, “Growing Freedom in Brooklyn,” is based on archival research done on the East at the Brooklyn History Center using articles from the paper Black News. TWCG focused on creating organic gardens that would provide fresh food for residents of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brownsville, East New York, and other Black and brown communities throughout Brooklyn. These weren't small hobby gardens – they were serious food production sites designed to address the food apartheid that left these communities with limited access to fresh, healthy produce. The organization transformed vacant lots into beautiful gardens producing both food crops and flowers. During the summer of 1978, TWCG hired 55 teenagers to convert abandoned properties into community gardens right in their own neighborhoods. This approach did more than create gardens – it created jobs, taught valuable skills, and gave young people a direct role in improving their communities. The teens weren't just laborers; they were community leaders in training. TWCG held weekly educational workshops that taught them about the importance of their work and their potential as change agents in their neighborhoods. Through partnerships with Cornell University, Medgar Evers College, Uhuru Sasa Shule, Pratt University, and the New York City Board of Education, these workshops provided high-quality instruction that connected practical gardening skills with broader lessons about community development and self-determination.
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