For generations, Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church has been a pillar of Coconut Grove, not just as a place of worship but as a foundation for education and community strength.
Last summer, its legacy as Miami’s oldest Black church grew deeper with the launch of Freedom School — a new initiative within the church’s long-standing summer school program that adds lessons on Black history and culture to the program.
“We feel with the banning of books and the attacks on Black history… that it’s needed more than ever,” said Carolyn Donaldson, the church’s finance officer.
Designed to close academic gaps, boost confidence and instill cultural pride, the church’s summer school program has given local children a space to learn and grow since 1984.
Now, Macedonia is poised to expand the program with the addition of new classroom space, and the return of the Freedom School pilot program, which was developed in partnership with the Center for Ethics and Public Service (CEPS) at the University of Miami.
“I have a vision that we can do this in Coconut Grove. We can teach our children our history,” said Loretta Scippio-Whittle, a longtime Miami-Dade County educator, a member of Macedonia and a director of the program. “Teaching is like building a castle. Once you really teach somebody something, it never decays.”
Macedonia has long played a role in shaping young minds, offering after-school and summer programs for decades.
The church’s free six-week summer program, which is capped at 40 students grades K-12, takes place from June 16 to July 25 this year. The program includes academic instruction (reading and math), weekly field trips, music lessons and swimming.
The Freedom School component includes lessons on African history, slavery and emancipation, the Civil Rights movement, economic empowerment and social justice.
“By the end of the program, students will have engaged in thought-provoking discussions, explored complex issues, and embraced the rich history and culture of the Black community,” according to an outline for this year’s program.
For parents like Tashareaya Richards, whose daughter Jelaine attended last year’s Freedom School, the experience was invaluable.
“Before the Freedom School, I was worried about my daughter falling behind,” Richards said. “But the way they engage with the kids, the confidence they build — it makes all the difference.”
Scippio-Whittle recalled one student whose teachers at her regular school had labeled her as having a learning disability. But after the summer program, the child’s progress spoke for itself.
“When she first came to us, she wouldn’t talk,” Scippio-Whittle said. “By the end of the program, she was reading in front of everyone. She didn’t have a learning disability, she just needed the right environment.”
The Freedom School initiative was made possible through a collaboration between Macedonia and UM’s CEPS program, which has a long history of community advocacy in Coconut Grove. Kesha Merritt, a senior program manager at CEPS, emphasized the importance of empowering students beyond academics.
“This is about more than education,” Merritt said. “It’s about identity, civic engagement, and helping these kids see the power they hold within themselves.”
Merritt and her CEPS colleague, Anaise Boucher-Browning, worked closely with church leaders to develop a curriculum that balances academics with leadership development.
“The Freedom School is not just about what we teach, but how we teach,” Boucher-Browning said. “We want these kids to walk away knowing they are capable, they are valued, and they have the ability to make a difference.”
Enrollment in the summer program has been capped because of space limitations, but Macedonia is now working to add additional classroom space.
Donaldson, the church’s finance officer, said Macedonia plans to construct a two-story building addition with four new classrooms. The expansion is being supported, in part, with a $397,000 grant from the City of Miami, she said.
“When we get those classrooms built, that gives us the faith to expand the program,” she said.
Construction is expected to begin shortly. In the meantime, organizers remain focused on ensuring that each student enrolled in the summer program leaves feeling stronger and more prepared than when they arrived.
“When we see that they can reproduce what they learn here, that’s most rewarding,” Scippio-Whittle said. “It isn’t about teaching itself. It isn’t about money. It’s the finished product.”
Editor’s Note: For more information about Freedom School and the Macedonia summer school program, including enrollment, contact the church at 305-445-6459 or by email at [email protected]
