Building Freedom Teams: A Community Model for Addressing Bias, Harm & Division

Communities everywhere are asking the same question: How do we respond to bias, hate, and division in ways that are constructive, supportive, and healing (not just reactive)?

Join dynamic speaker and Freedom Team founder jamele adams as he introduces the Freedom Team model: local groups of community members who provide support, response, and pathways toward reconciliation when individuals experience bias or hate. 

This free program is open to community members, town leaders, educators, faith communities, nonprofit organizations, and anyone seeking constructive ways to address bias, conflict, and division locally.

The Freedom Team approach is proactive, responsive, and restorative, helping communities both address incidents and strengthen connection before harm occurs. Freedom Team members meet monthly to explore ways to offer dialogue and support to individuals and the broader community, with the goal of promoting love, inclusion, and trust (“LIT”) and moving beyond tolerance toward embracing, celebrating, and sharing our community’s diversity.

Freedom Teams help communities:

• Navigate difficult conversations
• Repair harm and rebuild trust
• Reduce division
• Develop clear, constructive next steps
• Connect individuals with community-based organizations and resources
• Offer training in restorative justice and more

Freedom Teams are part of a growing network, with teams in Waltham, Hopkinton, Franklin, Scituate, Wellesley, and other communities. Together, this Collaborative Freedom Team Network provides mutual support, shared training, and ongoing connection.

What You’ll Learn:

Founder jamele adams will discuss:

• The origin and purpose of the Freedom Team model
• The types of situations Freedom Teams address
• Who should be involved in a local team
• How to start a Freedom Team in your town or community
• How individuals can access a Freedom Team for support

You’ll also hear real-world perspectives from Freedom Team members working in schools, higher education, and public safety.

Featured Speakers:

• Featured Presenter: jamele adams – Founder, Freedom Team model
• Featured Contributors:
  • Don Greenstein – Natick Freedom Team; Ombuds, Brandeis University
  • Chief James Hicks – Natick Freedom Team; Chief of Police, Natick Police Department
  • Elizabeth Robinson – Scituate Freedom Team; Brockton Public Schools
  • Ritika Gandla – Franklin Freedom Team; Student Leader

About jamele adams:

jamele adams remains very well known in the New York City area in slam poetry circles. Known as Harlym 125, jamele was a frequent and highly regarded figure in competitions in New York and beyond. jamele has become a part of the Boston area poetry scene and joined a team of poets who have won numerous competitions regionally and nationally. jamele has also become well known in the Boston area for his work leading workshops dealing with issues of diversity. Several times in the last couple ofyears, jamele has been called to local high schools, colleges and communities to help bring a calm and constructive unity after racial incidents have happened. Known for his work, jamele is asked to be a panelist or to give presentations on a broad range of topics regarding diversity and pluralism, and also is asked to prepare presentations in response to very specific incidents or conditions. jamele appears at dozens of college campuses every year. He is the "HUMAN HIGHLIGHT OF POETRY AND EDUACTIVISM."