Page 3 - NCF Report – February

NCF Monthly Report – February 15 (submitted on February 21)

k. The role of the military in the defense and promotion of freedom
l. Conflicts between different freedoms

There are many additional relevant themes, topics, and opportunities that will become clear as
the project evolves. The catalyst and inspiration for all programming will be the memory of the
significant events that took place at Fort Monroe.
2. Accept the Universal Declaration of Rights (UDHR) as a core document listing agreed upon
rights. Rights and freedom are always interrelated and inseparable. The National Center for
Freedom acknowledges the UDHR as a universally agreed-upon standard for governments and
the public. "When the UDHR was released, it had a two-fold purpose: provide a guideline for the
future and force the world to acknowledge that human rights had been violated on a massive
scale during WWII. With a standard for what is a human right, governments can be held
accountable for their actions. There's power in naming injustice and pointing to a precedent,
1
which makes the UDHR and other human rights documents so important." Acknowledgment of
these rights and the relationship with freedoms is essential to distinguish and a vital part of the
Center's work.
3. Collective Journeys LLC Contract Renewal. Currently, the contract between the FMA and
Collective Journeys LLC ends on June 30, 2020. Activities that take place after June 30 assume
that Collective Journeys LLC will remain contracted with FMA.

Considerations
1. Fort Monroe as "a place of origin in the struggle for freedom," rather than "the origin of the
struggle for freedom." Historically, the 1619 arrival marks a significant time in the struggle for
freedom in what we call the United States. However, there is evidence of Spanish explorers in
1526, bringing 100 slaves with them to what is now South Carolina or Georgia. Being
considerate of the 1526 events will help avoid future criticism from the academic and African
American community who have been aware of the 1526 story. Also, we want to ensure we do
not overlook the freedoms that were denied to the Indigenous Indians as Europeans began to
arrive in America. We will want to be careful to ensure we do not frame this place in isolation of
these other historical events.
2. "The Center for Freedom at Fort Monroe". In the One Community Transformation Grant
application, the Center is called "The Center for Freedom." Also, I read or heard "at Fort
Monroe" as an addition to one of the variations of the name. I like that addition as it ensures
the connection of the Center to the physical site. So, I'm suggesting that we consider referring
to this as the Center for Freedom at Fort Monroe. This name seems to capture the essence of
articulated aspirations of the Center perfectly. I think it makes it easier to explain to the general
public and possible funders. I also think it helps to let people connect the Center the partnership
between the FMA and NPS. Based on my internal and external conversations, I suggest we refer
to the Center as "the Center for Freedom at Fort Monroe." For the purpose of this report, I'll
use that term to ascertain how well it reads.
3. Center for Freedom at Fort Monroe Mission, Vision, Values. The mission, vision, and values of
an organization are integral to the company's strategy because they are used to define future

1 10 Reasons Why Human Rights Are Important | Human Rights ....
https://www.humanrightscareers.com/issues/10-reasons-why-human-rights-are-important/

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