Led by co-directors Kabzuag Vaj and M Adams, Freedom Inc. is a Madison-based organization formed to advocate for the rights of Southeast Asian and Black communities through education and direct action. Founded 15 years ago as an after-school program, Freedom Inc. has grown to become an internationally-recognized non-profit organization serving low-income Black, Southeast Asian, and LGBTQI+ communities in the Madison area. The organization holds various community social justice programs such as a Books and Breakfast club that meets weekly, which provides hot breakfasts and books to Black, Khmer and Hmong youth, and Debra’s Love, a program aimed at supporting Black seniors, women, and queer folks who are survivors of gender-based violence. Currently, Freedom Inc. continues their advocacy work through the COVID-19 crisis, which has proven to be crucial in a time of increasing violence toward people of color. More recently, the Southeast Asian team of Freedom Inc. released an open letter decrying violence against Asian communities while calling for solidarity with Black communities which have been disproportionately affected by the current pandemic. “Black folks and southeast Asian folks have struggles that are similar. And our liberation is tied to each other,” said Vaj.
Freedom Inc. Celebrates 15th Anniversary
