We're a group of people who've known Dr. Francois Clemmons for years and decades ... from high school and college, as a performing artist in New York and around the world, and as a faculty member / mentor at Middlebury College. All of us - and millions of others nationwide - have also known him as Officer Clemmons, the Black singing policeman from Mr. Roger's Neighborhood. We watched him, our kids were inspired by him, and he became the first African American to have a leading role on national children's television. Together, we are now "Friends of Officer Clemmons" raising funds for him to afford medical care and assisted living in a residential retirement community in Middlebury VT … near friends, extended family and his church congregation. The costs for this kind of retirement community are high for almost anyone. But they are simply not possible for a performing artist like Francois, an openly-gay Black man who -- despite his leading role on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood -- encountered discrimination, struggled financially, and never benefited from legacy privilege or generational wealth. WE HAVE SET A GOAL OF $135,000 ... and we are asking for your help. We have an opportunity now to express our gratitude to Officer Clemmons for his artistic creativity and personal compassion over the decades. Let's show him our appreciation by making a significant difference at this critical time in his life. PLEASE JOIN US ... contribute as you can ... and share our fundraiser through your personal networks. Thank you! Notes: All donations will be deposited into a special account to be used exclusively for Officer Clemmons' medical and retirement care expenses. LFEBridge deducts a 2.9% fee from your gift as a one-time transaction fee. LFEBridge also suggests a voluntary tip of 15% - but tipping is optional. The tip amount can be changed to 0%. FRIENDS OF OFFICER CLEMMONS Adrian Benepe, Brooklyn NY Andrew Lynch, Astoria NY Carl Brown, Las Cruces NM Chuck Dickinson, Watertown MA Elizabeth Copps, Englewood CO Jackie Fisher, New York City NY Jane Beck, Middlebury VT Jebb Norton, Santa Fe NM Kathryn Schloff, Middlebury VT Karl Lindholm, Middlebury VT Mark Jaffee, Oberlin OH Nat Carpenter, Beverly MA Paul & Frances Stone, Orwell VT W. Marichal Gentry, Durham NC => VIEW Francois Clemmons singing "This Little Light of Mine" at the Berklee College of Music in January 2019, accompanied by George Russell, Jr. (faculty member). => FOLLOW THESE LINKS to learn about Francois Clemmons’ extraordinary life and career: • Wikipedia article • Mister Rogers Neighborhood website • Fred Rogers Stood Against Racial Inequality • National Public Radio (NPR) Book Review • Clemmons celebrates 400 years of Negro spirituals Francois Clemmons after his final "Last Hurrah" concert, Champlain Valley Unitarian Universalist Society in Middlebury Vermont (May 6, 2024). He is accompanied by Frances Stone, a member of the "Friends of Officer Clemmons" LFEBridge group.
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