Humanities Happenings

Our latest grant round puts humanities programming all over the map. We’ve funded work in unexpected places—such as the Chicopee Correctional Center—and on subjects as varied as Lenny Bruce’s comedy and the history of Boston’s Chinatown.

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New Grants, New Deadlines!

We want to encourage thoughtful discussion on concerns that matter to you. Our six new discussion grants provide for conversations of every size, shape, and subject. Whether you’re discussing morality with kids, reading Civil Rights texts, or hosting a panel of history experts, we have funding available. Apply by June 24th, our first awards will be made August 1st for programs starting in October!

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Meet the Moderator

Days before Americans head to the polls to determine our next president, we’ll be taking a look at President Obama’s legacy with a group of scholars who are well-versed in presidential politics. Our conversation will be led by Meghna Chakrabarti, the award-winning host of WBUR’s Radio Boston.

JOIN US FOR “THE POLITICS OF HOPE” »

Historic Excellence

June’s Mass History Conference drew record-breaking crowds. Thanks to the meeting, practitioners of our state history have never been better organized. Event organizers recognized two outstanding players in the field with awards. Bill Wallace of the Worcester Historical Museum was the recipient of the Bay State Legacy Award, and Cliff McCarthy of the Pioneer Valley History Network received the Massachusetts History Commendation.

KEEP UP WITH MASS HISTORY YEARROUND »

Don’t forget!

The deadline for Project Grant LOI forms is 9/22, and for Research Inventory Grants it’s 10/3.

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Opening Doors

Four new board members will join Mass Humanities this September. We are pleased to announce that seats will be filled by Mehmed Ali, Library Project and Program Coordinator at UMass Lowell and former director of the Mogan Cultural Center; Isaiah Jackson, Conductor Emeritus Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra and Professor of Composition at Berklee College of Music; Gail Reimer, founder and former Executive Director of Jewish Women’s Archive and former Associate Director of Mass Humanities; and Emma Teng, Professor of Asian Civilizations at MIT and Head of MIT Global Studies and Languages. Their participation will help extend the power of the humanities to all Massachusetts communities.

Cuba’s Uncertain Future

Peter Purdy of the Charlemont Forum spoke with WAMC’s Ideas Matter about their speaker series, which has been supported in the past by Mass Humanities. Each year, the Forum explores the causes of and possible solutions for one aspect of the current divisions in American political culture. They recently tackled the changes to American foreign policy with regard to Cuba.

LISTEN TO IDEAS MATTER »

Bathroom Brouhaha

Did you know that Massachusetts was the first state to require separate bathrooms for men and women?

READ AND DISCUSS ON FACEBOOK »

From the Mouths of Babes

The trans community is particularly respectful of children’s capacity to make independent, self-authored personal-political claims, despite virulent opponents who would sooner speak on behalf of children. Our Public Humanist considers contemporary and historic examples of what happens when we take kids at their word.

READ THE PUBLIC HUMANIST »

Rockport Women Smash Liquor Barrels

In 1856, 200 women, some of them wielding hatchets and ranging in age from 37 to 75, rampaged through the town of Rockport destroying every container of alcohol they could find.

READ THE HISTORY»

Who Negotiates?

Our current grant theme asks us to consider what we owe one another, but the question must also be asked, who is allowed to enter into the social contract? The New Yorker explores the question in the context of Hot Tamale Louie’s immigrant experience.

READ “THE OLD WEST’S MUSLIM TAMALE KING” »

Humanities Calendar

We list the best humanities programming in the Commonwealth on our event calendar. See what is happening this month at Mass Humanities.

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