 Renewed Purpose
Our Clemente Course sites celebrate as they send 72 new graduates into the world
Mass Humanities offers the Clemente Course, tuition-free college-level humanities instruction, at five sites around the state. Our graduates in Springfield and Worcester have already crossed the stage to receive their diplomas, and Springfield graduates left with a copy of James Baldwin's Collected Essays, courtesy of the Library of America. Celebrations are still to come this month in Brockton, Dorchester, and New Bedford. To date, the program has enriched the lives of nearly 700 students, many of whom go on to further studies.
SUSTAIN FUTURE CLEMENTE COURSES |
 Igniting a Passion
This year's Mass History Conference will move our state history forward
Get active with advocacy, explore digital storytelling, develop your audience, converse with diverse constituencies, and grow your organization: these are just some of the steps you will be able to take after attending this year's Mass History Conference. This year's gathering takes place in Worcester on June 12. Online registration available until noon June 9th!
JOIN US IN WORCESTER |
 Reflections on Freedom
Prepare for Independence Day by exploring what liberty means
Every year in Massachusetts, hundreds follow in the footsteps of Frederick Douglass and consider the ways that our nation's foundational ideals are understood in light of history, race, identity, and more. It's not all philosophy and politics, though; attendees will have meaningful exchanges amidst fun and lighthearted activities. Dancing, pony rides, and music are all on offer this year at our Reading Frederick Douglass events.
ATTEND A READING FREDERICK DOUGLASS EVENT |
 Circle Up
Mothers of murdered sons get their say in profound humanities discussions
A Mass Humanities grantee, the Center for Independent Documentary, recently hosted five discussions with Boston-area students about violence and family trauma, using philosophy to help prevent further violence. Students heard from families who had experienced loss and created a space that bridged usual animosities. "Outside we're known as enemies," one teen said. "But here we're friends." The sessions used the documentary Circle Up to get the conversations started.
WATCH THE TRAILER FOR CIRCLE UP |
 Incubating History
Mass Humanities welcomes intern Austin Clark
University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Master's candidate Austin Clark has joined the Mass Humanities team for the summer. His work with the UMass public history program and at other small history organizations has prepared him to take this step in the direction of public humanities programming. Austin has begun work on the Mass History Conference and will be making site visits to grantees, among numerous other responsibilities. Welcome, Austin!
|
 Time Travel to 1917
Stroll down the streets of Brockton, 1917, at the Campello Pop-Up Village on June 11th. The temporary city-in-a-park will celebrate Brockton's history and its many ethnicities (Italian, Haitian, Lithuanian, Swedish, and Puerto Rican, just to start the list) will be celebrated. Don't miss this exciting cultural, historical fair funded in part by Mass Humanities!
JOIN THE FESTIVITIES |
 Major Names
Sherman Alexie, Roxane Gay, Arundhati Roy, and Jonathan Safran Foer are all passing through Cambridge this month and Mass Humanities is pleased to welcome them all to Harvard Book Store. Many of these events are ticketed, be sure to reserve your seat today!
JOIN US |
 "The Beginning of the Glorious End"
The graphic depictions of the horrors of slavery in Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin were enough to galvanize many northern abolitionists and convert new supporters. The first installment of the story was printed in an abolitionist paper on this day in 1851. Many years later, upon meeting Stowe, Abraham Lincoln quipped, "Is this the little woman who made this great war?"
READ THE HISTORY |
 Home to Many
Mass Humanities grantee UMass Lowell screened Browsing through Birke's, a film about a Lowell department store run by a family of Holocaust refugees, and catalyzed a discussion about the city's history and identity that extended far beyond their one-time event.
READ AND DISCUSS ON TWITTER |
 Temporary Reprieve
The Trump administration proposed eliminating three important arts and humanities agencies. Deadlock in Washington, however, led to a spending bill that spares the agencies—and even slightly increases their budgets—until the issue can be raised again in November.
FIND OUT MORE ON FACEBOOK |
 Humanities Calendar
We list some of the best humanities programming in the Commonwealth on our event calendar. See what is happening this month at Mass Humanities. Publish your organization's public humanities events!
FIND EVENTS |
|
|
|