Providing for Culture
We recently awarded $101,906 in grants to 14 different public humanities organizations working all over the state.
What is the role of the humanities during times of social and political turmoil? Many of our grantees in recent rounds chose, unprompted by us, to address this question. From poetry to filmmaking, history to creative writing, these projects will make you think, give you hope, and, if their aim is true, help us find our humanity. SEE WHO WE FUNDED |
A Call to Conscience
Our Reading Frederick Douglass program proves more timely than ever.
Those who can read take their literacy for granted often, but reading can be a profound act. The Boston Globe opened their report on our flagship Reading Frederick Douglass event earlier this month with one such story: a father and son reading together about another black man who had once been denied the joy of reading. This year, bigger crowds and an increased number of events are helping Frederick Douglass to continue making headlines this month. READ ABOUT OUR BOSTON EVENT |
Among the Best
Pittsfield hopes to inspire the next five great American authors
Five classic American writers all share a connection to Pittsfield: Melville, Hawthorne, Thoreau, Longfellow, and Holmes. Now, thanks in part to a Mass Humanities grant, five more writers have their chance to put pen to paper in the same inspiring environs. The Mastheads Writers' Residency Program launched earlier this month and many literary events follow in the coming weeks. ATTEND A READING OR DISCUSSION |
Reclaiming Black Faces
Students set the record straight on history’s black leaders
Something strange happens when you Google Frederick Douglass, Nat Turner, or Denmark Vesey. Often, you will find a picture of one labeled as the other. Four out of the top five current results for Vesey are actually mislabeled headshots of Douglass. Somerville High School students tried to find out how this could happen and why the confusion persists in a short film with their acclaimed teacher, Kevin Dua. WATCH THEIR SHORT DOCUMENTARY |
Young and Engaged
Mass Humanities is hosting a youth cohort from the Encampment for Citizenship for several days this summer. The Encampment offers a compelling civic engagement program that enables critical thinking, social action, and active citizenship. Our program staff will work with them to adapt our Open & Honest program for youth. FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE ENCAMPMENT |
Talk of the Town
This month at Harvard Book Store, Mass Humanities co-presents two author discussions and a meeting of the in-store book club. Join us for talks with Patrick Dacey, author of The Outer Cape, and award-winning biographer James McGrath Morris. At the end of the month, Harvard Square Book Club will discuss James Baldwin's The Fire Next Time. JOIN US IN CAMBRIDGE |
On This Day in 1896: Revere Beach Opens
The crowd at Revere Beach 121 years ago today numbered over 45,000. That already astonishing number of beachgoers would grow more than five times larger on hot summer days when Boston's working class and immigrant communities flocked to the shore. READ THE HISTORY |
A Price on Her Head
Margaret Scott fell victim to the Salem Witch Trials on September 22, 1692. More than three hundred years later, one of the documents that contributed to her death on the gallows sold at auction for more than $137,000. READ AND DISCUSS ON TWITTER |
Political Ink
We will need to be on the watch for potential cuts to arts and culture funding in the coming months. One clever campaign has found an artful way to stay vigilant: get a tattoo! Don't worry, it's only a temporary tattoo, and you can choose your favorite design. 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 |
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