 Frederick Douglass Bicentennial
An auspicious occasion to examine the life and legacy of Frederick Douglass
In addition to ramping up and expanding our Reading Frederick Douglass Together program, Mass Humanities is collaborating with Mass History Day to encourage participating high school students across the Commonwealth to focus their projects on Frederick Douglass this year. We are grateful to The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for their generous support of this initiative and the Pulitzer Prizes for their partnership.
INFO ON MASS HISTORY DAY |
 Humanities Happenings
Mass Humanities funds 15 new projects
In the year ahead, our project grants will fund discussions about indigenous representation in a high-school production of Peter Pan, an oral history project documenting community stories in Roxbury, community conversations about the veteran experience, and exhibits about the histories of women, LGBT groups, and people of color across Massachusetts. And that’s only the beginning.
FIND OUT WHAT WE FUNDED
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 Harvest Neighborhood Conversation Video
A Gathering to Address Racism In Boston
On Wednesday, November 1st, 2017, Pulitzer-prize journalist/historian Douglas Blackmon moderated a conversation in Roxbury's historic Hibernian Hall with Boston Globe columnist Farah Stockman, who won the Pulitzer for a series of essays on the legacy of the busing crisis, and two former residents of Boston who experienced it firsthand: Michael Patrick MacDonald and Cheryl Harris. This event was the culmination of weeks of neighborhood readings on the historic busing crisis that ripped Boston apart in the 1970s. You can now watch a recording of the event via WGBH’s Forum Network.
WATCH THE VIDEO |
 Welcome New Board Members
Governor Baker appoints two to Mass Humanities Board
Jackie Jenkins-Scott is a nationally recognized leader with more than three decades of experience in senior and executive leadership positions in higher education and public health. She was the 13th President, and the first African-American President, of Wheelock College, serving from 2004 - 2016.
Denise Kaigler is a former corporate executive, a small business owner, an adjunct Professor at Lasell College and UMass Boston, and the author of Forty Dollars and a Brand. She brings extensive experience in brand management, brand marketing, public and media relations, corporate communications, and community outreach.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR BOARD MEMBERS |
 A Daily Dose of History
Make Mass Moments part of your New Year’s resolutions
Take a moment to explore the Commonwealth’s history through daily quotes, images, and articles on our modern and accessible new site. There’s more to see than ever before – don’t miss out.
While you’re there, remember to sign up for daily emails, or follow us on Twitter and Facebook to see Mass Moments in your own feed.
GET YOUR DAILY HISTORY FIX |
 We’re Hiring!
We are looking for a new full-time Communications Specialist to steer Mass Humanities outreach, promotions, and public relations.
LEARN MORE AND APPLY NOW |
 Local History ↔ People’s History
The Mass History Alliance invites all participants in public and local history in Massachusetts to join in creating the 2018 Massachusetts history conference. Have insights you are interested in sharing? An exciting new program to talk about?
SUBMIT IDEAS BY JANUARY 15th |
 Emily Greene Balch Born
On this day in 1867, Emily Balch was born in Jamaica Plain. After helping start a settlement house in Boston, she taught at Wellesley for years until her growing political activism cost her her job. She then devoted her talent and energy to organizing women on behalf of world peace and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace In 1946.
TODAY'S MASS MOMENT |
 Author! Author!
Rob Riemen, Julie Lythcorr-Haims, Steven Levitsky, and Daniel Ziblatt are just a few noted writers that are passing through Cambridge this month and Mass Humanities is pleased to welcome them all to Harvard Book Store as co-sponsor. Some of these events are ticketed, be sure to reserve your seat today!
ATTEND A CAMBRIDGE EVENT |
 Primary Colors
In 1969, two Berkeley researchers, Paul Kay and Brent Berlin, published a book on a pretty groundbreaking idea: Every culture in history invented words for colors in the exact same order.
LEARN MORE AND WEIGH IN ON TWITTER |
 Two Odysseys for the 2000’s
What does a jilted lover's revenge have to do with an international chemical weapons treaty? More than you'd think. Western Mass's Joe Ellis weighs in via Radiolab.
READ MORE AND DISCUSS ON FACEBOOK |
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Our blog publishes the voices of many contributors who use the humanities to explore our world. Reader commentary is encouraged.
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 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!
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