Past Grants Awarded

Eight public discussions on the ramifications of the global economy, which will also be broadcast via public radio and podcasts. The discussions will focus on global engagement in military, political, and economic terms.

Inventory of the papers of Carlos Vega, one of Holyoke's most vocal and prolific Latino activists.

Inventory of the Robert H. Nylander Collection of research notes and maps related to the original Iron Work Farm land grant and the extant Jones-Faulkner Homestead and Jones Tavern for a permanent exhibition on the extent and evolution of the Jones and Faulkner land holdings throughout the town of Acton and nearby communities.

Cataloguing of materials relating to Medford during the transitional ante-bellum period, c. 1855.

An exhibit and public programming on the historical legacy of 1763 Peace of Paris treaty to coincide with its 250th anniversary in 2013. Credited with ending the last in a series of international conflicts known as the French and Indian wars, the treaty shaped the roles of Britain, France, and Spain on the North American continent and is seen as the precursor to the American Revolution

A series of assemblies and classroom workshops that teach teenagers about public speaking and storytelling techniques, and culminates in a competitive story slam, a live event with judges and prize money for finalists.

An exhibit that will explore the relationship between textiles/textile artifacts and the escalation of conflict during the Civil War and its aftermath. The exhibit will display slave cloth, soldier bandages, and the noose used to hang John Brown, among other key objects.

Two post-performance forums during the run of The Temperamentals, a play about the founders of one of the first gay rights organizations in the pre-Stonewall United States. The grant will also support interactive elements for audiences attending.

An out-of-school program for six to 10 teens that will explore the rich history of the Highlands neighborhood (the one-time home of abolitionist Frederick Douglass), and lead to a video-theatre piece based on oral history interviews with residents.

A series of 12 lunchtime concerts at the Center that will feature world music and accompanying lectures about that music.

A series of multimedia events on the life of this legendary leader in the fight for women's rights and the abolition of slavery.

A podcast and printed tour of African-American sites in the village of Old Deerfield as well as K-12 online lessons that will illuminate the history of local slavery in Old Deerfield.

Free public events and participatory programs for diverse audiences pertaining to the production of Troilus & Cressida.

A series of public education forums that examine Boston's desegregation history and its current public education needs in order start an informed conversation among various constituencies about public school quality and equality.

A lecture series, art history course, children's program, and a series of radio interviews to accompany its exhibit on Julien Hudson. Hudson was an early American portrait painter of African descent who explored race and the South in his work.

Three hour-long segments of its morning program, The Roundtable; the segments will explore parallels between various struggles for equality in American history. Interviewees will include such important figures as Anita Hill, Robert Reich, and Alex Keyssar, among others.

Development of a trailer for a PBS documentary on the life of Frances Perkins, Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Secretary of Labor and the architect of Social Security, minimum wage, and other New Deal legislation.

Reading and discussion seires sampling the four books most popular with the library's patrons in its inaugural year.

Creation of a printed trail guide to the 1704 French and Indian raid on Deerfield, as seen through the eyes of the various participants.

Three full-scale performances of "TRUTH: A New Folk Opera about the Life of Sojourner Truth".. The opera - which examines the life of this fascinating figure, abolitionist, and suffragist - will occur in the Pioneer Valley and in Springfield and will be accompanied by educational programs for audiences.

The addition of youth and community engagement programs to "Follow the Thread," a distinctive multimedia exhibit that chronicles the key contributions of the Jewish immigration movement to historic fashion and the ready-to-wear industry. The programs will accompany the exhibit's installation in Lee, Lawrence, and Gloucester.

To help bring Isaiah Thomas - Patriot Printer, a one-man living history performance, to every fifth grader in the 34 public elementary schools in Worcester. The show introduces students to Thomas, who published the early newspaper "The Massachusetts Spy" and founded the American Antiquarian Society in 1812.

An interactive exhibit on the conflicts and rioting around the 1854 capture, trial, and extradition of the enslaved Anthony Burns, as part of the reinstallation of its Underground Railroad exhibit.

Organization of a social media campaign in support of its new documentary on the legendary history of the organization and its influence in the world of dance.

Production of a film trailer for "First Down: The History of American College Football", which will become a four-part series on the subject of college football that also provokes debate on the controversies of sport, race, and masculinity.

Support for the installation of We Shall Not Be Moved, a traveling exhibit that profiles the people and communities embroiled in the current housing and foreclosure crises, and examines the humanistic questions these crises raise.

An oral history project on jazz in Roxbury and its role in developing several key ideas and tactics that influenced the Civil Rights Movement. This compelling history will be delivered via trolley tours.

Support for an educational program that teaches the archaeological interpretation of beachcombing, specifically when canvassing for treasures on Spectacle Island, the site of a former garbage dump for the city of Boston and now a park and recreation area.

Support for "Cuffe's Kitchen," an interactive audio exhibit on the life and work of Paul Cuffe, an 18th century whaler of Wampanoag and African-American descent who started the West India Trading Company. Cuffe, who became one of the wealthiest men in the emerging nation, used his power and influence to fight against slavery and for civil rights.

An interactive, multimedia exhibit on the famous Bread and Roses Strike of 1912. The exhibit will not only analyze the strike but also its longstanding implications in terms of workers' rights, unemployment, unions, and the state of Lawrence today.

A sociological collaboration between students and townspeople that will result in an exhibit of banner-sized portraits of Brockton residents hung in the city center. A written guide authored by local students will accompany the installation.

a series of lectures and discussions on Chinese-American history and its influences in the region. The series will be supplemented with exhibits of unusual artifacts from the Society's impressive archive.

Development of vignette performances for this year's Cambridgeport History Day celebration on such key themes as immigration, race and ethnic identity, and urban development.

Inventory of documents relating to Polish immigration to Hatfield in the first half of the 20th century.

Research in preparation for a 2012 exhibit on the antislavery movement in Cummington.

Inventory of the collections of Charles Kenney and Jack Deady regarding the Cocoanut Grove Fire.

Teacher development workshops in Medford and Deerfield based on the film "Traces of the Trade", which chronicles the history of the slave trade in New England.

Creation, testing, and distribution of a curriculum for "Beyond Belief", a film that explores the aftermath of 9/11 through the eyes of American women whose spouses died in the tragedy as they travel to Afghanistan.

An interactive exhibit entitled "Extreme Sport: Jousting Then and Now," which will examine the role jousting had in Medieval times and explore the larger implications of the period's warfare and history. The exhibit features flip-books, virtual activities, and computer learning tools.

Creation of permanent signage that will educate the public about the historic value and significance of Stonehurst, a late 19th-century house owned by well-known reformers Robert Treat and Lydia Lyman Paine. The house and grounds were designed by H.H. Richardson and Frederick Law Olmsted, respectively.