Past Grants Awarded

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.

Research on a collection regarding the "New Organization" Liberty and Free Soil abolitionists who were active in Northampton Center, with the goal of placing abolition and the "underground railroad" in their proper context for programming.

Identification of themes that come out of the Society's holdings and North Andover history that match the Massachusetts Frameworks curriculum; those materials will then be made accessible to teachers for use in classrooms.

Research on the architectural style and historical significance of municipal and commercial buildings in Norwood that were designed by architect William G. Upham between 1910 and 1930, in order to interpret their relevance to the town's civic identity and the landscape through public programming.

Public programming for an exhibit on Civil War archival materials, specifically those related to the deployment of local men to the war.

A multimedia performance based on the exhibit, "World War II Veterans' Voices." The performance will feature monologues from characters at a restaurant who provide personal oral histories of World War II. The performances will take place at the Mohawk Trail Regional High School and the Shelburne Falls Senior Center.

One-hour documentary on the 50th anniversary of the Peace Corps, its efforts in international peacemaking and service, and how the organization has changed since the 1960s.

Staging of the project, "One Play, One Community: Romeo and Juliet," which will involve a wide range of constituents in the production of Shakespeare's beloved classic. Multigenerational audiences throughout the community will be engaged via reading and discussion groups, classes, children's programs in local libraries, and a television broadcast.

Archeological dig for high school students at Sanford Tavern in Hawley. The project will uncover craft and cooking habits, as well as explore aspects of tavern life, in the early 19th century.

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.

Two-day public symposium on Civil War history. The conference features many of the most notable names in Civil War scholarship and offers compelling workshops for attendees.

Community programming around an exhibit of 15 murals created by Iraqi and American children. The programming, which includes a play performance, film screening, panel discussions, and a dance performance, addresses such topics as the effects of violence on children and marginalized voices.

A three-part series on the use and misuse of religion in American political life as part of its annual summer program serving the hill towns of Western Massachusetts.

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.

Expansion of the horse and wagan tours training program and hiring of additional students to become living-history guides and perform public education tours about the area using horse-drawn hay wagons.

Development of a new exhibit that examines issues of environmental responsibility, communal living, sustainable agriculture, and other core values of the Shaker community.