Mass Humanities

06/12/2026

Please join us in Holyoke for this upcoming RFDT reading on June 17!

Join us for 2 FREE Community Events: 'Reading Frederick Douglass Together" on June 17, 2026. Featuring conversations with Ken Green with a special preview of his new play 'July 5th'
https://www.mifafestival.org/frederick-douglass

MEET THE PLAYWRIGHT
- Ken Green -
A Chicago native currently residing in Boston, Ken Green brings a rich,
multi-disciplinary background to his scriptwriting as a former newspaper reporter, editor, and sportswriter. He has also performed as a slam poet, fiction writer, stand-up comic, and host for the nationally televised program, Stories From The Stage. His diverse theatrical catalog includes a four-play cycle exploring Chicago gentrification, stories of surviving racial trauma, and deep historical commissions—including an audio drama on Frederick Douglass and an
immersive outdoor "walking play" tracking a member of the historic Massachusetts 54th Regiment.

Learn more: https://kengreen.me/

Presented by MIFA Victory Theatre , Holyoke Council on Aging & Senior Center , LightHouse Holyoke , and Holyoke Media

'Reading Frederick Douglass Together' is a program of and made possible by a grant from Mass Humanities , with funding by the Mass Cultural Council

06/11/2026

👀Join us this Thursday evening, June 11, at the Ashby Free Public Library for a fascinating journey through history, legend, and music with Sultana's presentation, Women Making History.

Using original music, storytelling, and historical images, musicians and songwriters Jon and Li Waterman bring to life the stories of remarkable women whose courage, creativity, and determination changed the world. Meet pioneers, heroines, visionaries, and everyday women who faced extraordinary challenges—from the world's earliest known author and the founder of the first museum to Hannah Duston, the women of the New England Shoemakers Strike, and figures from legend.

This engaging program combines live music with compelling historical narratives, offering a unique look at the women whose stories deserve to be remembered and celebrated.

Admission is free, and all are welcome. Part of our second year Smithsonian "Voices and Votes: Democracy in America" programming.

Sponsored by Mass Humanities. CC: Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service

06/11/2026

See you tonight!

06/09/2026

Nicole Obi, President & CEO of the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts, is the latest leader featured in our ongoing series about the meaning of the 250th. MA250

06/08/2026

Another great RFDT reading coming up!

Tickets are free, but space is limited. Scan the QR code to reserve a spot for this Lowell Community Charter Public School and Mass Humanities presentation;

06/08/2026

See you there!

We are excited to announce that MIFA Victory Theatre, in collaboration with Holyoke Council on Aging & Senior Center, LightHouse Holyoke, and Holyoke Media, has received a ‘Reading Frederick Douglass Together’ grant from Mass Humanities with funding made possible by the Mass Cultural Council!

Join us Wed, June 17, 2026, in for 2 FREE Community Events: 'Reading Frederick Douglass Together" ! Learn more here: https://www.mifafestival.org/frederick-douglass

06/05/2026

It's Reading Frederick Douglass Together season! We're incredibly excited to share that 76 readings will take place this year (our biggest year ever!) We can't wait to gather with you and reflect on Douglass' words. Remember to use to share your images with us, and be sure to visit our website to download our updated media kit, an image of Douglass, event flyer templates, and more: https://masshumanities.org/programs/douglass/

Mass Cultural Council

06/03/2026

*We Champion the Storytellers* Inspired by our partners, we are hard at work developing stories, events, and new funding opportunities for 2026 that can withstand the uncertainty that emanates from Washington.

Your contribution to our spring fundraising campaign will allow us to follow through on our promises to the people of Massachusetts.

By recommitting to local people and the values of our state, Massachusetts can remain a beacon for new ideas, inclusive storytelling, and our shared future.

Make a donation by visiting our website: https://buff.ly/SVsR4ix

Image: Poem created by the participants at “Centering Black History in the 250th,” our workshop and gathering in Holyoke, February 2025. The poem was made one line at a time. Participants could only see the line that came directly before their own. At the end of the event, the entire poem was read aloud, illuminating the
values embedded in their public humanities work.

06/03/2026

Our Executive Director Brian Boyles was recently interviewed on the Mission Critical podcast by MassNonprofit News. Take a few minutes this morning to hear about how we're expanding narratives about the "promises" of the American Revolution.

Listen: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/interview-with-brian-boyles-executive-director-of/id1835923453?i=1000769711010

MA250 Mass Cultural Council

Podcast Episode · Mission Critical · May 26 · 24m

06/02/2026

*Support Mass Humanities at this critical time* This year is full of reminders of the outsized role Massachusetts played in the founding of this nation. Massachusetts punched above its weight by using its voice and the genius of its people.

We believe the commonwealth can lead again. As the ideas and values of Massachusetts come under renewed assault, the humanities—the ability to question, to think critically, to merge the sources of the past with the challenges of the present—keep this tradition alive.

This year, we need your help. A gift today will keep Mass Humanities moving forward in the face of unprecedented disruptions. Make a gift today by visiting our website: https://buff.ly/SVsR4ix

Image: A snapshot of our conversation with Anika Lopes, MH grantee and executive director of Ancestral Bridges, at the "Black History in the 250th" event we hosted in February.