National History Day in Massachusetts Enables Students to Engage in Black History Topics
Tuesday, June 30, 2020 12:00PM
by Elyssa Tardif, MHS Director of Education, and Kate Melchior, MHS Assistant Director of Education
Mayor Marty Walsh, when asked whether he would consider requiring Boston schools to teach Black history (“Ask the Mayor,” Boston Public Radio, 6/26/2020), made it clear that while educators make curriculum decisions, he believes that Massachusetts students need a “full understanding” of American history, which must include the “contributions [of] the Black community” and the “biases [they] faced.” Unfortunately, Mayor Walsh conceded, there is only so much time in the day for teachers to spend on history and social studies.
But there is good news: we do not have to wait for an overhaul of the state’s curriculum to provide students with abundant opportunities to learn Black history. We have National ...
A Message from the MHS President
Monday, June 8, 2020 12:00PM
8 June 2020
Dear MHS Community,
The Massachusetts Historical Society has taken time to reflect on and examine the events of the past week even as we grieved and raged. We are heartbroken at the brutal killing of George Floyd and share the outrage of those who took to our streets in protest. George Floyd is the latest in a long line of persons of color who have suffered torture, rape, and death since the beginnings of the United States of America.
The recent murders of George Floyd, ...
MHS Housing as History Program Series Wins 2020 AASLH Award of Excellence
Monday, May 18, 2020 12:00PM
The MHS proudly announces that it is the recipient of an American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) Award of Excellence for the Housing as History Program Series it produced in the fall of 2019. The AASLH Leadership in History Awards, now in its 75th year, is the most prestigious recognition for achievement in the preservation and interpretation of state and local history.
Last fall, the MHS hosted a four-part series that looked at the history of six housing sites across Boston and examined the conditions for affordable and public housing today, highlighting the challenges—and opportunities—that lie ahead for the city. For years Boston has been a national leader in efforts to bring much needed public and affordable housing to residents. However, the city’s housing legacy is as complicated as it is innovative. Because Boston and ...
