There’s only 9 days left of February, so it’s time to really double down before we get back to reminding folx that every month is Black History Month.
And we start in Pittsfield at a local branch of the NAACP, just north of co-founder W.E.B du Bois’ birthplace. The NAACP looms large in Black culture, and its Berkshires chapter is being revitalized with a new office to house their archives of local Black history. We speak with NAACP Berkshires President Dennis Powell about the importance of the organization, past and present, in strengthening ties within the community.
We also encourage you to engage with the full breadth of the diaspora at the 9th Black Experience Summit tomorrow afternoon at Elms College on Feb 20, seeking to diversify our collective understanding through the work of local, regional, and national notables. College President Harry Dumay talks about the event, its legacy at the college, and the place of faith in the keeping of history.
And our weekly chat with U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern explores the partial government shutdown, possible social media surveillance, the Save Act, his end hunger tour and memories of the late civil rights activist Jesse Jackson.
