Wes DeShano, Mass Humanities Communications Manager
34 nonprofits will explore stories of equality, democracy, immigration, Indigenous sovereignty, and more
As preparations for the 25oth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence continue, residents in Massachusetts are exploring the roots of the Revolution and its ongoing legacy in the Commonwealth.
In October, Mass Humanities concluded its fifth round of the Expand Massachusetts Stories (EMS) initiative by providing $800,000 in grants to 46 cultural nonprofit organizations across Massachusetts. A special focus on the 250th, “Promises of the Revolution,” will deliver $600,000 in funding for 34 projects. The projects supported by the “Promises” grants include public events, documentary films, museum exhibitions, and oral histories that reflect the memories and experiences of local residents past and present.
The grants will deliver funding to every region of the Commonwealth, with more than two-thirds of funded organizations based outside metro Boston. The projects include:
- A new history of Revolutionary service and sacrifice by members of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe
- A podcast in Boston tracing LGBTQ+ leaders from the Revolution to the first Boston Pride, highlighting each generation’s ongoing pursuit of the promise that all people are created equal
- A concert program in Roxbury exploring the Great Migration, the period between 1916 and 1970 where Black people fled the rural South in mass exodus
- A series of photography and storytelling workshops to help youth explore ancestry, migration, and identity in neighborhoods of Worcester
- A public history documenting how Holyoke residents have lived out the ideals of the American Revolution—liberty, justice, self-governance, collective opportunity—for four generations
“The Revolution belongs to all of us,” said Brian Boyles, Executive Director of Mass Humanities. “We must work together to make its history and its values accessible and meaningful for every American. Communities across Massachusetts played important roles in the founding of our nation. We believe the projects funded by this year’s grants will illuminate the efforts that continue today to fulfill the promises of our democracy. The recipients of the 2026 Expand Massachusetts Stories grants deserve our thanks for rising to the meet the moment through local commemorations, the crafting of new narratives, and the courage to serve their local audiences.”
Since 2021, Mass Humanities has distributed $3.8 million in storytelling grants with support from Mass Cultural Council and the Barr Foundation. The initiative creates opportunities for local organizations and audiences to delve into the past, record the experience of residents, and deepen public understanding of the ideas, events, and people who shape Massachusetts.
These grants come at a precarious time for cultural organizations of all types, as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) terminated funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities, National Endowment for the Arts, and Institute of Museum and Library Services in April. Mass Humanities lost 35% of its annual operating budget, more than $1.3 million, as a result.
The Expand Massachusetts Stories grants complete Mass Humanities’ funding cycle for 2025, in which the foundation delivered more than $1.2 million in direct support to nonprofits.
“Democracy depends on storytelling,” said Michael J. Bobbitt, Executive Director of Mass Cultural Council. “Through the Expand Massachusetts Stories program, local artists, historians, and cultural organizations are lifting up the voices and experiences that define ‘We the People.’ Their work helps us understand our shared history and strengthen the civic fabric of the Commonwealth, and we are proud to support this important initiative led by Mass Humanities.”
“The power of stories is evident in the success of the Expand Massachusetts Stories program,” said SueEllen Kroll, Senior Program Officer at the Barr Foundation. “We are proud to help grow EMS from a pilot into a core program that has supported so many different communities to tell and share their own stories. What a powerful time at the nation’s 250th anniversary to examine the promises of the Revolution. I look forward to learning how our diverse residents interpret Massachusetts’ very important role in the American Revolution for today.”
Mass Humanities celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2024. The foundation serves as the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.