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Conversations on the Commons: Community History
February 4, 2022 @ 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm
Community History: What is it, and what can it do for you?
February 3, 2022, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. *new time*
What is Community History? What formats does it take? What is the difference between local history and community history? How can we embrace both? How does community history practice require historical organizations to change their understanding of history? What are the challenges and rewards? Has your organization participated in projects that gather and share history from the local community? Are you interested in doing so? Join us for a conversation on the necessity, joys, and rewards of engaging with community members in doing history on February 4, noon-1:30 with Lee Blake, President of the New Bedford Historical Society and Penni Martorell, curator of collections at Wistariahurst Museum and Holyoke’s City Historian
Registration is free. REGISTER HERE!
This Conversation will be livestreamed. We will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the livestream. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive.
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- Penni Martorell is curator of collections at Wistariahurst Museum and Holyoke’s City Historian. Martorell’s work at Wistariahurst includes managing and preserving collections and archive, organizing history exhibits and lectures; providing opportunities for community organizations, college classes, school groups and the public to engage with local history through presentations and workshops. She lectures on Holyoke’s industrial history, local textile and paper industries, and women history makers. She has lead workshops on preserving heirlooms, basic textile preservation and is an oral history trainer. Martorell served 5 years on the State Historic Records Advisory Board and has served 6 years as Vice President of The Pioneer Valley History Network. Her passion is book and printing history.
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- As president of the New Bedford Historical Society, Lee leads a grassroots organization that preserves and celebrates the legacy of African Americans, Cape Verdeans and Native Americans in her hometown of New Bedford, MA. Her leadership, vision, and work to re-claim the history of Black people in New Bedford has changed the historical narrative of New Bedford and raised the awareness of its role as an important center of freedom and abolitionism during the 19th century. The Society has led the efforts to restore and preserve the Nathan and Mary Johnson House, the first home in freedom of Anna and Frederick Douglass, an Underground Railroad site and now a National Historic Landmark. Lee has been awarded 6 National Endowment for the Humanities grants over the past 15 years for the professional development of teachers across the country on the intersection between New Bedford’s history as a maritime port, the Underground Railroad, and African American history.
Questions? Be in touch with Caroline Littlewood: commons@masshistoryalliance.org
Conversations on the Commons
Where people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent, empathize, laugh, complain, think, collaborate, brainstorm, plan, and in general be up to no good.