“I EMCEE What You Did There”: Join the Massachusetts Hip-Hop Archive for a free event this Saturday

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"I Emcee What You Did There" Hip Hop Event flyerWhat: “I EMCEE What You Did There” Hip-Hop Event

When: Saturday, September 15, 2018 | 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.

Where: Boston Public Library, Central Library in Copley Square, 700 Boylston Street, McKim Courtyard

Boston Public Library and UMass Boston invite hip-hop enthusiasts of all ages to attend a free hip-hop event in the courtyard of the Central Library on Saturday, September 15, from 1-4 p.m.

“I EMCEE What You Did There” is the first in a series of hip-hop programs to take place at the Central Library and branches. Courtney Boston will host the event, with music by DJ Drew and performances by Red Shaydez, Mark Merren, First Lady Sarita, Sondro Castro, BYTC, Dasan Ahanu, and The Hangaz.  The event includes a live hip-hop Jeopardy game.

Additional hip-hop programs are scheduled for Saturday, November 10, at Teen Central at the Central Library, and at the Codman Square and Grove Hall branches in spring 2019.

“Boston Public Library welcomes artists and hip-hop enthusiasts to one of the Central Library’s most beautiful and inspiring spaces to celebrate Boston’s hip hop legacy and gather as a community to share experiences, both new and old,” said David Leonard, President of Boston Public Library. “I am grateful to UMass Boston, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Hip Hop & The Bostonians curating committee for their commitment to promote Boston’s intergenerational hip hop presence locally and beyond, while also preserving this important piece of living history.”

“As we continue to build a collection at UMass Boston related to the history of hip-hop in Boston and Massachusetts,” said Carolyn Goldstein, “we are pleased that this grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities is providing opportunities for Boston’s hip-hop artists to share the legacy of these four hip-hop elements—music, dance, DJs, and graffiti—with a broad citywide audience at the Boston Public Library’s Central and branch libraries.” Goldstein is the grant’s principal investigator and Public History and Community Archives Program Manager in the Healey Library at UMass Boston.

Since 2016, Boston Public Library and UMass Boston have been working together to preserve and share the history of hip-hop in Boston and Massachusetts. They continued their collaboration to expand awareness and access to the Massachusetts Hip-Hop Archive through a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and hosted the “Show ‘Em Whatcha Got” hip-hop digitization event on Saturday, May 19, at the Central Library. Attended by more than 200 members of the local hip-hop community, items collected for digitization included photos, clothing, videos interviews, and more, and will be available to view this month via openarchives.umb.edu. [Update: This collection is now online. Read more and view the digital collection here.]

The Massachusetts Hip-Hop Archive is a collective of creatives, hip-hop enthusiasts, innovators, and community and state organizations united by a common passion and purpose to provide resources and opportunities to Boston’s urban arts community. The Massachusetts Hip-Hop Archive includes a collection of almost 300 demo tapes featuring the biggest artists from Boston’s early hip-hop scene, which were digitized thanks to the support of the Boston Public Library. University Archives and Special Collections in the Healey Library at UMass Boston is currently working to expand the Massachusetts Hip-Hop Archive and welcomes donations of archival materials from musicians, DJs, breakdancers, graffiti artists, producers, promoters, and fans that will help document the rich heritage and legacy of hip-hop culture in Boston and Massachusetts. Download this flyer to learn more about what we collect.

Logo for National Endownment for the Humanities

This event is presented in partnership through Boston Public Library and the Joseph P. Healey Library at UMass Boston, and made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations in this program do not necessarily express those of the National Endowment of the Humanities.

University Archives & Special Collections in the Joseph P. Healey Library at UMass Boston collects materials related to the university’s history, as well as materials that reflect the institution’s urban mission and strong support of community service, notably in collections of records of urban planning, social welfare, social action, alternative movements, community organizations, and local history related to neighboring communities.

University Archives & Special Collections welcomes inquiries from individuals, organizations, and businesses interested in donating materials of an archival nature that that fit within our collecting policy. These include manuscripts, documents, organizational archives, collections of photographs, unique publications, and audio and video media. For more information about donating to University Archives & Special Collections, click here or email library.archives@umb.edu.

Ninety-nine years on: The 1919 Boston Police Strike Project moves forward

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Patrolmen attached to the Sixth Division, 1901 Boston Police Department Yearbook. At least one of these officers, Joseph O. Hodgkins, was a striker.

Patrolmen attached to the Sixth Division, 1901 Boston Police Department Yearbook. At least one of these officers, Joseph O. Hodgkins, was a striker.

It’s that time of year! Today marks the 99th anniversary of the 1919 Boston Police Strike. We are now only one year away from the centennial of the strike, and the 1919 Boston Police Strike Project is in full swing. Volunteer researchers are hard at work documenting the men behind the strike, bringing us closer to our ultimate goal: the launch of a database of striker biographies on September 9, 2019.

Last fall, students in Carolyn Goldstein’s History 620 Introduction to Public History and Public Memory graduate seminar explored strategies for commemorating the strike and for engaging public audiences in thinking about the strike and its significance from many perspectives. Their projects generated ideas to inform interpretive programs to accompany the database of striker biographies.

In the spring, we introduced a free and self-paced open education course to teach participants how to perform biographical research and fill out a Bio Research Worksheet. Doing Biographical Research: The 1919 Boston Police Strike Project is open to all, even those not interested in volunteering for the project. After completing the course, students may apply to contribute to the project as volunteer researchers. To date, more than 100 people have enrolled in the course, and community volunteers have started research on over 700 of the 1142 strikers.

Also this spring, Margaret Sullivan gave popular presentations about the strike at the New England Historic Genealogical Society and the Boston Public Library. Subsequent media coverage by the Boston Globe and WGBH’s Curiosity Desk helped spread the word and connect new audiences with the 1919 Boston Police Strike Project blog.

Visitors to the blog can check out the newest feature, a searchable list of strikers. Browse the list to see who participated in the strike and where they lived and worked, or view a single striker’s duty card.

To learn more about the project, visit the 1919 Boston Police Strike Project blog. Email bpstrike@live.umb.edu with any questions.

Save the date for a commemorative centennial event on September 7, 2019 at the Central Branch of the Boston Public Library in Copley Square.

Marshfield Mass. Memories Road Show materials available for research

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The photographs, stories, and videos gathered at the Marshfield Mass. Memories Road Show are available online now for research.

'Farmer at heart, 2015. It was a tomato contest at our farmer's market. I grew these on the last colonial farm in town (Truant).' Contributor: William R. Frugoli.

‘Farmer at heart, 2015. It was a tomato contest at our farmer’s market. I grew these on the last colonial farm in town (Truant).’ Contributor: William R. Frugoli.

 

Hosted and organized by the Ventress Memorial Library on Saturday, October 28, 2017, the event was the result of a collaboration with numerous community organizations including the Marshfield Historical Society, the 1699 Isaac Winslow House and Cultural Center, and the Marshfield Council on Aging. Over twenty local volunteers joined a team of UMass Boston staff members, public history graduate students, and “Roadies” to welcome nearly 100 adults and children with connections to the town on Boston’s South Shore.

The Kiley girls and friends at Ocean Bluff Beach.

‘The Kiley girls and friends at Ocean Bluff Beach.  A fun day swimming at Ocean Bluff Beach, c. 1910s. Pictured, from left to right: Edith Dow, Mary M. Kiley, Evelyn W. Kiley, Katherine (Kittie) Driscoll Kiley, (in Kittie’s arms) my mother Marguerite Kiley Driscoll, and Marion Rogers.’ Contributor: Marguerite Krupp.

 

Participants contributed images of everyday life in the seashore community in the 20th and 21st centuries. Family gatherings swimming at the beach and exploring the town’s natural beauty are well documented in the collection.

Little Rams, 1973. Friends in high school cheering on girls' Powder Puff football game. Pictured, from left to right: myself Ned Bangs, Contributor: Ned Bangs.

Little Rams, 1973. Friends in high school cheering on girls’ Powder Puff football game. Pictured, from left to right: Donny Roche, myself Ned Bangs,  John Taylor, Matt Harris, Tom Sousa, Joe Kelly, and Mike Robinson.’ Contributor: Ned Bangs.

 

Many contributors chose to share images of casual times at school, as well as formal class photographs. Other images feature Marshfield residents coming together for community service projects and at work in the Police Department, the Fire Department, and in family businesses.

'When we arrived, 2016. The first day we arrived in Marshfield from Puerto Rico. We loved to be near the ocean since we came from an island. Pictured: my husband Edward Sanchez and myself Ana Delgado. Location: Green Harbor."

‘When we arrived, 2016. The first day we arrived in Marshfield from Puerto Rico. We loved to be near the ocean since we came from an island. Pictured: my husband Edward Sanchez and myself Ana Delgado. Location: Green Harbor.”

 

Browse the Marshfield Mass. Memories Road Show collection.

The Mass. Memories Road Show is a statewide digital history project that documents people, places and events in Massachusetts history through family photographs and stories. In partnership with teams of local volunteers, we organize public events to scan family and community photographs and videotape “the stories behind the photos.” The images and videos are indexed and incorporated into an online educational database. Since its launch, the project has gathered more than 10,000 photographs and stories from across the state. It is supported in part by the Patricia C. Flaherty ’81 Endowed Fund at UMass Boston.

University Archives & Special Collections in the Joseph P. Healey Library at UMass Boston was established in 1981 as a repository to collect archival material in subject areas of interest to the university, as well as the records of the university itself. The mission and history of UMass Boston guide the collection policies of University Archives & Special Collections, with the university’s urban mission and strong support of community service reflected in the records of and related to urban planning, social welfare, social action, alternative movements, community organizations, war and social consequence, and local history related to neighboring communities. To learn more, visit blogs.umb.edu/archives.

Massachusetts Association of Older Americans records re-processed and available for research

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Boston Mayor Kevin White and unidentified women, taken for the publication The Older American, 1975. MA Association of Older American records, University Archives and Special Collections.

Photograph of Boston Mayor Kevin White and unidentified women outside The Mobile Market taken for the publication The Older American, 1975. Massachusetts Association of Older American records, University Archives and Special Collections.

University Archives & Special Collections in the Joseph P. Healey Library at the University of Massachusetts Boston is pleased to announce that the records of the Massachusetts Association of Older Americans have been re-processed to be more accessible for research.

The Massachusetts Association of Older Americans (MAOA) was founded in 1969 by Frank Manning as a non-profit advocacy agency. The organization works to ensure a dignified life for older people by striving for adequate income, affordable housing, and accessible, quality health care. The statewide membership is comprised of individuals working to keep older people in the mainstream, increase public awareness about aging issues, and build a strong network for elder advocacy in the Commonwealth. An early Faneuil Hall rally organized by MAOA drew more than 1,000 elders to fight for reduced Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) fares. In 1971, MAOA (then called the Massachusetts Legislative Council for Older Americans) gathered 14,000 seniors and supporters at Suffolk Downs to rally for elder issues. Speakers included Frank Manning, Massachusetts House Speaker David Bartley, United States Senator Edward Brooke, and Boston Mayor Kevin White.

Yellow program book cover for the Third Annual Meeting of the Massachusetts Legislative Council for Older Americans.

Cover of program book for Third Annual Meeting of the Massachusetts Legislative Council for Older Americans, held on April 23, 1971, at Suffolk Downs in East Boston. The event and rally was attended by around 14,000 people and included remarks by a number of local and national public officials.

MAOA’s advocacy efforts led to the creation of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs in 1971, which was one of the first cabinet-level senior agencies in the nation. MAOA is also responsible for helping to end mandatory retirement at age 65. MAOA continues to advocate for increased funding for home care, nutrition, and fuel assistance, and some of MAOA’s current programs include mental health programs, elder advocacy training for interested groups throughout the state, and SeniorNet, which provides computer training. MAOA collaborates with the UMass Boston Gerontology graduate programs and a number of other groups, such as Boston Partnership of Older Adults, Mature Workers coalition, Senior Actualization and Growth Expectations-Boston Collaborative, Senior Housing Coalition, the Senior Pharmacy Coalition, Action for Boston Community Development, Massachusetts Home Care, and the Massachusetts Councils on Aging and Senior Centers.

The re-processed collection includes organizational files, membership lists, board meeting minutes and agendas, correspondence, and the organization’s by-laws. The collection also includes files related to the Legislative Council of Older Americans and materials used as part of the organization’s advocacy efforts and research. A run from 1975 to 2000 of the MAOA’s quarterly newsletter, The Older American, is available as part of Series IV in the re-processed collection.

View the finding aid for the records of the Massachusetts Association of Older Americans here.

For questions about this collection or to schedule a research appointment, please contact library.archives@umb.edu or 617-287-5469.

University Archives & Special Collections in the Joseph P. Healey Library at UMass Boston collects materials related to the university’s history, as well as materials that reflect the institution’s urban mission and strong support of community service, notably in collections of records of urban planning, social welfare, social action, alternative movements, community organizations, and local history related to neighboring communities.

University Archives & Special Collections welcomes inquiries from individuals, organizations, and businesses interested in donating materials of an archival nature that that fit within our collecting policy. These include manuscripts, documents, organizational archives, collections of photographs, unique publications, and audio and video media. For more information about donating to University Archives & Special Collections, click here or email library.archives@umb.edu.

1919 Boston Police Strike Project online course up and running

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Police officer John J. Doyle went on strike in 1919. Source: Steve Doyle.

Police officer John J. Doyle went on strike in 1919. Source: Steve Doyle.

On September 9, 1919, more than 1,000 City of Boston police officers walked off the job to fight for union recognition and improved working conditions. In the days that followed, they lost their employment and public sympathy, their stories relegated to historical footnotes.

One hundred years later, the University of Massachusetts Boston’s Joseph P. Healey Library and the Boston Police Department Archives will celebrate the centennial of the 1919 Boston Police Strike. Together, the two institutions will launch a comprehensive database profiling the men who went on strike. This project is dependent on volunteers. To date, a growing team of community researchers have investigated the stories of over 500 “men behind the strike.”

Each volunteer researcher receives training in biographical research methods and our project-specific worksheet. After demonstrating proficiency with the research process, researchers are invited to fill out a worksheet for a striker. Every single worksheet takes us one step closer to a complete database of striker biographies.

Volunteer researchers learn to build a biographical profile from the information contained in a single duty roster card. Source: Boston Police Department Archives.

Volunteer researchers learn to build a biographical profile from the information contained in a single duty roster card. Source: Boston Police Department Archives.

A new online course, “Doing Biographical Research: The 1919 Boston Police Strike Project,” provides training to prospective researchers remotely. The course is free, self-paced, and open to the public. Researcher and recent “Doing Biographical Research” graduate Kayla Skillin said of the course:

The online course that was put together by the project staff was a great introduction to the project and really outlined what they are looking for for each striker. I think this would be a great course to take not only for volunteers, but also anyone who would like to improve on their own online genealogy research skills!”

Get on board!

To learn more about the 1919 Boston Police Strike Project, visit http://blogs.umb.edu/bpstrike1919.

Interested in getting involved and staying connected? Join the mailing list.

Want to jump right to the course? Enroll here!