An educational presentation from the ACLU of Massachusetts, in partnership with Decarcerate Western Mass. Learn more about the roles that MA Sheriff’s play and what decision-making powers the job holds. This program does not endorse any candidate and is presented for educational purposes only. Representatives from the ACLU will share the presentation and answer questions from attendees. Please register to receive a Zoom link to the program.
From the ACLU:
Sheriffs have the power to make our communities safer and more just for all—but most Massachusetts voters don’t even know who their sheriff is.
It’s time to change that. It’s time to Know Your Sheriff.
Know Your Sheriff is a public education campaign by the ACLU of Massachusetts to build voter awareness about the life-changing decisions that sheriffs make. Polling shows that many voters are not familiar with sheriffs—but when they learn more, they are more likely cast a ballot for sheriff in the next election. Knowing your sheriff means knowing that YOU have the power to demand safer communities and a more just criminal legal system.
Join us as we welcome author Tim Spofford for a conversation about his new book What The Children Told Us. Tim will discuss the lives and work of Drs. Kenneth and Mamie Phipps Clark, including Clark/Phipps genealogy (guided by vintage family photos), the Doctors’ famous Doll Test, and their roles as Black activists, humanitarians and intellectualists in Springfield, MA and nationally.
This event is drop-in and masks will be required.
Author Bio:
Tim Spofford’s writing career was inspired by the May 1970 slayings on the Kent and Jackson State campuses amid antiwar unrest. He wrote Lynch Street, the only book about the black students slain in Mississippi. A writing career focused on racial issues in education followed the completion of his first book.
For seven years, Spofford covered educational policymaking for the Albany Times Union, including at the NYS Education Department, the NYS Legislature and the 64-campus State University of New York system. He often interviewed Kenneth Clark, a policymaker on the NYS Board of Regents.
Spofford has taught writing and journalism in schools and colleges and has a Doctor of Arts in English degree from the State University at Albany. He’s published articles in the New York Times, Newsday, Mother Jones, Columbia Journalism Review and other publications. He also worked as a copy editor, most recently at the St. Petersburg Times in Florida, where he coached young editors. Spofford is an avid but unaccomplished hiker, swimmer and landscaper. He lives with his wife, Barbara, in St. Petersburg, Florida, and Lee, Massachusetts.
Join the Library and Meat for Tea in welcoming local authors Jane Yolen and Peter Tacy! Jane and Peter will read selections from “The Black Dog Poems” (pub. 2022), and other works, including pairs of poems written by them that they call “back and forth poetry”. Masks are required at this in-person program.
Author Bios:
Jane Yolen is best known as the author of many best-selling and award-winning children’s books. However, among her 400 published books are 14 books of adult poetry — many of which have recently won awards, including the Sophie Brody Medal and the Sydney Taylor Body of Work Award. Her husband Peter Tacy is a retired independent-school educator. He and Jane first met through their shared interest in poetry during the 1950’s, when they were at Smith and Williams Colleges; but then they went separate ways and into separate marriages — until, both widowed, they re-connected and began writing with and to each other in 2019. They divide their time between Jane’s home in Hatfield and Peter’s in Mystic, CT.
Join us on Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88517861163?pwd=SWhMKzJDTmRQdEtnTUVGc0pFZHVkQT09
Meeting ID: 885 1786 1163
Passcode: alice
Alice’s Ordinary People is a documentary film about Alice Tregay – a woman who refused to stand still for injustice. Her remarkable story spans the historic period from the marches of Dr. King to the election of Barack Obama, and her unique contribution in the field of politics is the thread that connects the two.
This hour-long Zoom program is a presentation and discussion with independent filmmaker Craig Dudnick, who brought Alice’s story to life in the documentary. Learn more about Craig and the film at http://imaginevideo.org/
Available for check out at the Library or free through the libraries’ Kanopy streaming service: https://kanopy.com/product/alices-ordinary-people-chicago-freedom-mov
**Attendees are encouraged to watch the film before the Zoom program, but the presentation can be enjoyed whether or not you’ve seen the film.
This program is sponsored in part by Emily’s Friends of the Library.
Register at tinyurl.com/ewml-climate-justice
Climate change – the number one existential threat to humanity and the planet – is often described as a scientific problem with environmental impacts, but it’s more than that. Where do social justice and climate change overlap? How does identity (race, ethnicity, gender, etc.) influence the way a person is impacted by climate change? And how can we, as concerned community members, fight climate change in a way that is just and equitable for all?
Join Nia Keith, social justice educator and climate activist, as we examine the connection between societal inequities and climate impacts. Nia will share some of the most dynamic climate justice initiatives today, led by youth and People of Color around the world. Finally, we’ll discuss ways we can all take climate action in our communities and beyond.
Closed captioning will be available. This Zoom presentation will be recorded for future viewing.
Presenter Bio: Nia Keith is a Social Justice Educator & Consultant with more than 15 years experience working in nonprofits, schools, and cultural institutions. She is also Mass Audubon’s first Vice President for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Justice. Dedicated to cultivating equity and justice in all environments, Nia has spent her career motivating people to address environmental, social, and economic issues. As an educator, she designs and delivers interactive lessons for all ages, to help people understand and take action to fight climate change. Nia holds a Bachelor of Arts in Women’s Studies from The Ohio State University and a Master of Science in Environmental Studies from Antioch University New England.
This program was funded in part by Emily’s Friends of the Library.