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Quaker Scholar to Address Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum Celebration

By
Daily News

Rachel MacNair

ADAMS — Scholar, author, and Quaker Rachel MacNair will speak at the annual birthday celebration for Susan B. Anthony. Hosted by the Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum in Adams, the event will take place on Sunday, Feb. 15 at 2 p.m. in G.A.R. Memorial Hall at the Adams Free Library, 92 Park St.

MacNair is a nationally recognized psychologist, sociologist, author, and peace scholar whose work reflects a lifelong commitment to Quaker principles of equality and non-violence, values deeply shared by Anthony and the Quaker community in which she was raised.

A graduate of Earlham College, a historic Quaker institution known for its emphasis on peace studies and civic responsibility, MacNair holds a doctorate in psychology with interdisciplinary training in sociology. Her work has been recognized with multiple professional awards honoring her contributions to ethics, education, and peace studies. In 2011, she was awarded the Outstanding Service Award from the American Psychological Assoc.

Born into a Quaker family in Adams, Anthony was shaped by the Religious Society of Friends’ (Quaker) teachings on the inherent equality and dignity of all people, which guided her lifelong advocacy for women’s rights, abolition, and social justice.

“Dr. MacNair’s scholarship offers a meaningful lens through which to understand Anthony’s Quaker upbringing here in the Berkshires and how those values shaped her advocacy for women’s rights throughout her life,” said Lucy Czaja Anthony, a museum board member.

The Feb. 15 event will begin with a reception for attendees, followed by the keynote speaker, then questions from the audience. Seating is limited, and attendees are encouraged to arrive early. G.A.R. Memorial Hall is located on the second floor. Elevator access is available via the Melrose Street entrance.

Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum Awarded Three Grants

By
Daily News

ADAMS — The Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum received three grants from the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation for a total of $3,589.28, through its Berkshire Hills Fund for Excellence, Lee Educational Enrichment Fund, and Williamstown Elementary School Endowment Fund programs.

“This is a great opportunity to make fifth- and sixth-graders aware that they share the same roots as one of our nation’s finest advocates for women’s rights, Susan B. Anthony,” museum Director James Capuzzi said. “We are grateful to the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation for the opportunity to bring our museum directly to students in their classrooms.”

This program brings the inspiring story of Berkshire County’s own Susan B. Anthony to students at W.E.B. Du Bois Regional Middle School in Great Barrington, Berkshire Hills Regional School District, Lee Middle and High School and Williamstown Elementary School.

Muriel Dyas of Herstorically Speaking reenacts Susan B. Anthony while students complete a timeline of her life, learn about pay inequity, and make a special ballot vote. The event concludes with a ‘votes for women’ march around school grounds complete with suffrage sashes, buttons, and student-made protest signs.

“My favorite audiences are those of elementary students. I find them inquisitive and appreciative of history coming to life,” Dyas said. “I believe Susan B. Anthony’s story is perfect for this age group because she teaches young people that you can come from a small Berkshire hamlet and make a difference in the world. Perseverance, determination, and intelligence are qualities all children should learn, and Susan is a role model of these qualities.”

Mass Cultural Council Awards $9,000 Grant to Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum

By
Daily News

ADAMS — The Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum has received a grant of $9,000 from the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency, through its Operating Grants for Organizations program.

“Public support enables the Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum to provide quality educational programming for students, immersive experiential learning for college students and adults, and free public programs for the entire community,” state Sen. Paul Mark said.

This grant signifies that the Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum provides significant public value through its programs and services. Last year alone, the museum brought Susan B. Anthony’s inspiring story to more than 300 students. With a 59% increase in programming and museum attendance, the museum intends to continue to grow and expand its immersive and experiential learning capacity. In the coming year, the museum will welcome six college interns, hold numerous free public programs, and continue to draw tourists to the Berkshires with its events and guided house tours.

State Rep. John Barrett III noted that “these funds will help preserve Susan B. Anthony’s historic birthplace in Adams, Massachusetts and will allow for expanded guided tours, school outreach, and free public programs for people of all ages.”

For this fiscal year, the Mass Cultural Council has adopted a $34 million spending plan, allowing the agency to award at least 2,500 grants totaling approximately $38 million to the Commonwealth’s creative and cultural sector. This is funded primarily through public dollars, including the agency’s $26.7 million state budget appropriation and support from the National Endowment for the Arts. The agency also runs the Mass Cultural Facilities Fund in partnership with MassDevelopment.

Mass Cultural Council funds reach every community in the Commonwealth. Its mission is to advance the Commonwealth’s creative and cultural sector by celebrating traditions and talents, championing collective needs, and equitably investing public resources.

The Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum, located on 67 East Road in Adams, is open Thursdays through Mondays during the summer from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call the museum at (413) 743-7121 or visit www.susanbanthonybirthplace.com.