Civic Engagement – Creative Minds Out Loud

Episode 74: New Bedford Asks: What Would an Abolitionist Do Now?

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There’s more to New Bedford than just whaling. Lee Blake, President of the New Bedford Historical Society, discusses how the city’s residents are pulling their history together to create a new conversation about what New Bedford did to end slavery, and how that history can inform and inspire a more progressive social agenda.

Lee Blake As president of the New Bedford Historical Society, Ms. Blake leads an organization that preserves and celebrates the legacy of African Americans, Cape Verdeans, and Native Americans in her home town of New Bedford, MA. The Society has worked to preserve and document the history of the freedom seekers who found their way to New Bedford, a hub on the Underground Railroad in the 19th century.
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Episode 56: Reconnecting to America and What It Stands For

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Revolution 250 is a consortium of organizations working together to commemorate the 250th anniversaries of the events that led to American Revolution. Over the coming 10 years, they will explore the history of the American Revolution and the ways that this remarkable story still resonates today.

Last fall, we spoke with Reverend Steve Ayres, Vicar of the Old North Church, about Revolution 250, the challenges of stewarding historic sites, and the long-term benefits of knowing our history and where we’ve come from.

Revolution 250 hopes to convince civic leadership of the value of this major milestone as a way to renew not only our commitment to the nation and its ideals, but to refresh one of the most essential brand identities of the Commonwealth and Boston – birthplace of the American Revolution.

Reverend Steve Ayers The Rev. Stephen T. Ayres has served as Vicar of the Old North Church since 1997 and as Executive Director of the Old North Foundation since 2012. Vicar Ayres was ordained as an Episcopal priest in 1980 and has served parishes in Missouri, New York, and Massachusetts. He has an undergraduate degree in Comparative Religion from Hamilton College, an M.Div. from the Episcopal Divinity School, and an MA in Urban Policy from Tufts University. Continue reading “Episode 56: Reconnecting to America and What It Stands For”

Episode 38: Championing Civic Empowerment Then & Now

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Marita Rivero is the Executive Director of the Museum of African-American History, New England’s largest museum dedicated to preserving, conserving, and interpreting the contributions of African Americans. She discusses what it means to be part of a cultural continuum, and how the arts and humanities can be used to reach across barriers to bring a richer dialog forward.

Marita Rivero is the Executive Director of the Museum of African American History in Boston and Nantucket. She has been involved with the Museum as a supporter, member, volunteer and board member, including ten years as its chair in the early 2000’s. Rivero brings experience as a prolific public broadcasting executive, and member of several local and national non-profit boards in the areas of social service, arts, education, and historic preservation.

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Episode 33: The Enduring Values of John F. Kennedy’s Presidency

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The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is honoring the 100th anniversary of the birth of JFK with a year-long celebration. Steven M. Rothstein, Executive Director of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation, discusses the commemoration of this centennial year and reflects on the inspirational legacy of JFK in the arts, culture, and our democracy.

Steven Rothstein Steven M. Rothstein is an accomplished non-profit administrator, public servant, and entrepreneur. As President of the world-renowned Perkins School for the Blind, Rothstein led the institution through a period of significant growth. During his eleven year tenure from 2003-2014, he grew in-person and online educational services from 40,000 to 900,000 people, diversified teacher training services to all 50 states, increased academic offerings, and expanded to 30 new countries.
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Episode 29: Arts Center as a Platform for Community Development in Chinatown

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Giles Li is Executive Director of the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC), a social-services organization serving the community since 1969. He shares how BCNC uses the arts as a tool for community development, most recently in the creation of a new arts center. He says that right now Chinatown’s identity is maybe “stretching a little”, and hopes the new arts center can be a place where the entire community can feel they truly belong.

Giles Li is the Executive Director of Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, and has been at BCNC since 2006. With more than 15 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Giles has a proven track record of direct service, advocacy work, and management experience. Having grown up locally in an immigrant family, he has a life-long connection and commitment to the community in and beyond Chinatown.

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