Armenian residents, civic leaders, and clergy gathered on the front lawn of Newton City Hall on Friday, April 24 to mark the 111th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide with a flag-raising ceremony honoring the lives lost. The genocide began on April 24, 1915, and continued through 1916, when an estimated…
Posts published in “History”
In the spring of 1975, the School Committee approved a budget with an 8.7% increase, when inflation was at 11%, due in part to the 1973-4 oil embargo during the Arab-Israeli War. In the local election that November, four School Committee members were ousted by candidates from a new political…
The Newton Historical Society’s Durant-Kenrick House – a cheerful, green, 18th century saltbox on Waverly Avenue – was lit up for Naughty Newton at Night – a risqué, Hamilton-themed fundraiser for the nonprofit known as Historic Newton, with sponsorship by cannabis dispensary Garden Remedies. The cocktail party portion of the…
Ron Mitchell, President, CEO, and Publisher of the Bay State Banner, will speak in Cabot Park Village’s Black History Lecture Series on Wednesday, April 14 at 3PM in the Community Room of Cabot Park Village (280 Newtonville Avenue, Newtonville). Ron Mitchell has spent more than 35 years in the New England media market…
Producer and Director Mark Vikram Purushotham will speak in Cabot Park Village’s Black History Lecture Series on Wednesday, April 15 at 10AM in the Community Room of Cabot Park Village (280 Newtonville Avenue, Newtonville). Mark Vikram Purushotham is the Producer and Director of the production entity, Mercy Pictures. Starting in 2021, he…
Pink tricorn hats festooned with shiny stars and fluffy pompoms were unheard of in the 18th century, but on March 28, at the Durant-Kenrick House and Grounds, they were the height of fashion for children attending the Revolutionary Newton program. “That’s amazing,” said 5-year-old Margot, whose parents withheld her last…
A humble piece of luggage, timeworn travel chests, and a slightly crumpled cardboard box on display at the Jackson Homestead and Museum are poignant reminders of immigrants’ journeys to the United States, some of which led to settling in Newton. “Suitcase Stories” highlights the artifacts and stories of five families…
When three contiguous parcels (206-208 Concord Street in Lower Falls) were put on the market at the same time, Lower Falls resident Tori Zissman began to worry about the possibility of a developer tearing down the existing homes to make way for a new, larger project. Zissman, who had long admired…
This month, Fig City News profiles two particularly generous members of our community – Josephine McNeil and Lionel Porter – in celebration of Black History Month. Josephine McNeil Josephine McNeil is the founder and executive director of the Citizens for Affordable Housing in Newton Development Organization (CAN-DO), a community-based, nonprofit…
In a time of nationwide turmoil in the 1960s and 1970s, the Newton Public Schools (NPS) took a lot in stride: a homemade bomb exploding, major changes in school governance, and the beginning of significant cultural wars. On a Friday morning in November of 1968, a homemade bomb exploded in…
When METCO (the Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity) program began in 1966, organized opposition emerged in Brookline, Wellesley, Needham, and other neighboring suburbs, but not in Newton. METCO had “a smooth start here” without “incident or fanfare.” Instead of protesting METCO, Newton’s parents were protesting lunchtime. Between 1940 and 1970,…
Kabria Baumgartner, Dean’s Associate Professor of History and Africana Studies at Northeastern University, will present “The Troubled History of Race and Public Education in Massachusetts” at the Newton Free Library’s Druker Autotorium (330 Homer Street, Newton) on Wednesday, February 25 from 7-8PM. Baumgartner will explore how Black women activists fought for…