Congratulations to the leaders, the interviewers and the narrators of this project…. And the artists!
Leaders of Manos Unidas, in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, asked us to be their Mass Humanities, Humanities Advisor, for their first oral history project. In October -December, 2024, we worked with them on pre interviewing tasks and interview training. The project theme is emigration and immigration, and they interviewed people who came to this country from Central and South America. It was a bilingual project. The final goal was an exhibit. Now, they will also work with the Digital Commonwealth to archive the project.
Two weeks ago, they opened the exhibit at a gallery on North Street in Pittsfield. Several small tables with headphones signaled the spots for listening to interviews. And along both long walls of the rectangular gallery space, art inspired by the stories was placed.
This year was a challenging one for interviewing people about their immigration, their leaving home, arriving in the United States, and settling in the Berkshires. The project leaders, interviewers and narrators persisted, deciding that the project would be anonymous. It was a challenge.
We congratulate them on this meaningful work! And the celebratory event that capped it.