Everyone250 Initiative Honors America’s Founding By Embracing Diversity of Its People
A collective of Boston arts and culture organizations has launched an initiative to reimagine how Boston will tell the story of the 250 years of American independence while promoting inclusivity…
This wide angle shot contrasts the old colonial legislature building against its modern neighbors. Built in 1713, it is Boston’s oldest public building, and it displays the British heraldic lion and unicorn. After Independence, it was used as the State Capitol building.
A collective of Boston arts and culture organizations has launched an initiative to reimagine how Boston will tell the story of the 250 years of American independence while promoting inclusivity and anti-racism.
Iamri Paris Jeffries is one of the co-chairs of this initiative, dubbed Everyone250, and president and CEO of Embrace Boston, one of the organizing groups of the project. Joining her as co-chairs of the Everyone250 initiative are Jeneé Osterheldt, creator of A Beautiful Resistance; Dart Adams, a Boston historian and journalist; Brian Boyles, executive director of Mass Humanities; and Emily Foster Day, vice president of advancement for the MassArt Foundation.
During a public launch event for Everyone250 on Wednesday, Feb. 26, Osterheldt praised the role of art in promoting culture and diversity. “Art has always been a radical pool of possibilities and liberation,” she said. “When we tell our stories potently and inclusively and powerfully, they cannot convey our truth.”
“There are so many other amazing stories and narratives that are not told,” Paris Jeffries told GBH News. “There's an expansive story of that colonial time. Sure, there were other people, Indigenous [and] Black folks that were around during that time. But not all of our origin stories started in 1776.”
As part of its programming, Everyone250 commemorations will feature block parties throughout the year, an archival book showcasing diverse stories, and a spotlight on at least 10 landmarks from marginalized communities. To complement this work, a website featuring an engagement tool will allow people to discover events and programs commemorating America's 250th birthday.
To kick off its cultural diversity programming, Everyone250 will hold an event in April that highlights recent history, commemorating the 1965 Freedom Rally on Boston Common. Later this year, in November, an arts and culture summit will unite artists and others to discuss the future of Boston's cultural landscape.
