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Special Events   

Summer Programs!

All programs are free and open to members, former members, and nonmembers alike! A few of our programs may be listed more than once below. This is because they are offered in different locations on the same day and time. Besure to notice the location of the program before registering for it.

Zoom details for online summer programs will be sent to participants the day prior to the program. Reminders for in-person events will also be sent with more information about the meeting location, directions, and other details.

The below summer programs are listed in chronological order. If an "Add to Cart" button is not showing or a program is not listed, that event is already full. You can email the OLLI office to be placed on the waitlist.

Registration Instructions. Members (current and former) can use their OLLI accounts to sign up for these events. Sign-in using your OLLI username and password by clicking on the yellow Sign In button above. Your username and password are still active even if your membership has expired.

Not an OLLI member? Please email or call (617.287.7312) the OLLI office with the program titles you would like to register for. You do not need an OLLI account to register for these programs.

Note: Registration is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Summer Program Listings (PDF File)
 

  Back to Courses & Programs

  • The Broken Promise of America’s Asylum System (Dartmouth Lecture Series)
  • Date: 7/16/2025
    Day: Wednesday
    Time: 9:00 AM - 11:30 AM
    Number of Sessions: 1
     
    Location: ONLINE
    Room: Zoom
    Facilitator: Rachel Rosenbloom
  • When Senator Edward Kennedy sponsored the Refugee Act of 1980, he urged his congressional colleagues to pass a bill that would “welcome homeless refugees to our shores” and “give statutory meaning to our national commitment to human rights and humanitarian concerns.” The Refugee Act has transformed the United States over the past 45 years. However, the U.S. refugee and asylum system has never entirely lived up to the lofty goals that Senator Kennedy articulated, and the federal government now appears to be abandoning them entirely. In this lecture, Professor Rosenbloom will assess both the achievements of the Refugee Act and its shortcomings, and examine how immigrant communities are organizing to demand a better future.

    Online streaming details will be sent out the day before the lecture.

 

  • Spotlight on OLLI: Learn. Connect. Explore.
  • Date: 7/17/2025
    Day: Thursday
    Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
    Number of Sessions: 1
     
    Location: UMass Boston Campus - Integrated Science Complex
    Room: Atrium, 1st Floor
    Facilitator: 
  • You’re invited to check out the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at UMass Boston and what awaits if you join our learning community! Spotlight on OLLI is our open house event where prospective members (and current ones) can explore a mini-classroom experience, learn what OLLI offers members, and connect with one another. This program will be offered at three locations: online via Zoom, in-person at Thayer Public Library, and in-person at the UMass Boston campus. Each location will offer a specific learning experience and there will be one common presentation for all to enjoy by the Cleveland Art Museum. After the classroom presentations, all participants will learn more specifics about OLLI at UMass Boston. Refreshments will be served at the two in-person locations, and for those joining us at UMass Boston, you’ll be able to enjoy a Boston Harbor cruise after the event has ended! Please be sure to register for the correct location.

    Mini-classroom experiences offered at UMass Boston for OLLI's Open House. Participants will pick one of the following to go to:

    "Exploring the Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park.” Did you know there are 34 islands and peninsulas that make up the Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park? Join OLLI presenter Suzanne Gall Marsh as she tells you more about this urban oasis right in our backyard!

    “Mind Games: The Behavioral Tricks Behind Everyday Design.” Why does $3.99 feel cheaper than $4? Why does one pill bottle label seem clear while another leaves you guessing? And why do some online forms or phone menus feel impossible to navigate? In this hands-on mini-class, former OLLI Scholar, Lilo Altali, will explore how designers use behavioral psychology to shape the choices we make—often without us realizing it.

    You are registering for the UMass Boston location of OLLI's open house event. A Boston harbor boat cruise will occur after the open house ends.

 

  • Spotlight on OLLI: Learn. Connect. Explore.
  • Date: 7/17/2025
    Day: Thursday
    Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
    Number of Sessions: 1
     
    Location: Thayer Public Library, Braintree
    Room: Logan Auditorium
    Facilitator: 
  • You’re invited to check out the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at UMass Boston and what awaits if you join our learning community! Spotlight on OLLI is our open house event where prospective members (and current ones) can explore a mini-classroom experience, learn what OLLI offers members, and connect with one another. This program will be offered at three locations: online via Zoom, in-person at Thayer Public Library, and in-person at the UMass Boston campus. Each location will offer a specific learning experience and there will be one common presentation for all to enjoy by the Cleveland Art Museum. After the classroom presentations, all participants will learn more specifics about OLLI at UMass Boston. Refreshments will be served at the two in-person locations, and for those joining us at UMass Boston, you’ll be able to enjoy a Boston Harbor cruise after the event has ended! Please be sure to register for the correct location.

    Mini-classroom experience offered at Thayer Public Library (Braintree) for OLLI's Open House:

    “Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable.” OLLI facilitator Myrna Finn likes using TED Talks to get OLLI members talking and awaken their curiosity, solidify their own thinking and feelings, and learn something new! In this session, she uses a TED Talk by Luvvie Ajayi Jones to get you talking about getting out of our comfort zones to be heard and effect change both in our own lives and in the lives of others.

    You are registering for the Braintree location of OLLI's open house event.

 

  • Spotlight on OLLI: Learn. Connect. Explore.
  • Date: 7/17/2025
    Day: Thursday
    Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
    Number of Sessions: 1
     
    Location: ONLINE
    Room: Zoom
    Facilitator: 
  • You’re invited to check out the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at UMass Boston and what awaits if you join our learning community! Spotlight on OLLI is our open house event where prospective members (and current ones) can explore a mini-classroom experience, learn what OLLI offers members, and connect with one another. This program will be offered at three locations: online via Zoom, in-person at Thayer Public Library, and in-person at the UMass Boston campus. Each location will offer a specific learning experience and there will be one common presentation for all to enjoy by the Cleveland Art Museum. After the classroom presentations, all participants will learn more specifics about OLLI at UMass Boston. Refreshments will be served at the two in-person locations, and for those joining us at UMass Boston, you’ll be able to enjoy a Boston Harbor cruise after the event has ended! Please be sure to register for the correct location.

    Mini-classroom experience offered online (via Zoom) for OLLI's Open House:

    "Building Resilience."  We all encounter challenges in life, and it's natural to wonder about their impact, how quickly we'll recover, and most importantly, how we can help ourselves through them. Resilience is our inherent capacity to navigate life's difficulties, from minor disappointments to major crises. While our brains are naturally resilient, we can develop unhelpful patterns over time that become ingrained in our neural circuitry. In these uncertain and stressful times, if we allow our thoughts to dominate us, we may experience anxiety, high stress levels, insomnia, and other symptoms of a dysregulated nervous system.

     In this presentation, OLLI Katherine Robinson will share tools to help you flow with life's challenges. She  will synthesize insights from neuroscience, intuitive medicine, psychology, and subtle energy techniques. These techniques are designed to help you rebuild your core well-being and offer neuroprotective effects against stress.

    You are registering for the online (Zoom) location of OLLI's open house event.

 

  • Author Talk with Mary Noé: The Man Who Shot J.P. Morgan
  • Date: 7/17/2025
    Day: Thursday
    Time: 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
    Number of Sessions: 1
     
    Location: Special Offsite Location
    Room: See program information
    Facilitator: Mary Noe
  • The thrilling, true story of a prolific criminal’s many identities and exploits. The Man Who Shot J. P. Morgan is a riveting tale of false identities, radical political beliefs, and ambitious criminal schemes set during the tumultuous time shortly before the United States entered World War I. In 1906 and 1915, Cambridge, MA was the location of the national news story when a Harvard Ph.D. candidate and adjunct professor poisoned his wife nine days after childbirth. Cambridge police and court proceedings continued for nine years later when he emerged as a Cornell Ph.D. and bombed the U.S. Capitol and shot J.P. Morgan.  This true story of deceit and brilliance is chronicled in Mary Noé’s narrative nonfiction book The Man Who Shot J.P. Morgan, A Life of Arsenic, Anarchy and Intrigue.

    This in-person program takes place at the Jamaica Plain Branch of the Boston Public Library (30 South Street Jamaica Plain, MA 02130).

 

  • America’s Best Idea: The First Amendment and the Freedom of Religion (Dartmouth Lecture Series)
  • Date: 7/23/2025
    Day: Wednesday
    Time: 9:00 AM - 11:30 AM
    Number of Sessions: 1
     
    Location: ONLINE
    Room: Zoom
    Facilitator: Randall Balmer
  • America’s best idea, the separation of church and state, is under attack by those who espouse Christian nationalism, which seeks to conflate religion and the state by means of religious symbols and taxpayer support for religious education. This is both bad theology and bad history. Jesus himself declared that his kingdom “was not of this world,” and the nation’s founders emphatically were not, as David Barton and other Christian nationalists argue, evangelical Christians. Painfully aware of the wars of religion in Europe and England, the founders wanted to avoid the entanglement of church and state while guaranteeing freedom of religion. In so doing, they were drawing on the ideas of Roger Williams, a former Puritan who founded the Baptist tradition in America. Williams wanted to separate the “garden of the church” from the “wilderness of the world” by means of a wall of separation – in large measure because he wanted to protect the integrity of the faith from interference by the state. The First Amendment has worked remarkably well throughout American history, and those who would seek to abrogate the separation of church and state are actually working against their own interests.

    Online streaming details will be sent out the day before the lecture.

 

  • Sketchbooks: Maximizing your art-making time
  • Date: 7/25/2025
    Day: Friday
    Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
    Number of Sessions: 1
     
    Location: ONLINE
    Room: Zoom
    Facilitator: Kate Nordstrom
  • Why do artists keep sketchbooks? What do I draw in my sketchbook? This workshop is for anyone interested in incorporating regular artmaking into his or her life. We will discuss the benefits of using sketchbooks to enhance the artmaking practice. Most of the workshop will be spent drawing in your sketchbook from photographs. We will practice capturing the most important elements of a scene and editing out unnecessary details. Other topics include thumbnail sketches, gesture drawing, color experimentation, and more! By the end of the workshop, you will have many ideas on how to use limited amounts of time to create art.  Program Note: The workshop facilitator will email out a list of recommended supplies for this workshop a week in advance.

    Zoom details will be sent out the day prior to this presentation.

 

  • The Birth of the Atomic Age: Lòs Alamos in 1945 and its Impact Today
  • Date: 7/28/2025
    Day: Monday
    Time: 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
    Number of Sessions: 1
     
    Location: ONLINE
    Room: Zoom
    Facilitator: Genny Peterson, Galina Vromen
  • What was it like to live in WW2 Los Alamos, NM where the world's first atomic bomb was built? What were the considerations that went into dropping nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki? How did their use influence nuclear policy after the war? Inspired by the research for her historical novel, Hill of Secrets, set in WW2 Los Alamos, author Galina Vromen will bring alive that momentous period. This will be followed by a discussion with Genny Peterson, OLLI program coordinator and a 20th-century historian, about the issues that led to the legacy of nuclear proliferation today.

    Zoom details will be sent out the day prior to the presentation.

 

  • Downsizing Workshop
  • Date: 7/29/2025
    Day: Tuesday
    Time: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
    Number of Sessions: 1
     
    Location: Special Offsite Location
    Room: See program information
    Facilitator: 
  • Are you or a loved one considering Downsizing but unsure where to start? Come to this workshop designed specifically for older adults and their families led by a team of professionals from Coldwell Banker Realty who specialize in helping seniors transition smoothly into their next place. Whether you're planning to move soon or just exploring your options, this workshop will provide valuable insights to guide you. 

    This in-person program will take place at the Tufts Public Library in Weymouth (46 Broad St, Weymouth, MA 02188).

 

  • Transforming Anxiety
  • Date: 7/29/2025
    Day: Tuesday
    Time: 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
    Number of Sessions: 1
     
    Location: ONLINE
    Room: Zoom
    Facilitator: Katherine Robinson
  • We are living in the age of anxiety; a situation that often makes us feel as if we are locked into endless cycles of stress, sleeplessness and worry. But what if we had a way to leverage our anxiety to help us solve problems and fortify our well-being? What if instead of seeing anxiety as a curse, we could recognize it for the unique gift that it is? In this workshop, we will be learning about ways to work with anxiety and see it as essential for our survival. This will be a combination of lecture, discussion and meditation, breathing exercises.

    Zoom details will be sent out the day prior to this presentation.

 

  • The Implications of Trump's Economic Policies (Dartmouth Lecture Series)
  • Date: 7/30/2025
    Day: Wednesday
    Time: 9:00 AM - 11:30 AM
    Number of Sessions: 1
     
    Location: ONLINE
    Room: Zoom
    Facilitator: Matt Slaughter
  • When Senator Edward Kennedy sponsored the Refugee Act of 1980, he urged his congressional colleagues to pass a bill that would “welcome homeless refugees to our shores” and “give statutory meaning to our national commitment to human rights and humanitarian concerns.” The Refugee Act has transformed the United States over the past 45 years. However, the U.S. refugee and asylum system has never entirely lived up to the lofty goals that Senator Kennedy articulated, and the federal government now appears to be abandoning them entirely. In this lecture, Professor Rosenbloom will assess both the achievements of the Refugee Act and its shortcomings, and examine how immigrant communities are organizing to demand a better future.

    Online streaming details will be sent out the day before the lecture.

 

  • Smithsonian American Art Museum: Social Commentary, Social Action
  • Date: 7/31/2025
    Day: Thursday
    Time: 10:00 AM - 11:15 AM
    Number of Sessions: 1
     
    Location: ONLINE
    Room: Zoom
    Facilitator: SAAM Study Group Leader
  • Artists living in America have often visualized and engaged with social issues through their artistic practice. Participants will examine 18th-21st century art to discover the range of approaches artists have used to make their voices hear. The Smithsonian American Art Museum’s presentations encourage participants to share their thoughts and to participate in the conversation over the 75-minute presentation. 

    Zoom details will be sent out the day prior to this presentation.

 

  • Playing with Composition to Improve your Drawings or Paintings
  • Date: 8/4/2025
    Day: Monday
    Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
    Number of Sessions: 1
     
    Location: ONLINE
    Room: Zoom
    Facilitator: Kate Nordstrom
  • One of the essential elements of all 2D art and design (both representational and abstract) is composition. During this workshop we will explore the following guiding questions: what is composition; why do artists need to understand composition; how can being intentional about composition enhance a future piece of art. This workshop is for anyone interested in learning the basics about composition. Using thumbnail sketching, students will have the opportunity to experiment with composition. Students are welcome to bring their own photographs for inspiration or may choose to draw from photographs provided by the instructor. Some prior drawing experience is helpful but not necessary. Program Note: The workshop facilitator will email out a list of supplies recommended for this workshop a week in advance.

    Zoom details will be sent out the day prior to this presentation.

 

  • Integrative Health & Wellness Coaching: The Wheel of Health Approach
  • Date: 8/4/2025
    Day: Monday
    Time: 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
    Number of Sessions: 1
     
    Location: Hingham Public Library
    Room: Whiton Room
    Facilitator: Julianne Mazzawi
  • This 90-minute presentation will introduce participants to a wholistic approach towards health and wellness using an assessment tool known as the Wheel of Health. Nine areas will be explored as you identify challenges/successes in nine areas: movement, nutrition, environment, relationships, personal development, spirituality, sleep & rest, work life balance, and mind & body. The outcome is to encourage participants to develop a personalized plan with goals and strategies for healthy living, stress management, and/or personal growth.

 

  • Smithsonian American Art Museum: African American Artists
  • Event is full!
    Date:
    8/5/2025
    Day: Tuesday
    Time: 10:00 AM - 11:15 AM
    Number of Sessions: 1
     
    Location: ONLINE
    Room: Zoom
    Facilitator: SAAM Study Group Leader
  • The lives of African American artists lend insight into the context of their works. Learn about the diverse body of artwork created by African American artists and the historical, social, and cultural events, as well as the life experiences, that inspired their work. The Smithsonian American Art Museum’s presentations encourage participants to share their thoughts and to participate in the conversation over the 75-minute presentation. 

    Zoom details will be sent out the day prior to this presentation.

 

  • The Art of American Roots Music
  • Date: 8/5/2025
    Day: Tuesday
    Time: 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
    Number of Sessions: 1
     
    Location: Special Offsite Location
    Room: See program information
    Facilitator: Taylor Ackley
  • This presentation (and performance) will work to understand folk, country, and bluegrass as art which represents the struggles, triumphs, concerns, and creativity of poor and working-class folks in the United States. Taylor will lecture for the first portion of the program, and then will perform a few songs that are representative of American Roots music.

    This event will take place at the Boston Public Library (Copley/Main Branch): 700 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116

 

  • Can Freedom of Speech Survive? And Should It? (Dartmouth Lecture Series)
  • Date: 8/6/2025
    Day: Wednesday
    Time: 9:00 AM - 11:30 AM
    Number of Sessions: 1
     
    Location: ONLINE
    Room: Zoom
    Facilitator: Nadine Strossen
  • The many current threats to free speech include: “cancel culture,” which penalizes those who question prevailing orthodoxies; rampant self-censorship about “sensitive” topics; Big Tech wielding unprecedented power to restrict and chill expression; government officials pressuring Big Tech to suppress even more material; campus assaults on academic freedom; state laws that bar the teaching of “divisive” concepts; federal and state laws (including President Trump’s executive orders) that have some positive and some negative implications for free speech, including on campus; federal and state laws that restrict minors’ access to sexually oriented online expression; public officials’ (including the President’s) initiation of defamation lawsuits against their critics; and weak public support for free speech, the media, and universities, according to polls. This presentation will discuss the pros and cons of free speech and censorship, addressing legal principles, and policy considerations.

    Online streaming details will be sent out the day before the lecture.

 

  • Finding Peace in Uncertain Times
  • Date: 8/7/2025
    Day: Thursday
    Time: 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
    Number of Sessions: 1
     
    Location: ONLINE
    Room: Zoom
    Facilitator: Katherine Robinson
  • The world has recently been turned upside down with a worldwide pandemic, political unrest, climate change and the threat of war. All of these events are making many of us feel disconnected, fearful and unsure about the future. Connecting to ourselves and finding ways in which to be resilient, calm down the fear response in the nervous system and activate the relaxation response is crucial during these times. We have so much more power over our responses than we can even imagine. In this presentation, learn how to accept the moment, find inner peace and learn coping strategies to help you surf the waves of uncertainty.

    Zoom details will be sent out the day prior to this presentation.

 

  • Five Wishes Workshop
  • Date: 8/12/2025
    Day: Tuesday
    Time: 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
    Number of Sessions: 1
     
    Location: ONLINE
    Room: Zoom
    Facilitator: Judith Pare
  • Five Wishes is the first advance directive outlining your personal, emotional, and spiritual needs and medical wishes. It provides a vehicle for you to choose the person you want to make healthcare decisions for you if you are unable to make them for yourself. Five Wishes allows you to describe precisely how you wish to be treated if you get seriously ill. During this program, participants will have an opportunity to reflect on their wishes, and the facilitator will review how to complete a Five Wishes document. Participants will have an opportunity to reflect on their wishes and blank, legal copy of the Five Wishes for their personal use. Program Note: Required physical materials for this presentation will be mailed out to each participant. Therefore, registration for this program will close on August 4 to ensure materials are received in a timely manner.

    Zoom details will be sent out the day prior to this presentation.

 

  • The Four Freedoms: The Way Forward (Dartmouth Lecture Series)
  • Date: 8/13/2025
    Day: Wednesday
    Time: 9:00 AM - 11:30 AM
    Number of Sessions: 1
     
    Location: ONLINE
    Room: Zoom
    Facilitator: Linda Fowler
  • The concept of freedom has evolved over the course of American history from the founding ideas in the Bill of Rights that citizens should be able to live their lives without government interference to the 20th century concept that people should be able to fulfill their potential--if necessary, with the help of government. Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms spoke to the contemporary version, although want and fear do not appear in the Constitution. However, two obstacles have prevented the full realization of FDR’s vision and hinder those who advocate for it today: the persistence of 18th century beliefs with respect to property rights; and the structure of American political institutions. The U.S. system of checks and balances was designed to restrain the elected legislature, which the Framers understood from history would be susceptible to demagogues and mob rule. By dividing the legislature and empowering state governments, they inadvertently impeded Congress’ ability to act during times of emergency. Frustrated lawmakers and citizens turned to the presidency to lead. When crises passed, Congress typically would reassert its powers, aided by our state-oriented parties and independent judiciary. The parties today, however, have nationalized and are deeply polarized, and the Supreme Court has begun to empower the person of the president, while disempowering the executive branch. The essence of the American experiment for nearly 250 years has been preserving the best of our constitutional system, while adapting to the current needs of citizens and communities. The way forward is contentious and uncertain, but it must start with restoration of Congress and a more balanced exercise of power.

    Online streaming details will be sent out the day before the lecture.

 

  • Writing on the Porch: A Writing Workshop
  • Date: 8/14/2025
    Day: Thursday
    Time: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
    Number of Sessions: 1
     
    Location: ONLINE
    Room: Zoom
    Facilitator: Margarita Bonifaz
  • What stories are caught in the corners of your life? When was the last time you gave yourself creative space?  As we move towards the returning light of the New Year, give yourself some time to write. Through writing prompts, silly and serious, and writing sessions, (short and medium, up to 20 minutes) your imagination will be invited to the page. Participants will be encouraged to share their work and offer positive comments to others. Prior creative writing experience is not necessary. Please come ready to write, please keep camera on during sharing and prompts to encourage our special community.

    Zoom details will be sent out the day prior to this writing workshop.

 

  • Group Walk: Northeastern University Campus
  • Date: 8/15/2025
    Day: Friday
    Time: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
    Number of Sessions: 1
     
    Location: Special Offsite Location
    Room: See program information
    Facilitator: 
  • Enjoy a walking excursion with OLLI’s Walking SIG as they wind their way through Boston's Northeastern University campus taking in the various sights and history of this urban campus. Founded in 1898 as the Evening Institute for Younger Men, Northeastern now boasts 13 campuses, including the 73-acre Boston location which is designated as an urban arboretum, award winning modern architecture, state of the art dorms, public art murals, and sculptures. The goal of OLLI's Walking SIG (Shared Interest Group) is to promote a healthy lifestyle through walking as well as to provide a chance for socialization with other OLLI members. The group takes advantage of the area’s natural resources (both urban and rural). The walks usually take about 90 minutes, and the group can accommodate walkers of various abilities, both tortoises and hares! Program note: More precise details on where to meet will be sent out to registered participants. During the regular school year, an active OLLI membership is needed to participate in OLLI's Shared Interest Groups activities. Check out all of OLLI's SIGs!  

    Group will meet on the Northeastern Boston Campus. More precise details about the meeting location will be sent out a few days before the walk.

 

  • Book Discussion: Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist
  • Date: 8/19/2025
    Day: Tuesday
    Time: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
    Number of Sessions: 1
     
    Location: Special Offsite Location
    Room: See program information
    Facilitator: 
  • Through Being Heumann, one of the most influential disability rights activists in U.S. history tells her personal story of fighting for the right to receive an education, have a job, and just be human. Paralyzed from polio at eighteen months, Judy Heumann's struggle for equality began early in life. From fighting to attend grade school after being described as a ‘fire hazard’ to later winning a lawsuit against the New York City school system for denying her a teacher’s license because of her paralysis, Judy’s actions set a precedent that fundamentally improved rights for disabled people.

    Join OLLI this summer for our common read selection, Being Heumann, and attend one of our book discussions on this memoir and celebrated human rights activits. OLLI Reads is open to all OLLI members and guests, and allows us to come together as a community reading and discussing the same book. We hope you will be part of our OLLI Reads.

    This in-person book discussion will take place at the Adams Street Branch of the Boston Public Library (690 Adams St, Dorchester, MA 02122).

 

  • Black Voices Raised in Protest: Speaking Out Against the “Mammy” Monument
  • Date: 8/19/2025
    Day: Tuesday
    Time: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
    Number of Sessions: 1
     
    Location: Special Offsite Location
    Room: See program information
    Facilitator: Ken Liss
  • In 1923, Congressional supporters of the so-called “Lost Cause” of the Confederacy pushed for the construction in Washington, D.C. of “a monument in memory of the faithful colored mammies of the South.” Opposition from Black leaders like W.E.B. Du Bois, Mary Church Turrell, and others helped defeat the proposal. All but forgotten are two of the strongest voices against the monument — Robert W. Carter, a Black man living in Brookline, Massachusetts, and Maude Nooks Howard, a Black woman from Circleville, Ohio. This presentation tells their story — and that of another “Mammy” figure: one that was included in a Confederate monument in Arlington National Cemetery before being removed in 2023.

    This in-person program will take place at the Grove Hall Community Center (51 Geneva Ave, Boston, MA 02121).

 

  • Smithsonian American Art Museum: Latino Art and Culture
  • Date: 8/20/2025
    Day: Wednesday
    Time: 1:30 PM - 2:45 PM
    Number of Sessions: 1
     
    Location: ONLINE
    Room: Zoom
    Facilitator: SAAM Study Group Leader
  • The concept of a collective Latino identity began to emerge in the United States in the mid-20th century. Explore how Latino artists shaped the artistic movements of their day, often using their work to communicate with a larger public about social justice and themes of diversity, identity, and community. The Smithsonian American Art Museum’s presentations encourage participants to share their thoughts and to participate in the conversation over the 75-minute presentation. 

    Zoom details will be sent out the day prior to this presentation.

 

  • Book Discussion: Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist
  • Date: 8/21/2025
    Day: Thursday
    Time: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
    Number of Sessions: 1
     
    Location: ONLINE
    Room: Zoom
    Facilitator: 
  • Through Being Heumann, one of the most influential disability rights activists in U.S. history tells her personal story of fighting for the right to receive an education, have a job, and just be human. Paralyzed from polio at eighteen months, Judy Heumann's struggle for equality began early in life. From fighting to attend grade school after being described as a ‘fire hazard’ to later winning a lawsuit against the New York City school system for denying her a teacher’s license because of her paralysis, Judy’s actions set a precedent that fundamentally improved rights for disabled people.

    Join OLLI this summer for our common read selection, Being Heumann, and attend one of our book discussions on this memoir and celebrated human rights activits. OLLI Reads is open to all OLLI members and guests, and allows us to come together as a community reading and discussing the same book. We hope you will be part of our OLLI Reads.

    Zoom details and discussion questions will be sent out ahead of time.

 

  • The Amistad Trials: What Price Freedom?
  • Date: 8/21/2025
    Day: Thursday
    Time: 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
    Number of Sessions: 1
     
    Location: Special Offsite Location
    Room: See program information
    Facilitator: Dennis Curran
  • The issue of slavery versus freedom reared its ugly head in this court case, more than two decades before the Civil War exploded in 1861, concerning the fate of a group of Africans after they rebelled aboard the Spanish schooner La Amistad (“Friendship”) in 1839. The Amistad trials delved into the question of whether enslaved people could be considered property. They pitted the American government against the Spanish government, President Martin Van Buren against Secretary of State John Forsyth, the executive branch against the judicial branch, and abolitionists against slave traders. The presenter frames the trials as the first civil rights case in American history and highlights how the trials exposed divisions within the US government and society regarding slavery and its legality. This case finally received the recognition it deserved from Stephen Spielberg’s 1997 Academy Award-nominated feature film, Amistad

    This in-person course takes place at the Roslindale Branch of the Boston Public Library: 4246 Washington St, Roslindale, MA 02131.

 

  • Charlie Carr: How I Met Judy Heumann and Her Influence on My Own Activism
  • Date: 9/3/2025
    Day: Wednesday
    Time: 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM
    Number of Sessions: 1
     
    Location: ONLINE
    Room: Zoom
    Facilitator: Charlie Carr
  • Through this informal conversation, Charlie Carr recounts his interactions with Judy Heumann, and the friendship and mentorship that resulted from their work and advocacy for independent living. Charlie was institutionalized for seven years in his youth and fought his way out by co-founding the Boston Center for Independent Living in 1974. He was inspired by Judy who was working at the Center for Independent Living in Berkley, CA at the time. Their lives continued to be intertwined as Charlie lent his voice and support to protests and movements to fully include people with disabilities in society. While Judy’s efforts were focused in California, Charlie and others led the way in Boston, most notably during 1977 to get section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 passed. Join OLLI as we welcome Charlie Carr for an afternoon of conversation, history and inspiration. Charlie highly encourages (insists) that folks ask questions along the way to make the program more interactive and fun. 

    Zoom details will be sent out the day prior to this presentation.

 

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Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI)
McCormack Hall, 3rd Floor, Room 003
UMass Boston
100 Morrissey Boulevard
Boston, MA 02125-3393