Past Events

Join us at the GBH Studios at the Boston Public Library for a night of NOVA science trivia! Get ready for creative categories and exciting prizes as we test your knowledge, from the depths of the universe to the history of science.

This month, we will test your knowledge of Sun science, the insect kingdom, oceanography, and more!

Join the Charles River Museum and Henrik Broekman for a curiosity-driven discussion of what it is like to pursue your bliss and fully immerse yourself in the world of harpsichords. Throughout his decades of experience in this industry, Hendrik has found himself constantly asked about the craftsmanship behind these exquisite instruments, how they are manufactured, and more. He will be answering these questions while sharing what it is like to build and create a career centered around harpsichords.

Henrik Broekman has been a pioneering craftsman, musician, and harpsichord builder for over 50 years. He worked with both Frank Hubbard and Eric Hertz, though most of his career was spent as Technical Director in the Hubbard Shop. He took over operations after the retirement of Diane Hubbard in 2000 and still plays, repairs, and builds harpsichords.

Initially scheduled in May.

In this unique panel American Ancestors' guest speakers will focus on the defining years of 1860-1920 and bring to life the experiences of a great variety of Americans, from the enslaved-then-free peoples and soldiers who marched with Union Civil War General Sherman to immigrants, workers, Native Americans, and women. Don’t miss learning more about Bennett Parten’s and Manisha Sinha’s groundbreaking research, new books, and insightful discussion with Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Alan Taylor. 

In Somewhere Toward Freedom, Bennett Parten provides a full account of Sherman’s March to the Sea—the critical Civil War campaign that destroyed the Confederacy. For the first time, he tells this remarkable tale from perspective of the tens of thousands of enslaved people who fled to the Union lines and transformed Sherman’s march into the biggest liberation event in American history.

Manisha Sinha expands our view of the Reconstruction time period in The Rise and Fall of the Second American Republic. Her startling original account opens in 1860 with the election of Abraham Lincoln, that triggered the secession of the Deep South states, and take us all the way to 1920 and the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, which granted women the right to vote—and which Sinha calls the "last Reconstruction amendment."

Join for these historians’ unique and insightful presentations and for the discussion that follows facilitated by moderator Alan Taylor.

Books Featured: Somewhere Toward Freedom: Sherman's March and the Story of America's Largest Emancipation by Bennett Parten; and The Rise and Fall of the Second American Republic: Reconstruction, 1860-1920 by Manisha Sinha.

Presented in partnership with 10 Million Names and Boston Public Library.

Once a famous through-route between Boston and Northampton, by the 1970s the Boston & Maine Railroad's Central Mass Branch had seen better days. Yet there was still activity to be seen and photographed, and important history to document. This presentation will provide a visual look into the final years of railroad operations on the Central Mass Branch west of Waltham; included are photographs, documents, and some film footage.

Rick Kfoury is a railroad historian and author with an express interest in New England railroading in the second half of the twentieth century. He has authored four books on the subject, The New England Southern Railroad Volumes I and II, Queen City Rails: Manchester's Railroads 1965-1990, and Steam Trains of Yesteryear: The Monadnock, Steamtown & Northern Story.

The Boston & Maine Railroad Historical Society, Inc. is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization composed of people who want to share their knowledge, and learn more about, the history and operations of the Boston and Maine Railroad, its predecessors, and successors. The Society was founded in 1971 and consists of over 1,000 active members from the New England region and beyond.

Join us for a powerful and thought-provoking conversation with renowned interdisciplinary artist Dread Scott, recorded live at the Boston Public Library on the eve of Juneteenth 2025. In this event, part of BPL’s “Revolutionary Art” series, Dread Scott shares the stories behind his most iconic works—from flag-burning protests to large-scale reenactments of slave rebellions—and explores the role of art in confronting injustice, reimagining history, and inspiring liberation.

Moderated by Dr. Lizzie Cooper Davis, this conversation dives deep into themes of protest, freedom, Black joy, and the radical potential of art to shape the future.

Whether you're planning your own estate or helping out with an aging loved one, join us for an estate planning seminar with BNY Wealth Planning Strategist, Jere Doyle. You will learn practical tips and tactics, questions to ask, and the family conversations that will give you the peace of mind that comes from proper planning. Jere will cover the stages from planning, through frailty and end-of-life, through estate administration.

A light coffee and tea reception will follow the seminar.

Join Grammy-nominated baroque violinist Christina Day Martinson and her acclaimed collaborators for an intimate recital celebrating her extraordinary career and the forthcoming documentary A Second Movement, which captures her life story and artistry. The evening showcases the full breadth of Christina’s musical expression, featuring selections from her Grammy-nominated album Biber: The Mystery Sonatas alongside new compositions. Hosted by WCRB’s Brian McCreath, this special performance also includes conversations with Christina and features guest performers: theorbo player Michael Leopold, composer and pianist Olivia Pérez-Collellmir, and composer/musician Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol.


Photo credit: Courtesy of A Second Movement.

 

Europe is frightened and frightening for the first time really since the 1980s, when nuclear sabers were rattling as the Soviet Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) both deployed contending intermediate range missiles along the dividing line of the military alliances. With Russia’s continued barbarity in Ukraine there is no escaping that Vladimir Putin intends not to be “European”.

Join WorldBoston for this timely discussion with Dr. Kori Schake, leader of the foreign and defense policy team at the American Enterprise Institute.

Fannie Lou Hamer's America: An America ReFramed Special is a portrait of civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer and the injustices in America that made her work essential. Working with groups like the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Fannie Lou Hamer devoted herself to fighting for voting rights and Black political representation. Her efforts would mobilize thousands of Black people to register to vote. Through public speeches, personal interviews, and powerful songs of the fearless Mississippi sharecropper-turned-human-rights-activist, Fannie Lou Hamer's America: An America ReFramed Special explores and celebrates the lesser-known life of one of the Civil Rights Movement’s greatest leaders.

After the screening, there will be a talkback with the film’s director and editor, Joy Davenport; Monica Land, executive producer and niece of Fannie Lou Hamer; and Kate Clifford Larson, bestselling author of the critically acclaimed biography Walk With Me: A Biography of Fannie Lou Hamer. The evening’s moderator is Thato R. Mwosa, an award-winning filmmaker, screenwriter, playwright, and illustrator.

Join us as we honor the 2025 recipients of the Paula S. Apsell GBH STEM Scholarship—remarkable students who are paving the way in science, technology, engineering, and math.

This joyful celebration is open to all! We encourage families, friends, educators, mentors, and community members to attend and show their support. These students have worked hard to reach this milestone, and your presence will help make the moment even more meaningful.

Come be part of an evening filled with inspiration, recognition, and pride as we celebrate the next generation of STEM leaders.