All About Pauline Elizabeth Hopkins

Black and white photo of a woman with dark hair and a black hat hearing a dark dress with a white collar buttoned around the neck

Biography of Pauline Elizabeth Hopkins (1859-1930) Courtesy of Ira Dworkin, Department of English, Texas A&M University Pauline Elizabeth Hopkins, who was born in Portland, Maine, in 1859, is best known for four novels and numerous short stories which she published between 1900 and 1903. Her best-known work, the novel Contending Forces: A Romance Illustrative of Negro…

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October 17: Beyond Her Time: The Visionary Works of Pauline Hopkins

Banner for Pauline Hopkins Event

About the event Thursday, October 17Cambridge Public Library Main Branch, 449 Broadway A discussion between Dr. Susan Tomlinson, Associate Professor of English at UMass Boston and Dr. Max L. Chapnick, adjunct professor at Northeastern University; moderated by Virginia Pye, Cambridge-based author. This event was in partnership with the Cambridge Public Library and the Cambridge Black…

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Oct 30: Virtual book group discussion of Contending Forces

Details Wed, Oct 30 at 7pmFreeOn Zoom A pioneering figure of her time, Pauline Hopkins was a novelist, journalist, playwright, and activist who fearlessly tackled issues of race, gender, and social justice.  Join us for a virtual discussion of her 1900 novel Contending Forces (available through the Cambridge Public Library). To learn more about Hopkins,…

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June 16: Juneteenth Gathering at Longfellow House

Gather for Juneteenth to honor the lives and legacies of those who endured slavery and seized freedom on Brattle Street and beyond. This free event will feature a community gathering with Juneteenth #Pop-Up Poetry, A Denise Plays Hard Event; speeches by living descendants, music; all-ages activities; and refreshments. Free and open to all. Rain location:…

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Watershed: An Excursion in Four Parts

Small pond on a grey day surrounded by autumn trees.

by Emily HiestandFirst published by The Georgia Review and Beacon Press in 1998. Updated slightly in 2021 for publication in This Impermanent Earth, and in 2024 for History Cambridge. Part One | Street Like travelers who want to keep some favorite place from being overly discovered, the residents of our neighborhood sometimes confide to one another in a near-whisper, “There’s no…

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LGBTQ+ History Hub

LGBTQ+ History Hub graphic

This hub is a work in progress. Have some resources to add? Let us know! In This Hub Introduction Cambridge is a well-known leader in LGBTQ+ rights. The city was first in Massachusetts to perform gender-affirming surgery in 1972, and in 2004 it became first in the country to grant same-sex marriage licenses. City government…

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Black History in Action’s Spring Event Series

Black History in Action for Cambridgeport logo

BHAC’s spring event series is here! Don’t miss events in April and May at St. Augustine’s African Orthodox Church at 137 Allston Street. History Cambridge is pleased to be a co-sponsor of these events. Sunday, April 21 from 4-6 pm Black Cambridgeport to the Future Exhibition Opening Explore the vibrant living history of Cambridgeport’s Black community…

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