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Above Mural, "Launch" by Jon Allen (Fitchburg State alum '12), Jennessa Burks, and Keenan Cassidy ("Bringing Art to Everyone")

Fitchburg Heritage Highlight: A City and University of Activists

“Fitchburg was the place to begin.” - Civil Rights Activist Adrian Ford

“Commemorating the abolitionists who lived in or had close ties to Fitchburg, Massachusetts, the Fitchburg Abolitionist Park educates visitors about the anti-slavery Abolitionist Movement and honors equality, diversity, and the fundamental human right: FREEDOM.” (Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area, “Fitchburg Abolitionist Park”)

“Ron Ansin [1934-2023] was a passionate philanthropist and often anonymous benefactor, a business and civic leader, and an activist. He played a pivotal role in North Central Massachusetts, where he bolstered the economy; supported the arts, education, health care, and multiple charities; and helped advance LGBTQ rights…After completing his degree at Yale, Ansin took over the family business, the Anwelt Shoe Company, in Fitchburg, Mass. Under his leadership, Anwelt became one of the nation’s most successful shoe companies…In 2012 he received the prestigious Icon Award from Mass Equality for his work toward marriage equality.” (LGBT History Month, “Ron Ansin”)

“The editor of the student newspaper at Fitchburg State College [in 1970], John Antonelli, successfully sued the college president after the president refused to pay to print future editions of The Cycle unless he or someone he appointed approved the paper first. The president was upset that the paper printed material the president labeled ‘garbage.’ The court struck down the president’s prior review policy as unconstitutional, noting the importance of fostering free and open discussion in the university setting.” (Student Press Law Center, “Antonelli v. Hammond”)

“The group C.R.A.A.B. [Citizens to Remove Architectural and Attitudinal Barriers] was an organization of people [in Fitchburg in the 1980’s] living with disabilities as well as members of the community acting as allies who were hoping to remove barriers for those with disabilities.” (Cultural Heritage through Image, “C.R.A.A.B. (Citizens to Remove Architectural and Attitudinal Barriers): Mini Notes January-February 1985 Progress Update Notice”)

Adrian Ford Mural him holding flame with writing behind him

“Since his death in January 2021, Fitchburg’s civil rights activist Adrian Ford has been remembered with a mural in downtown Fitchburg…At 23 years old, Ford was the president of Three Pyramids, a statewide organization founded by three Cape Verdeans in Duxbury in 1971 that relocated to 66 Day Street in Fitchburg a year later. In 1973, Adrian Ford recalled in a news article by Andrienne Clark that ‘Fitchburg at the time was in turmoil and it exploded. Fitchburg was the place to begin. There was a need.’” (Fitchburg Historical Society, Fitchburg African American History Newsletter, 2023, “Anti-Poverty Activist Adrian Ford”)

“In the 1960s, the Nashua River in New Hampshire and central Massachusetts was one of the 10 most polluted in the country, clogged with multicolored, toxic sludge from nearby paper mills…Marion Stoddart moved to the area with her family, so close to the river they could smell its noxious fumes…Her dramatic success in mobilizing the community showed people that change was possible, even though they'd lost hope. Marion's efforts helped get the Massachusetts Clean Rivers Act passed so that companies weren't allowed to pollute rivers like the Nashua anymore.” (About the video “Marion Stoddart: The Work of 1000”)

“Booker T. Washington, the nationally celebrated educator, author, and U.S. presidential advisor, performed a great service to the Fitchburg Normal School. Washington delivered a speech entitled ‘The Negro Problem’ to Normal School students as part of [John G.] Thompson’s lecture series in the 1909-1910 school year” (“Fitchburg State: When We Were Normal” Brochure). Previously, Dr. Washington had given the lecture “The Race Problem” on December 13, 1901, at Fitchburg City Hall (image: ticket to lecture owned by Fitchburg Historical Society).

City Hall, Fitchburg Friday, Dec. 13, 1901 Lecture by Dr. Booker T. Washington "The Race Problem" Tickets 50 cents to all parts of the house

Amelia V. Galluci-Cirio Library

Perseverantia: A Fitchburg State University Podcast Network

Series of episodes in the network:

Perspectives
Perseverantia Student Spotlight
Getting to the Point
FalconCast
Classroom Stories
Special Series

Cultural Heritage Through Image

“Disability Heritage: From the Medieval to the Local”

“When We Were Normal: A Historical Augmented Reality Walking Tour”

Explore the City of Fitchburg

Fitchburg Downtown Historic Areas Brochure

Fitchburg’s Diverse Perspectives

Sculpture “The Immigrant” (by Nora Valdez), 423 Main St.

The Immigrant sculpture of woman with boat hat and people in pockets

“A well-known Boston artist and educator, Nora Valdez’s stone sculptures are exhibited internationally. Her public sculpture ‘The Immigrant’ focuses on the many struggles of an immigrant and ‘the feeling of being from here, there, and nowhere; the constant feeling of drifting without ever finding a place to call home.’ Such a work is most appropriate for Fitchburg, a city shaped by successive waves of immigration.” (Fitchburg Art Museum, “Nora Valdez, The Immigrant”)

Want to Teach with Fitchburg Heritage?

Start here with a database of Fitchburg Cultural Heritage Teaching Resources. These resources are organized by a wide variety of subjects and include description notes and links for more information.

If you are interested in teaching about cultural heritage more broadly or would like examples of New England heritage more specifically, including that of Fitchburg, check out the open access textbook by Dr. Kisha G. Tracy (Professor, English Studies) entitled Heritages of Change: Curatorial Activism and First-Year Writing, published through the Remixing Open Textbooks through an Equity Lens Project.