Podcast (top-left-corner): Play in new window | Download
The Four Freedoms march and rally in Pittsfield, Mass. on Saturday, January 7, celebrates the highest aspirations for democracy in modern times, as elucidated by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1941.
Today is Friday, January 6th, 2017—Happy New Year to all of you out there in Greylock Nation This is episode #38 of TLC. I’m your host, Jason Velazquez, and I thank you for tuning in.
If you listened to Episode #54 of our show, Will Call, or if you’ve been following us on social media, you know that we are pulling out all the stops to explore and celebrate the values enshrined in President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s “Four Freedoms” speech, as well as Norman Rockwell’s inspired paintings of his interpretations. Freedom from Want. Freedom from Fear. Freedom of Speech and Expression. Freedom of Worship.
We weren’t alone in feeling the pull of these revered ideals and experiencing the powerful affect on those fibers of our American identity and heritage. With the formation of the Berkshires-based Four Freedoms Coalition last month, the sense that the time was ripe to pause and reflect on what these Freedoms mean grew and grew. The Coalition has managed to put together a march and rally for Saturday, January 7 in downtown Pittsfield where we’ll be streaming live. This event, endorsed by an staggering number of citizens, organizations, and officials from near and far, is meant as a celebration, rather than a protest.
A conversation with the Four Freedoms Coalition
We spoke by Skype with Colin Ovitsky, Community Partner Outreach Coordinator for the Coalition about the happening, and have, as always, provided links in the shownotes below to the info we discuss.
Organizations interested in joining the coalition or participating in the march are invited to contact us at [email protected]. Everyone who believes in these values is welcome!
Schedule (full details here)
12:30pm: Gather in front of St. Joseph’s Church at 414 North Street, Pittsfield.
1:00pm: March steps off heading south. A half mile long, it concludes at First Church of Christ at Park Square, located at 27 East Street (on Park Square)
1:40pm: Rally with a slate of powerful speakers
2:30pm-3:30pm: Meet with Coalition parters
Four Freedoms Coalition partners (in formation, as of 1/5/17):
LEAD PARTNERS:
Berkshire County Branch of the NAACP
Berkshire Central Labor Council
Berkshire Brigades
CITY OF PITTSFIELD
ELECTED OFFICIALS:
U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren
U.S. Senator Edward Markey
U.S. Congressman Richard E. Neal
Attorney General Maura Healey
State Auditor Suzanne Bump
State Senator Adam Hinds
Fmr. State Senator Benjamin Downing
State Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier
State Rep. Paul Mark
State Rep. William “Smitty” Pignatelli
State Rep. Gail Cariddi
Berkshire District Attorney David Capeless
Berkshire County Sheriff Thomas Bowler
Central Berkshire Register of Deeds Patricia Harris
Register of Probate Francis Marinaro
Pittsfield Mayor Linda Tyer
North Adams Mayor Richard Alcombright
Newton Mayor Setti Warren
Pittsfield City Council President Peter Marchetti
Pittsfield City Council Vice President John Krol
Pittsfield City Councilor At-Large Peter White
Pittsfield City Councilor Nicholas Caccamo
North Adams City Council President Benjamin Lamb
North Adams City Councilor Lisa Blackmer
North Adams City Councilor Eric Buddington
Stockbridge Selectman Don Chabon
Pittsfield School Committee Members:
– Katherine Yon, Chair
– Josh Cutler
– Daniel Elias
– Pamela Farron
– Anthony Riello
– Cynthia Taylor
COMMUNITY PARTNERS:
350MA Berkshire Node
AdLib, Inc.
Alchemy Initiative
Alpine Solar Heat and Hot Water
Anti-Defamation League, New England Region
April 4th Coalition / North County CARES Coalition
Austen Riggs Center
Bagels Too
Barrington Stage Company
Barton’s Crossing Emergency Shelter Transitional Shelter
Becket Democratic Committee
Berkshire Arts & Technology (BART) Charter Public School
Berkshire Bridges – Working Cities
Berkshire Center for Justice
Berkshire Children & Families
Berkshire Citizens for Peace & Justice
Berkshire Community College
Berkshire County Arc
The Berkshire Edge
Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT)
Berkshire Family YMCA
Berkshire Grown
Berkshire Human Rights Speaker Series
Berkshire Immigrant Center
Berkshire International Club
Berkshire Magazine
Berkshire Museum
Berkshire Music School
Berkshire On Stage
Berkshire Photovoltaic Services, Inc. (BPVS)
Berkshire Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ)
Berkshire South Regional Community Center
Berkshire Stonewall Community Coalition
Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation
Berkshire Theatre Group
Berkshire Training & Employment, Inc.
Berryman Professional Building
The Brien Center for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
Cafe Palestina of the Southern Berkshires
Center for EcoTechnology (CET)
Center for Learning in Action at Williams College
Central Berkshire Habitat For Humanity
The Christian Center
Community Access to the Arts (CATA)
Congregation Ahavath Sholom
Construct
Counseling Center in the Berkshires
Elegant Stitches
Elizabeth Freeman Center
First Church of Christ at Park Square
First Congregational Church of Williamstown
First United Methodist Church of Pittsfield
Flavours of Malaysia
Gladys Allen Brigham Community Center
Go Pittsfield
Goodwill Industries of the Berkshires
Grace Church: An Episcopal Community in the Southern Berkshires
Great Barrington Democratic Committee
The Greylock Glass
Hancock Shaker Village
Heirlooms Jewelry
Hevreh of Southern Berkshire
IS183 Art School of the Berkshires
Jacob’s Pillow Dance
Jewish Family Service of Western Massachusetts
Jewish Federation of the Berkshires
Knesset Israel
Lanesborough Democratic Town Committee
League of Women Voters of Williamstown
Lift Ev’ry Voice
Literacy Volunteers of Berkshire County
Living the Change Berkshires
Louis Green Post 140 of the Jewish War Veterans
Louison House
Lyme Alliance of the Berkshires
MadJacks BBQ
Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center
Manos Unidas
Martin Luther King Committee of Northern Berkshire
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
Massachusetts Jobs with Justice
Massachusetts Teachers Association
Miss Hall’s School
Morningside Neighborhood Initiative
Multicultural BRIDGE
Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires
North Adams Chamber of Commerce
North Adams Public Schools
North Berkshires for Racial Justice
Ordinary Cycles
Out in the Berkshires
Outspoken Youth Poetry Festival
Paul Rich & Sons Home Furnishings
Pediatric Development Center
Pittsfield Democratic Committee
Pittsfield Public Schools
Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund of Massachusetts
Progressive Democrats of America
Railroad Street Youth Project
Rites of Passage & Empowerment (R.O.P.E.)
Rural Intelligence
Sheffield Democratic Committee
Sheffield Historical Society
St. Joseph’s Church
Stockbridge Democratic Town Committee
A Summer Celebration of Jewish Music
Temple Anshe Amunim
Unitarian Universalist Meeting of South Berkshire
United Africans of the Berkshires
United Educators of Pittsfield
Yellow House Books
WAM Theatre
W.E.B. Du Bois Educational Series at Great Barrington
West Stockbridge Democratic Committee
Western Massachusetts Young Democrats
Williamstown Democratic Committee
White Rose Party
Windsor Democratic Committee
Women of Color Giving Circle
WordXWord
Youth Alive
Zonta Club of Berkshire County
