Berkshire County Historical Society: Perspectives on Berkshires Black History

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire County Historical Society is rescheduling Dr. Cynthia Farr Brown's lecture From the Slave's Cause to Civil Rights: Community and Liberty in the Berkshires before 1909 to April 20. 
 
The virtual lecture will take place at 5 pm; to receive the zoom link, please contact BCHS at melville@berkshirehistory.org
 
Cynthia Brown is the president of the board of the Berkshire County Historical Society – Arrowhead. She also serves on the Executive Committee of the Berkshire County Education Task Force, and as an Associate Member of Pittsfield's Community Development Board. 
 
She has a doctorate in United States history and her scholarly publications have included co-editing the institutional history, Lesley University: Celebrating Excellence 1909-2009 (2011) as well as other book chapters and articles. Her career has been in higher education as a faculty member and administrator. She is currently Associate Commissioner for Regulatory and Veterans Affairs at the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education.
 
According to a press release, Brown approaches the commonly-held progressive arc of Black history in Massachusetts - enslavement, abolition of slavery under the Massachusetts constitution, leadership in the Civil War and Reconstruction, and the success of the 20th century civil rights movement – by suggesting that newer scholarship tells a more complex story. She will describe research-informed Berkshires scenarios that complicate the classic trajectory. Her talk considers what we can still discover about how individuals and communities shaped their own and our shared history.
 
Anyone interested in receiving recorded versions of the lectures from this series can contact melville@berkshirehistory.org.

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Pittsfield ZBA Member Recognized for 40 Years of Service

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

Albert Ingegni III tells the council about how his father-in-law, former Mayor Remo Del Gallo who died at age 94 in 2020, enjoyed his many years serving the city and told Ingegni to do the same. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — It's not every day that a citizen is recognized for decades of service to a local board — except for Tuesday.

Albert Ingegni III was applauded for four decades of service on the Zoning Board of Appeals during City Council. Mayor Peter Marchetti presented him with a certificate of thanks for his commitment to the community.

"It's not every day that you get to stand before the City Council in honor of a Pittsfield citizen who has dedicated 40 years of his life serving on a board or commission," he said.

"As we say that, I know that there are many people that want to serve on boards and commissions and this office will take any resume that there is and evaluate each person but tonight, we're here to honor Albert Ingegni."

The honoree is currently chair of the ZBA, which handles applicants who are appealing a decision or asking for a variance.

Ingegni said he was thinking on the ride over about his late father-in-law, former Mayor Remo Del Gallo, who told him to "enjoy every moment of it because it goes really quickly."

"He was right," he said. "Thank you all."

The council accepted $18,000 from the state Department of Conservation and Recreation and a  $310,060 from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Safe Streets and Roads for All program.

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