Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax Perform at April Hill to Benefit Greenagers

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SOUTH EGREMONT, Mass. — Yo-Yo Ma and Emmanual Ax return to April Hill on Aug. 17 at 7 p.m. with their fourth benefit concert in support of Greenagers, a local nonprofit serving area youth with paid outdoor jobs and education programs. 
 
Held on the scenic grounds of April Hill at 62 Undermountain Road, proceeds support Greenagers' programs that empower youth while caring for the land and community.
 
Concert guests are invited to arrive early with their own meal; complementary beverages will be available.
 
All ticket purchases support Greenagers' mission.
 
Tickets are $1,000 (Sustainers; $960 tax-deductible) or $500 (Trailblazers, $480 tax-deductible). Sustainer tickets include priority seating and post-concert reception.
 
In a joint statement, Ma and Ax said: "Greenagers is the best of Berkshire culture-remembering our past as it imagines and builds our future. We work with our hands all the time, and so we are especially excited to add a little support to Greenagers, where young people learn to use their hands to make the Berkshires a more wonderful place for all of us." 
 
Concert guests are invited to extend their Greenagers experience by joining in the Second Annual Greenagers Gala on Friday, Aug. 15, 5:30 p.m. This is a separate event requiring a separate ticket purchase. 
 
"The gala is a refreshing change of pace designed for connection, learning, and celebrating the impact of youth work and education in our region," said Greenagers Executive Director Will Conklin. "Then on Sunday, return to the grounds of April Hill for Yo-Yo Ma and Emanuel Ax under the sunset sky."
 
Tickets and more information can be found at https://greenagers.org/concerttickets/  and at https://greenagers.org/summergala
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Reps. Leigh Davis, Bud Williams Filing Legislation Honoring Freeman

SHEFFIELD, Mass. — State Reps. Leigh Davis of the 3rd Berkshire District and Bud L. Williams, of the 11th Hampden District, are filing legislation establishing Aug. 22 as Elizabeth Freeman Day of Equality, Healing, and Remembrance in the commonwealth.
 
The legislation would direct the governor to annually issue a proclamation recognizing the courageous contributions of Elizabeth Freeman, an enslaved Black woman known as Mum Bett, whose landmark freedom suit helped spark the legal end of slavery in Massachusetts.
 
"Elizabeth Freeman's story began here in the Berkshires, but its impact reached every corner of the commonwealth," said Davis. "More than two centuries later, her legacy continues to inspire us. Establishing Elizabeth Freeman Day will ensure that future generations learn not only about her extraordinary bravery, but also about the power of one person to change the course of history."
 
In 1781, Freeman, of Sheffield at the time, challenged the institution of slavery by filing suit against her enslaver, Col. John Ashley. In the landmark case Brom and Bett v. Ashley, a Berkshire County jury ruled in favor of Freeman and her fellow plaintiff, Brom, granting them their freedom. The case demonstrated the power of the Massachusetts Constitution's declaration that all people are born free and equal and helped pave the way for the Quock Walker decisions that ultimately ended slavery in the commonwealth. 
 
"Freeman's courage changed the course of history in Massachusetts," said Williams. "At a time when the odds were stacked against her, she stood up and demanded that the promises of liberty and equality contained in our Constitution apply to her as well. She risked everything to challenge an unjust system, and her victory helped lay the foundation for the end of slavery in our commonwealth. Her legacy deserves to be recognized and remembered by every resident of Massachusetts."
 
Although unable to read or write, Freeman understood the meaning of freedom and equality and took extraordinary action to secure those rights for herself and others. Her story remains one of the most powerful examples of individual courage in the face of injustice. 
 
Elizabeth Freeman Day will provide an opportunity for reflection, education, healing, and remembrance, said Williams. 
 
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