The letter, published by the Berkshire Edge and signed by the Executive Committee of the NAACP Berkshire County Branch, is “an open critique against the telling of Black stories by non-Black individuals, in particular, a recent effort to pay homage to Elizabeth Freeman.”
In 1781, Freeman – then living in Sheffield – made history as the first enslaved African American woman in Massachusetts to successfully sue for her freedom.
“It's really about listening to the voices of the Black community in telling stories about Black history," said Branch President Dennis Powell. “Let's face it, when we look at the history that's being taught in our schools, that was clearly written by somebody that did not have the interest in really capturing the contributions that Black people made, other than identifying them as slaves, and criminals, and whatever.”
The letter expresses frustration with a January op-ed about Freeman in the Berkshire Eagle, noting that save for a two-word quote from Freeman herself, it entirely draws on white voices.
“The NAACP Awards, the Freedom Fund Awards- you know, this year, we decided we wanted to recognize Indigenous people,
said Powell. "So we gave an Indigenous people award. But I didn't do that by myself. I contacted the Munsee committee. They are designing the actual physical award that will be given. So, although I probably could tell an Indigenous story, but I didn't feel it was my story to tell. So I went to the source, and I involved them. That's all we're saying.”
Powell says the effort to discuss local Black culture is in stark contrast to a recent oral history project presented by Berkshire Community College.
“There's a prime example of a good way of working with stories that are being told," he told WAMC. "They recorded the actual stories from the people that live. They didn't try to write my story or Will Singleton’s story or Mabel Hamilton’s or any of the people that were involved. It's our words. Our story. They recorded it and presented it as we told it. There's a big difference in that rather than someone else telling the story.”
It also takes aim at a project in Sheffield to memorialize Freeman in statue form that is expected to be unveiled this summer.
“The whole project was already designed and set up before bringing Black people into the conversation," Powell claimed. "I would have wanted to see- I hate statues, personally. I would have wanted to see some other way of celebrating her other than a statue, if we are able to have that conversation. But without that conversation, then something gets done. So we put up a statue. I'm sure the birds are going to love it.”
The open letter also criticizes 4th Berkshire Democratic State Representative Smitty Pignatelli, a leader of the statue project, for referring to Freeman as a “slave” as opposed to an “enslaved person” in a November statement.
“No one is born a slave," said Powell. "People were enslaved. And words are important. Their meanings are important. To be born a slave says, well, that's the way that's what you were designed to be. That's what you are. And we know that slaves were considered less than human. But when we say enslaved, then what we're really saying is the fact that an act was done on a person. There's a big difference.”
Pignatelli tells WAMC that he was not contacted by writer Carole Owens before being quoted in her op-ed. He pushed back on the NAACP’s narrative about the statue, saying he is disappointed by the letter given their ongoing communication about the project dating back to last August.
For its part, the Berkshire Eagle tells WAMC it also intends to publish the NAACP’s letter.
