Three historians will explore themes of changing landscapes, activism, and migration among diverse groups in our region from the 17th century to the present in the 2026 Newton History Series, presented by Historic Newton and the Newton Free Library.
On January 15, join Kimberly Toney, Inaugural Coordinating Curator of Native American and
Indigenous Collections, jointly appointed to the John Carter Brown and John Hay Libraries at
Brown University, for “Land as Archive in the Native Northeast.” Toney will discuss how land
deeds between English settlers and tribal representatives facilitated the dispossession of Native
land in the era of King Philip’s War.
On February 25, Kabria Baumgartner, Dean’s Associate Professor of History and Africana
Studies at Northeastern University, will present “The Troubled History of Race and Public
Education in Massachusetts.” Baumgartner will explore how Black women activists fought for
educational justice in our region, based on her book In Pursuit of Knowledge: Black Women and
Educational Activism in Antebellum America.
On March 12, hear Lisong Liu, professor of history at Massachusetts College of Art and Design,
discuss “The Origins and Transformations of Chinese Communities in Boston,” tracing the
history of a community from the late 18th century to today. An associate in research at the
Harvard Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies, Liu is currently at work on a book about the
history of Chinese immigrants in Boston.
These free in-person lectures will be held at the Newton Free Library and are co-sponsored by Historic Newton and the Newton Free Library.
Registration through the Newton Free Library is optional but encouraged.
