Annual Four Freedoms Coalition Event Details

(Pittsfield, Mass.) The public is invited to the Four Freedoms Coalition's 3rd annual gathering Sunday afternoon, Jan. 27, from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm at Berkshire Community College in Pittsfield.

Entitled "Celebrating Freedom: Democracy in Action," the event, which is free and open to all, features inspiring speakers, including Congressman Richard Neal, District Attorney Andrea Harrington, and education reformer Deborah Meier, invigorating music, action items from a variety of partners, and a collaborative art project that everyone is invited to take part in.

"Together we will inspire each other, strengthen each other, celebrate our successes and look our challenges squarely in the eye as we move into 2019." said Megan Whilden, one of the Four Freedom Coalition co-founders.

Congressman Richard Neal (MA-1) will give us an update on what's next for Congress & why its important to stay engaged. Deborah Meier will discuss the need to support public education to ensure a healthy society. She received a MacArthur "genius" Award for her work on school reform. District Attorney Andrea Harrington will discuss the need for smart, data-informed criminal justice reform.

The speakers will be interspersed with performers. Otha Day will lead attendees in drumming, singer-songwriter Wes Buckley will crowdsource a new protest song with contributions from the audience, and WAM Theatre presents a spoken word performance.

In addition a variety of local groups will have tables in the lobby of the Koussevitsky Arts Center, where attendees can take action on a number of issues ranging from the local, including the new Pittsfield Emergency Recovery Committee, to national issues like ranked choice voting, healthcare, LGBTQ rights, and more. Photographers Toni Buckley and Kari Giardino will also be in the lobby inviting attendees to take part in an interactive arts project called "Freedom Is."

The Four Freedoms Coalition is a non-partisan, diverse coalition of over 150 community groups, non-profit organizations, businesses and elected officials working together to unite the community against bigotry and prejudice, and reaffirm our true American values, as outlined in President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s landmark Four Freedoms speech. They are:

Freedom from fear
Freedom from want
Freedom of speech
Freedom of religion

Since its founding in December 2016, the Four Freedoms Coalition has organized a march and rally in Jan. 2017 that drew over 2,000 people, three free days of civic participation workshops in Great Barrington, Pittsfield, and North Adams, educating hundreds of people, and led or co-sponsored a variety of actions, demonstrations and standouts with its partners on issues of national importance.

You can get info more about the Four Freedoms Coalition or this weekend's event, by going here or here  or email 4freedomscoalition@gmail.com.

(press release sent to WSBS from Megan Whilden for online and on-air use)