PITTSFIELD — Racism is a dirty word. Few are willing to take on its sting. But nearly everyone in America is affected by it in more ways that we know. The point of facing it is not collective guilt, but healing and transformation — both … more

America will always have to atone for its past. It's really that simple.You can't get around the fact that a group of wealthy, white Americans, including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, imported slaves from Africa and brought them here in … more

WILLIAMSTOWN — As I bump into the moms of Williamstown running errands on Spring Street, at Wild Oats, or Caretaker Farm and try to sum up my Peace Corps experience in five minutes, I find myself exclaiming, "I love the Peace Corps!" "It was … more

DALTON — Some of you sitting out there in your jammies, drinking your second cup of coffee might be mildly confused, or mildly amused, by the topic of this essay. Or the lack thereof. Don't be alarmed, amused, or confused. It happens to all of … more

LENOX — Today, 1.8 billion Muslims will celebrate Eid (with a long "e" like "feed"). It is a four-day celebration which commemorates the obedience, sacrifice, and patience of Prophet Abraham and his family. Amidst the festivities Muslims are … more

NEW YORK — In his 2002 book "The Rise of the Creative Class," Richard Florida argued that in order to save themselves from post-industrial ruin, cities needed to attract the best young talent in computer programming, finance, media and the … more

Pittsfield's program to introduce trees into neighborhoods brought back memories of my own childhood neighborhood.In the early 1950s my late grandmother, Sally Lenhoff, who lived on Sampson Parkway organized the homeowners on this newly developed … more

BOSTON — Gov. Charlie Baker wants Massachusetts to join a handful of other states in a doomed effort to pass an extraterritorial taxing scheme that the U.S. Supreme Court has already declared unconstitutional. Even in the best case scenario … more

"In the government the legislative department shall never exercise the executive and judicial powers, or either of them, the executive shall never exercise the legislative and judicial powers, or either of them, the judicial shall never exercise the … more

Hey, Kids! It's your Crazy Uncle Seth, here with another fun activity for you! Quizzes that ask you a series of questions and then give you an official-looking score are all the rage on Facebook, so we've put together a little quiz of our own where … more