The 1960s saw dramatic struggles for civil rights in the southern United States. African Americans participating in non-violent protests had rocks thrown at them, food dumped on them, dogs and hoses turned on them, suffered beatings and worse. Campaigns to help register Black voters resulted in the deaths of both Black and White volunteers. Students from Jamaica Plain High School also participated in civil rights protests in the 1960s.
Read MoreIn the middle of the twentieth century, when bombs fell from the skies and soldiers marched off to battlefields half a world away, women at home faced a choice. They could stand by, waiting anxiously for news from the front lines. Or they could organize, train, and step forward as defenders themselves. Out of this choice emerged the Women’s Defense Corps—a movement that saw women don uniforms, drill in formation, and prepare to protect their families and communities in times of crisis.
Read MoreShirley (Brauneis) Hutchins will be 88 years old on September 11, 2025. She lived at 76 Weld Hill Street in the Forest Hills section of Jamaica Plain for 75 years. She shares her memories of JP over the decades and of a full and happy life.
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