Read Dennis Powell’s Letter to the Editor in The Berkshire Eagle, September 8th 2013
A timely walk for rights of women
To the editor of THE EAGLE:
This year will mark the third consecutive year of my participation in the Elizabeth Freeman Center’s “Walk a Mile in My Shoes.” This event brings attention to the issue of domestic violence and sexual assault against the women of Berkshire County. It also raises money to provide much-needed services to the survivors of senseless violence and disgraceful behavior by one human toward another.
This year the walk for me as a black male is significant as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s March on Washington D.C. for freedom, equality and justice, and to honor Elizabeth Freeman (Bett/Mum Bett) for whom the center is named. The slave of a prominent Massachusetts family, Mum Bett filed a “freedom suit” under the 1780 Constitution, and won her freedom in a decision rendered by the state Supreme Court in 1781. Her victory played a part in ending slavery in Massachusetts.