Origins
What is the Origins Project all about?
Everyone of us have an Origin. Where we begin shapes our experiences in life's journeys, as we explore and navigate the world around us. We constantly negotiate who we want to be and who we really are. This tension and struggle often varies based on our ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, our cultures, family traditions and where we come from. This struggle also coexists with honoring and celebrating our authentic selves. These human stories span a vast spectrum and range from deep joy to pain and sorrow.
The Origins Project aims to document and share these human stories through a variety of media such as:
Written and Narrated stories.
Poetry and Creative arts
Visual Journals and Photographs.
Cultural shows, art shows and food fairs that celebrate immigrant sub-cultures as well as Native American heritage.
Podcasts and Panel discussions about the struggles and joys of people's experiences through life's journeys and their origins.
What is the Vision of the Origins Project?
When we learn about each others' Origin Stories, we find patterns on how these stories connect and relate to our own origins. There is more in common between us than we think. The main goal of this project is to get us closer to the core of who we are... Humans. Humans from different Origins but with the same emotions, similar experiences, how we navigate the world around us and negotiate how we fit into a larger order, or how we sometimes don't fit in.
How do these experiences vary? What influences our identities? What negotiations do we have with our little worlds and within ourselves? Is this process additive or subtractive?
Our main goal is to understand, learn and empathize with one another based on the common threads that we all share.
First Event of the Origins Project Series
As an opening event for the series, The Freedom Team will create a Timeline of Hopkinton’s history. This timeline will serve as a backdrop or a canvas to add context to the stories and the people we introduce. We feel that starting with the 'Origins of Hopkinton' would be the perfect way to introduce the project meaningfully to our audience.
Some topics we are exploring on the 'Origins of Hopkinton':
History of Hopkinton starting with the Native American Tribe.
Hopkinton's history continuing with the English settlers, including our connection to slavery.
It All Starts Here... Where did it come from and when did the Marathon begin in Hopkinton?
Population growth over the years and the changing demographic, types of communities that evolved.
Spotlight on specific families, buildings and establishments such as the Coella family and their legacy.
This will provide a good segway to the subsequent events of the series where we will begin uncovering human stories from different communities.