The Northern Berkshire community sits at the foot of the highest point in Massachusetts, Mount Greylock, with a population around 8,000. In the 2024 presidential election, the town voted for Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris over Republican President Donald Trump in a 60-40 split.
Town Democratic committee chair Diane Parsons has been involved in party politics for decades.
“I was a ward chair in North Adams for about 30 years," she told WAMC. "And in fact, in ’92 I went to the national convention when we nominated Bill Clinton.”
Parsons relocated to Adams from nearby North Adams and reactivated its Democratic committee around two and a half years ago.
“It was a wonderful time," Parsons continued. "And quite honestly, I went as a Paul Tsongas delegate, but we ultimately unified and went with Bill Clinton. It was a wonderful experience. At the convention, I sat between two Kennedy brothers at one point, and I was introduced to Hillary Clinton, which was exciting to me.”
Those were happier times for Democrats, who are now soul-searching after November’s defeats.
On Saturday, town Democrats will gather at the Adams Free Library Miller Annex to vote in five delegates and four alternates for the Democratic State Convention set for September 13th in Springfield.
“I think it's important for people in in Adams to pay attention to all levels of government- Local, state and national," said Parsons. "And the reason that I got involved in a local committee is because it is connected with state and then national.”
A retiree, Parsons has watched the Trump administration’s aggressive push to gut federal agencies with horror.
“My career, I wouldn't have had it now, because most of my career was in education and I worked under federal grants, Title I and trio, and those were education programs that helped the underrepresented in education," she sighed. "I am still in touch with some of those former students who are doing well. They're lawyers, some of them with doctorates, and I'm so proud of them, and they wouldn't have gone to college and some of them wouldn't have learned to read in Title I without the help of the Department of Education.”
With the Republican’s sights set on shuttering the DOE, Parsons is distraught.
“It feels like I have a stake coming through my heart," she told WAMC. "That's the way it feels because I know how much good those programs did, and it bothers me that there's no respect for education nationally anymore. None.”
Adams’ Democratic state delegate elections are taking place on the same day as the nationwide “Hands Off” rally that will see progressives take to the streets and demonstrate against the Trump administration.
“I’m I think Democrats take Massachusetts for granted, so I think we have to stay alert and stay involved," Parsons said. "I don't know how this will help anybody, but I do hope we have a turnout at our caucus, and afterwards, I've invited people to carry signs so where we're actually in connection with the people in DC, all the cities, Boston and New York.”
The Adams Democratic Committee caucus is set for 11 a.m. Saturday. Candidates must be older than 16 and a registered Democrat.
