Do you know someone – or a group of people – who are working to make the world a better place?
Nominations are open for the MTA Human & Civil Rights Awards. The submission deadline is Monday, April 20.
Uncommon Threads, M.O.C.H.A are the 2025 HCR Recipients
Uncommon Threads, which uses fashion to help build self-esteem for women experiencing financial hardship or overcoming crises, and M.O.C.H.A. (Men of Color Health Awareness), which promotes self care and healthy behaviors to Black and brown men, are this year’s recipients of the Massachusetts Teachers Association’s Human and Civil Rights Awards.
Uncommon Threads is the winner of the Louise Gaskins Lifetime Civil Rights Award. The organization is based in Lawrence and was nominated by a member of the Andover Education Association who volunteers at Uncommon Threads.
Susan Kanoff founded Uncommon Threads, bringing together her skills as a longtime social worker and wardrobe stylist with a strong online presence. She saw how clothing affects the way women can feel about themselves.
M.O.C.H.A. is the recipient of the Kathleen Roberts Creative Leadership Award. MTA members at UMass Amherst nominated the Springfield group committed to improving the health and well-being of men of color, who as a group have been experiencing higher levels of stress and illness compared to other populations in Springfield.
Lamont Scott, a project director at M.O.C.H.A. and longtime participant since the group was started in 2010 with a grant from the state Department of Public Health, said the organization’s goal is to create positive community connections for men of color.
Save the date for the 2026 awards ceremony
The MTA Human & Civil Rights Awards ceremony is Sunday, July 26, 2026, at UMass Amherst during Summer Conference.
The event is sponsored by the MTA Human Relations Committee.
The annual HCR Awards ceremony, attended by educators from across the state, honors those who have shown extraordinary dedication to civil rights and human relations.
