WORCESTER—The Worcester City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to recognize the month of February as Black History Month in the city.
Councilor At-Large and Council Vice Chairman Khrystian King put forward the resolution that called upon the people of Worcester “to observe this month and beyond with appropriate programs, activities and reflections, and to continue our efforts to create a world that is more just, equitable and prosperous for all, while also amplifying Black and African Americans and the arts.”
The theme of this year’s Black History Month is African Americans and the arts, according to the Association for the Study of African American Life and History.
“When Carter G. Woodson established Negro History Week in 1926, he realized the importance of providing a theme to focus the attention of the public,” ASAALH’s website states.
“As elected officials we are leaders and it’s important that each one of us listen, amplify, and uplift Black voices…that we be open to learning consistently with a non-judgmental lens the actual lived experience of black and African Americans through history, but also in these times that we shed light on and condemn inhumanity, injustice, and inequity that black folks experience and endure,” King said during Tuesday night’s council meeting.
King called on the city to not only honor the contributions black and African Americans have made, but also commit to address symbols of institutional racism, white supremacy, and to practically assess biased practices and institutional barriers in the community.
The city of Worcester’s website has a page established to celebrate Black History Month with a list of events in the community.
The Worcester Public Library is working on a Black History Collaboration Quilt throughout the month where library-goers can “drop in and color squares of a paper ‘quilt’ that portray famous faces in Black history,” according to the website.
The library also hosts a screening of “Biking While Black” and a presentation of “The Greatest Cyclist of All Time” at 2 p.m. on Feb. 17 and Feb. 24, respectively. During Feb. 24th’s presentation, the director and producer of the upcoming documentary on the life of cyclist Major Taylor will argue that Taylor is perhaps the greatest cyclist of all time.
The Worcester Senior Center will also be holding a screening of “Till,” a movie about Mamie Till-Mobley’s fight to get justice for her son Emmett Till who was lynched in 1955 on Feb. 2. The center is also hosting an African cultural meal of ground nut stew, jollof rice, and cinnamon apples on Feb. 8 for $3. During the meal musicians will be performing the plectrum guitar.
Kiernan Dunlop is an award-winning journalist who has spent the past five years reporting in Worcester, New Bedford, and Antigua and Barbuda. Her work has been published in Bloomberg, USA Today, Canary Media, MassLive, and the New Bedford Standard Times, among other outlets. She can be contacted at kdunlop@theworcesterguardian.org
