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Medford City Council proclaims February Black History Month
Summary
The Medford City Council unanimously adopted a resolution recognizing Black History Month and heard remarks from councilors and the city’s diversity director about the observance’s history and local events.
The Medford City Council on Feb. 11 adopted a resolution acknowledging and celebrating Black History Month.
The resolution, offered by Councilor Lazaro, Councilor Sang and Council President Bares, passed by voice vote. Councilor Lazaro read excerpts of emails she received honoring the month, including a passage attributed to Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell and history notes from Frances Nwaje, Medford’s director of diversity, equity and inclusion.
The measure recognizes the role of teaching Black American history and cites the origins of Black History Month in the work of historian Carter G. Woodson and subsequent national adoption in the 1970s. Councilors emphasized local ties: several noted Medford’s historic Black community in West Medford and local institutions such as the West Medford Community Center.
Councilor Sang said the city has a long Black history that extends to the city’s founding and cited Belinda Sutton as an early example of local legal action seeking reparations. Frances Nwaje’s email, read aloud by Lazaro, traced the observance from Woodson’s 1926 History Week through broader observance in the 1970s.
The council also invited residents to a Black History Month event on Feb. 17 focused on African Americans and labor, to be held in the council chambers in partnership with the West Medford Community Center. Councilors encouraged continued attention to diversity, equity and inclusion in city policymaking and thanked Nwaje’s office for staff outreach to city employees.
