Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Black History Month Flag Raising topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Lowell marks Black History Month with flag raising, proclamation and community award
Summary
City of Lowell held its annual Black History Month flag-raising Feb. 1, 2025, featuring a keynote on African Americans in labor, a mayoral proclamation declaring February as Black Heritage Month, and presentation of the Mary Scott Mitchell Community Service Award to local barber Pete McKenzie.
Lowell held its annual Black History Month flag-raising at City Hall on Feb. 1, 2025, featuring remarks on the month’s theme, a ceremonial proclamation by a city councilor and presentation of the Mary Scott Mitchell Community Service Award to community barber Pete McKenzie.
The event opened with Pastor Daryl Davis of Paul Almeron International Church offering an invocation and prayer. Terry Morris delivered the keynote remarks, framing this year’s Association for the Study of African American Life and History theme “African Americans in labor” and warning that changes to federal diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility programs (DEIA) would harm multiple populations. “The loss of federal grants, loans, and services, that’s going to affect us all tremendously,” Morris said.
Councilor Corey Robinson read a proclamation “on behalf of my colleagues, the administration, the city council” formally proclaiming February 2025 as Black Heritage Month in the City of Lowell. Robinson connected the theme to labor history, noting the role of organized labor and referencing the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and Maids of 1925 as an early Black union chartered by the American Federation of Labor.
Organizers presented the Mary Scott Mitchell Community Service Award to barbershop owner and longtime community volunteer Pete McKenzie. McKenzie, who described more than two decades of volunteer visits to nursing homes and church members, said his work is “beyond the money. It’s relationship.” The ceremony included remarks acknowledging elected officials and city staff in attendance.
During an open-mic portion, Stacy Thompson, identified as a former school committee member, urged vigilance against what she characterized as efforts to erase Black contributions and criticized “color blindness” and rollbacks of DEIA, saying such moves amount to erasure of difference rather than inclusion. Event organizers invited attendees to join the traditional singing of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” and then proceeded to the flag raising outside City Hall.
The event was presented by the Afro American Community Collaborative. City officials and local representatives were acknowledged in the program; those named included State Representatives Vanna Howard, Rodney Elliott and Tara Hung, members of the Lowell School Committee, multiple city councilors and city staff including Annabelle Dominguez, the city DEI officer, Police Chief Greg Hudon and Assistant City Manager Sean Mashado. The program also noted a local college president in attendance and invited the public to further Black History Month events.
The gathering combined ceremonial recognition, community testimony and local awards rather than formal policy decisions. No votes or legislative actions were recorded during the event.
