Sullivan County Legislature marks Black History Month with keynote, historians and My Brother’s Keeper awards

The Sullivan County Legislature set aside part of its full-board meeting for a Black History Month program that included a keynote address by speaker John Johnson, brief presentations from county and town historians and awards for My Brother’s Keeper students.

John Johnson, introduced by Legislator Amanda Ward, delivered a short keynote titled “Power Moves, with Purpose,” urging legislators to pair education with empathy. Johnson framed his remarks around two “keys” — education and empathy — and told a personal story about his mother’s immigrant experience as an example of how small, persistent actions can change life trajectories. “Power is the ability to act or produce an effect,” Johnson said during the presentation, and he invited legislators to consider whether their power “is being used to build or break.”

The program also included remarks from Alvin Dumas, Town of Thompson historian, who encouraged student engagement and support; and John Conway, the Sullivan County historian, who traced local African American history and described a local connection to the Harlem Renaissance through the Lucky Lake development. Conway said Lucky Lake in the town of Tusten (also cited as Luxton/Luxton Lake in historical sources) targeted middle-class Black homebuyers and involved entertainers and figures tied to the early Harlem Renaissance.

Students from the My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) program at Monticello High School performed and read original poetry. MBK director Takim McKillens described the program’s emphasis on goal-setting, time management and civic engagement. Student presentations included a poem read by Orin Hutchinson and a short project summary by Anthony Ortiz, who said the MBK group obtained a $250 grant that was matched by the program to create a $500 fund for increased parent engagement in youth sports.

Legislature members presented certificates of recognition to MBK participants, including certificates from the Sullivan County Legislature and recognitions from Senator Peter Oberacker’s office and from Assembly Member Pamela Hunter’s office (as read and presented during the meeting). The legislature invited students and MBK staff to a workshop with Johnson scheduled later in the day.

The program was interleaved with the formal meeting agenda; legislators and staff encouraged further school visits and partnership opportunities with MBK and with local historians.

The program closed with an invitation to the public to attend the MBK workshop and with lawmakers thanking the event organizers for the program and student participation.