Ari Zorn reflects on a Boston shaped by racial tensions and a notable busing dispute. He remembers a time when young Black individuals left Red Sox games with a sense of fear, often opting to run rather than walk.
Dressed in a blue suit, Panama hat, and adorned with a diamond earring, Zorn spoke of the historical context that continues to shape the city.
As members of a guided tour, including U.S. Sen. Ed Markey and Black civic leaders, traversed Boston’s historical sites significant to the Black community, they voiced concerns regarding cuts to the National Park Service.
Prominent voices on the tour emphasize that these funding reductions are part of broader efforts to obscure the narratives of marginalized communities, particularly Black, brown, LGBTQ, and Indigenous Americans.
At the forefront of the tour is the Robert Gould Shaw Memorial, a significant monument celebrating the valor of the all-Black 54th Massachusetts Regiment, deeply rooted in Berkshires history.
Unveiled on May 31, 1897, the bronze memorial is notable for its radical portrayal of Black soldiers, presenting them not just as historical figures but with symbols of their emancipation.
Dr. Imari Paris Jeffries, leader of the nonprofit Embrace Boston, highlighted the importance of the memorial in understanding American history, stating, “You can’t look at this sculpture of Black folks without looking at the means of their emancipation in their hands.”
As the group continued toward The Embrace, a tribute honoring the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, Zorn expressed a thoughtful perspective on the role of monuments.
He proclaimed, “To tell the truth of what happened is crucial. Knowing the names and faces is crucial. It reminds us that we have more in common than we don’t.”
During a news conference at the Museum of African American History, Markey issued a stark warning about efforts to distort historical truths, particularly those reflecting the struggles of marginalized groups under Trump’s administration.
Markey warned, “Trump is reaching deep into our archives, our museums, our parks, our classrooms. He’s ripping up the pages that reference slavery, of the struggles of Black and brown people, of indigenous peoples, of women, of LGBTQ pioneers.
Trump attacks on the truth are going to eat at the foundation of our country, guarding the timbers that keep our nation strong and crumbling the mortar that holds our nation together.”
The national outcry against actions taken by the Trump administration included attempts to erase information regarding key abolitionist figures like Harriet Tubman from Park Service exhibits.
Markey and other leaders delivered their messages within the historic African Meeting House, a site steeped in the legacy of preaching and activism.
Dr. Noelle Trent, president and CEO of the museum, articulated the obligation museums have to connect past, present, and future.
She elaborated, saying, “Museums operate with the consideration of the past and present and future simultaneously. The past, in what we collect and preserve and share with the public; the present and how we connect with our audiences, and the future [is] the consideration of our work to ensure the place, stories and objects will continue to exist for the next generation.”
Historically, the Black community has relied on a multitude of methods to preserve its legacy, which includes oral tradition, historical buildings, art, and the dedicated efforts of community historians and scholars.
Trent noted that the Trump administration’s cancellation of a significant grant undermined those preservation efforts.
A legal challenge led by state Attorney General Andrea Campbell has since stalled the grant’s cancellation, but the museum remains aware of the risk of future funding cuts that could jeopardize its mission.
Trent also expressed hesitation in accepting federal funding, citing concerns that such funding could come with stipulations that might affect the museum’s ability to tell its story authentically.
In this context, Dr. Paris Jeffries positioned the fight to safeguard the history of the Black community as an urgent front in the ongoing struggle for equality.
He articulated that parks and monuments symbolize the overarching promises of democracy and are essential for recognizing past struggles and achievements.
Paris Jeffries asserted, “Parks are the new lunch counters. Monuments are the receipts and the promissory notes for democracy, the record of what has been paid and what still must be owed.
Every ranger who opens the gate does the quiet work of democracy. Every inscription that names the enslaved, the soldiers, the organizers, the artist, lays another brick on the road from memory to justice.
So we invest in the caretakers and care for truth told on site with names, dates and context. We choose monuments that lift the living and teach the young. We retire the threats, retire the lies.”
Emphasizing the diverse landscape of Boston, Paris Jeffries stated, “The Common gives us room. The Harbor gives us horizon. Roxbury gives us heartbeat.
The Park Service keeps the door open. Parks are democracy. You show it by tending the ground, telling the whole story on site and turning strangers into neighbors.
Boston, show the nation how we remember.”
The day’s events underscored a collective commitment to preserving the truths of history and ensuring future generations understand the complex legacy of not just Boston, but the nation as a whole.
In a city rich with historical significance, the preservation of these narratives remains integral to fostering community and understanding.
image source from：masslive
