The city of Springfield, Massachusetts kicked off Black History Month with an annual observance.
Each year for 35 years now, a ceremony has been held on February 1st in Springfield City Hall that features music, speeches, and culminates with the raising of the African American Heritage Flag.
The tradition was started by Ruth Loving, known as Springfield’s mother of civil rights, who died in 2014 at the age of 100. State Rep. Bud Williams now organizes the ceremony in Loving’s honor.
" Ruth Loving would say ' rain, snow, sleet, or shine, we are going to raise that flag '," said Williams.
Typically, a hearings room on the second floor in City Hall is packed with people, a gospel choir performs, and schoolchildren sing. This year, because of the pandemic the number of participants was small and socially-distanced. The ceremony was livestreamed by Focus Springfield Community Television.
Keynote speaker J.P. Morgan Jr., pastor of Holy Trinity Church of God In Christ in Springfield, said there is a lot of Black history to celebrate packed into a short month.
"This month is an opporunity for all of us to discover the beauty of blackness, " said Morgan.
Recalling the “Black is Beautiful” cultural movement of the 1960s, Morgan said it brought a revolution of self-awareness in all facets of American life.
" If this month can teach us anything perhaps it can teach us that when we let go of stereotypes, our preconceived notions, our hatred and prejudice and discover the sublime beauty of blackness we will also discover the beauty within ourselves," said Morgan.
This year’s ceremony honored past Springfield NAACP chapter president Ida Flynn with the Ruth B. Loving Civil Rights Award.
Springfield City Council President Marcus Williams said Flynn fought for a more equitable city.
"People like her have inspired people like me to take on that baton," said Williams. "She was black history."
The African American Heritage Flag will fly over the esplanade in front of City Hall during the month of February.
