Holyoke observes Black History Month with flag raising, gospel performance

Rev. Bernard Smith leads the Holyoke community in the signing of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” while the African American flag is presented by Mayor Joshua Garcia and others.
Reminder Publishing photos by Tyler Garnet

HOLYOKE — Holyoke recognized Black History Month with a flag-raising ceremony on Feb. 2 at City Hall followed by a Gospel music performance later that evening at Bethlehem Baptist Community Church.

This year’s ceremony coincides with a century of national commemorations of Black history. Last year marked the first time that Holyoke has raised the African American flag in honor of the month.

Rev. Bernard Smith, pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Community Church, gave an invocation, and Willie Spradley Jr., chair of the church’s Community Awareness Committee, spoke on the creation of the commemoration by Dr. Carter Godwin Woodson, one of the founders of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History.

Woodson initiated the concept of Black history observance 100 years ago. He founded Negro History Week in 1926 to coincide with the birthdays of abolitionist Frederick Douglass and former President Abraham Lincoln.

Negro History Week gathered momentum for decades before the observance and teaching of Black Americans became a cultural fixture following its expansion to Black History Month in February 1976 during Gerald Ford’s administration.

“Black history is American history, just from a black perspective,” Spradley stated, “If we were in Italy, there would still be Black history from an Italian perspective; if we were in Ireland, same thing. We’re here in the United States, and during these times, without getting overly political, during these times it is incredibly important that we come together and lock arms like they did back in the days when they were crossing the Edmund Pettis Bridge, and back in the days when they were doing the Civil Rights marches back in Selma. It’s extremely important that we lock arms and we share love with each other.”

Theresa Cooper-Gordon, who also serves on the church’s Committee Awareness Committee and helped host the observance ceremony, stated, “Black history, as we all know, is 365 days a year. It is American history, and we are going to make a commitment to do a better job of being inclusive.”

Spradley also broke down the meaning of the African American flag.

The red represents the blood that unites all people of African American ancestry and was shed for the liberation. The black represents Black people, whose existence as a nation, though not a nation state, is affirmed by the flag. Green represents the abundant and natural wealth of Africa.

Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia read the proclamation to officially recognize February as Black History Month throughout the city of Holyoke.

“Government officials in many states as well as the White House are withdrawing support for the open observance of Black History Month. The administration in Washington has initiated the closure of diversity, equity and inclusion offices throughout the government,” Garcia read. “Now be it resolved that Holyoke, Massachusetts celebrates diversity, advocates for equity and is committed to inclusion, and we reject efforts to reverse 60 years of Civil Rights progress, and we deplore moves to erase 300 years of Black history.”

The Holyoke community then gathered outside where Smith led in the singing of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” while the African American flag was presented.

The flag could not be physically raised on Feb. 2 due to a frozen flagpole mechanism, but Garcia and others said that once the issue is resolved, the flag will be mounted outside City Hall.

Later that evening, Bethlehem Baptist Community Church hosted a choir performance under the direction of Voices of Praise Director Terrence Haynes, a Christian Gospel music choir. Spradley also delivered remarks on “100 Years of Empowerment.”