In regard to Black History Month this year. Let the months to come, heading into February 2022 be a time when we collectively commit to discovering and documenting the rich African American History here in the city that we love so dearly. Let us commit to setting into motion a process of memorialization, remembrance, public education and inspiration.

It may be a bitter pill for city officials to swallow, but the fact is that Somerville’s past and present commitment to our rich Black History does not align with its frequently expressed commitment to social justice and black activist movements.

There are no streets, places or buildings named, no plaques, no inscribed stones, along with other shortcomings. The words do not align with the actions, and the creation of a Memorialization Committee is not enough, when there is no active official pursuit to discover the past.

In 2017 an academic researcher at Tufts University documented the locations of notable events, people and places related to African American History in the Boston area. It was covered by WBUR in an article titled “Tufts Project Maps the Landmarks of Black Boston ” and the map included with it depicting Somerville is void of even one example. Somerville as seen on this map was and still is a cause for deep embarrassment.

It has been more than three years and the map is just as empty as when it was created. The city should have initiated efforts to fill in the map the day after the WBUR piece. Instead there was no shame and here we are. By February 2022 there will be no excuses for this disappointing state of affairs to have not been remedied.

Matthew Hoey
Cambridge