Members and allies of Concord-Carlisle High School’s Black Student Union joined Town of Concord officials and community members on Thursday, Oct. 22, to unveil Concord’s Black Heritage Trail markers. (Photo Courtesy Concord-Carlisle Regional School District)
CONCORD — Concord-Carlisle High School students want Concord’s Black history to become as familiar to their classmates as the Old North Bridge and Walden Pond.
Members and allies of the school’s Black Student Union (BSU) joined Town officials and community members on Thursday, Oct. 22, to unveil Concord’s Black Heritage Trail markers.
BSU President Mark Johnson, senior Kyle Amouzgar and junior Laila Smith spoke about what it means to see that history represented throughout their school community.
The trail’s 10 markers tell the stories of Black individuals and families who helped shape Concord. They identify the house where Harriet Tubman stayed during her 1859 visit and recount Frederick Douglass’ 1841 speech in town. Another tells how Shadrach Minkins found refuge in Concord while escaping to freedom in Canada. The markers also explore Black families’ lives in Walden Woods and other neighborhoods, including their experiences with education, property ownership and the pursuit of equal rights.
Johnson, a Boston resident who has attended school in Concord through the METCO program since middle school, opened his remarks by describing his connection to the community.
“I may not live here, but this is my school, my community, and my town, too,” Johnson said.
He noted how familiar his classmates are with Concord’s historic landmarks. He hopes the Black Heritage Trail becomes another place students know so well that they can say they have already learned about it.
“Black history is Concord history,” Johnson said. “It’s in the streets we walk, the buildings we pass, and the ground we stand on.”
Johnson also described the BSU’s work mentoring younger students and connecting with Black Student Unions in other communities. Those efforts give younger students opportunities to see older students who look like them take on leadership roles.
“Our students spoke about their own experiences and why these markers matter to them,” said Andrew K. Nyamekye, Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging. “When students see Black history represented throughout Concord, it helps them understand who helped shape this town and their own place in its story.”
Amouzgar, a BSU student ambassador, spoke about the difference between learning history in a classroom and encountering it while walking through town.
“They remind my generation that the fight for human dignity wasn’t just happening somewhere stuffed between the pages in our textbooks,” Amouzgar said. “It was happening right on these streets with people in Concord. They give us a fuller, truer story to carry forward, and I’m so proud to see Concord finally putting those names where they belong.”
Smith, one of the BSU’s vice presidents, spoke about her pride in being a METCO student and seeing the community support Black residents and students through projects such as the trail.
She also shared her excitement about upcoming BSU events and opportunities to connect with the community.
The students attended with BSU faculty advisors Mike Lonergan, a math teacher, and Chris Skinner, METCO Academic Liaison. METCO Director Malinthi Fernando, Superintendent Dr. Laurie Hunter and School Committee members Tracey Marano and Michael Williams also attended. Williams served on the Black Heritage Trail Advisory Team.
“Mark, Kyle and Laila gave everyone at the ceremony a chance to hear what this project means to students,” Superintendent Hunter said. “I’m proud of them for speaking and grateful to the classmates who came to support them. Thank you to our BSU advisors and staff for helping students take an active role in their school community.”
The Town of Concord Black Heritage Trail Advisory Team led the unveiling. The Town’s Select Board, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission, and the Concord Historical Commission supported the project.
The Black Heritage Trail Advisory Team included:
- Core Advisory Team: Joe Palumbo, Jen Turner, Beth Williams, and Mimi Graney.
- Institutional Partners: Dr. Maria Madison and Nikki Turpin of the Robbins House; Rebecca Migdal of Thoreau Farm; and Brian Bradbury of the Revolutionary Valley Tourism Council
- Historians: Dr. Bob Bellinger and Dr. Sandra Harbert Petrilionis.
- Schools: School Committee Member Dr. Michael Williams, Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Andrew K. Nyamekye, and retired CCHS history teacher Joe Zellner.
- Town Committees, Residents and Key Representatives: Grady Flinn, Rob Munroe, Osamagbe Osagie, and Sam Williams.
- Other Town Staff: Ann Clifford, representing the Historical Commission and Historic Districts Commission.
A Black Heritage Trail walking tour is also available, offering visitors a chance to explore the stories behind the markers at key sites throughout Concord.
The two-mile tour lasts approximately 90 minutes to two hours and highlights Black individuals and families who helped shape the town, including Cesar Robbins, Brister Freeman and educator and civil rights pioneer Ellen Garrison.
For more information about the trail and its markers, visit the Black Heritage Trail webpage on the Town of Concord’s website.
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