Boston's Black history

The oldest Black women’s service organization in the country, the League of Women for Community Service operates throughout Boston to provide and sustain resources for the Black community.

As I reflect on Black History Month 2025, I’m reminded why my late husband, Roland, and I wrote “Still I Rise: A Cartoon History of African Americans,” followed by our updated edition “Still I Rise: A Graphic History of African Americans.”

I have always been curious about African American history because when I was growing up, the inquisitive kid that I was, there was no mention in my textbooks that we as a people individually or collectively contributed to anything.

My father, Bob Hayden, served many roles in our community: president of Boston’s NAACP, executive director of METCO, a regular columnist for the Bay State Banner, assistant superintendent of Boston Public Schools, a professor of African American studies at several Boston area universities and colleges, author of several books about Black excellence, and the preeminent expert on Black history in Boston and beyond.

The power of Dorothy Height’s words, “I want to be remembered as one who tried,” strikes at the heart of Boston’s Black legacy. We are here because of all the ancestors who tried, those whose triumphs were blocked, those who persisted and those who succeeded.

The Freedom Trail Foundation recently announced the return of their African American Patriots tour for the month of February. It will run every weekend in February.

Boston Desegregation and Busing Initiative's walking tour illuminates Boston’s desegregation history 50 years after busing.

As we begin the annual national observance of Black History Month, it seems only logical to know about and honor the pioneering Black historians of the 19th century.