Local leaders in the Black community came together at City Hall in honor of Black History Month to receive their flowers and showcase their wide range of contributions.
The North Shore Juneteenth Association put on its Local Black Excellence Display with a reception at City Hall. The ceremony honored people of color who have gone above and beyond in observance of Black History Month.
Councilor-at-Large Nicole McClain founded the North Shore Juneteenth Association and started the Local Black Excellence Display in 2019. Lawyers, teachers, educators, Lynn residents, and more filled the foyer at City Hall.
A number of elected officials were in attendance, including Mayor Jared Nicholson and state Sen. Brendan Crighton.
Nicolson spoke about inclusive growth.
“I think it is absolutely a great opportunity for us to reflect on the strength of our community…we want to see all of the community represented and so to be able to highlight and celebrate and reflect on Black excellence right here in the city of Lynn it puts forward those examples,” Nicholson said.
McClain acknowledged each local Black excellence honoree and gave them an official certificate from the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Each honoree accepted the certificate, and some gave a short speech to reflect on their award. Some of the recipients are Lynn natives.
Schuyler Hogan was born and raised in Lynn and was an honoree at the event. He recently graduated from the New England School of Law, passed the Bar examination, and is currently a practicing attorney with the prestigious law firm Cherry Tree Legal, PLLC in Lynn. He had a heartfelt message for Lynn’s youth and said he wants to erase the negative stigma often associated with the city.
“To be a kid from Lynn and to be an honoree here with all these people is a true blessing,” Hogan said. “I just want to be an example for the kids in the city to not fall victim… we’re breaking that mold… I like to say that If I could do it, anybody could do it.”
Ferns Francois was another honoree. Francois said he fights for the people of Lynn.
“I pride myself on speaking on behalf of the people who most need it. The children of immigrants, immigrants that need asylum, immigrants that need jobs, need a safe place to raise their family, the homeless, that’s what I’m proud of,” Francois said. “Black people always need a platform…sometimes we have to make platforms, we have to create space because we have to represent ourselves.”
Jah’Nyah Spencer, 20, is a patron of the arts and an honoree. She is an aspiring character designer and concept artist based on the North Shore. She graduated from Lynn Tech. Spencer aims to bridge the gaps of community through storytelling and is currently studying for her Bachelor of Arts in illustration at Lesley University.
“I feel like for me I think one of the biggest accomplishments I’ve had in Lynn is being able to use my art to empower the youth and try to tell as many stories as possible. I think it’s important for us as people to be able to express ourselves through whatever medium we choose, whether it’s through music, visual art, dance, or spoken word; we have to be able to leave our mark on this world,” Spencer said.
Helina Almonte delivered a spoken word poem. She is of African-Latino descent and dedicated her poem to her grandmother. Almonte said there is often a lot of pressure on people of color to be excellent. Almonte is a first-generation college student. Her poem focused on the “people that came to this country to make sure that I get the opportunity to do what I want to do.”
Public Health Coordinator Norris Guscott was a guest speaker at the event and spoke about why representation matters. Guscott said Black workers are overrepresented in low-wage occupations and underrepresented in high-wage occupations. He also noted that Black people are underrepresented in health care practitioners like doctors and scientists. In addition, there are just eight Black chief executive officers in the Fortune 500 companies, he said.
Despite these numbers, Guscott shared some words of empowerment, highlighted success stories, and how folks of color can push back against those narratives.
“Personally, I can’t explain the feeling that as a young Black kid, it served as an inspiration to see others who look like me doing really cool, important, impactful things…because I was able to see professionals who looked like me, it was like ok, this isn’t impossible.I was able to have role models,” Guscott said.
McClain unveiled the Local Black Excellence banners to a wave of attendees in the crowd. McClain said she was very proud of the turnout.
“The crowd was engaged. They wanted to hear the speakers, and they were engaged with the poetry; it was great to see some ancestors in the crowd as well, people that we stand on the shoulders of as young Black Americans. This event is just getting bigger and bigger, and soon we will be in the Lynn Auditorium,” McClain said.
