SWAMPSCOTT — Swampscott’s Black History Month Celebration came a few weeks late this year, but the message didn’t change.
Hosted by S.U.R.E. Diversity, the fifth annual celebration was originally scheduled for Feb. 24, but was postponed by a late-winter blizzard. The event was held at Swampscott High School on Tuesday night, bringing together students and community members for a program centered on history, identity, and community. This year’s theme, “Black history is our history,” was carried throughout the program, which included performances, discussions, and activities.
The evening opened with a performance from Turtle on a String, a jazz band comprised of Swampscott High School students. They played a selection of jazz hits, including Duke Ellington’s “Take the A Train,” as attendees filtered through displays of artwork made by Swampscott elementary and middle school students, along with projects highlighting biographies of prominent Black figures across sports, music, history, and popular culture.
Student involvement was a constant throughout the night, with contributions from Swampscott students across all grade levels shaping much of the program.
“I think that is so critical for this, for any of our events,” said S.U.R.E. Diversity Chair Keli Khatib. “We’re always trying to work with the school … and the students are at the core of that. This year, we’ve done a good job getting them involved, and that really made a difference.”
S.U.R.E. Diversity, which stands for Swampscott Unites, Respects, and Embraces Diversity, was founded in 2016 as a volunteer-led organization aimed at celebrating and supporting diversity within the community.
In her welcome address, Khatib expanded on the night’s theme, emphasizing that the celebration is about more than a single month on the calendar.
“Black history is American history,” she said. “And our hope is that one day there will be no need for a separate celebration, because Black history will be fully and permanently woven into the shared story of who we are as Americans.”
That message carried into one of the evening’s central components: a panel discussion featuring students and community members reflecting on their experience with race, identity, and belonging.
There were four current Swampscott High School students on the panel, each of whom shared their own unique perspective on how the school and the town handle diversity, and how that is translated into their own experiences as women of color themselves.
“I love Swampscott … I want to stay here for the rest of my life, I love it so much,” said 12th grader Janerys Jaquez. Jaquez also said that despite all that love, it had been a challenging year at Swampscott High School, and that racism has become a problem in the school at a level she had never experienced before.
“I think Swampscott as a whole and the students and administration need to push to make it more inclusive and really address those issues,” Jaquez said. “Because if you miss them now then they’re never going to be addressed in the future.”
Tristan Smith, a Swampscott High School alum who also sat on the panel, said those conversations are an important step toward better understanding within the community.
“I know that this is a good town with good people, but I also heard things that are said in locker rooms and group chats,” he said of his time at Swampscott High. “A lot of people don’t know cultures outside of their hometown, and that’s okay … but it’s important that we listen to these voices when they share experiences, because they bring something new — a perspective.”
Organizers said that kind of dialogue is exactly why events like this matter, particularly in a town that may not always see itself as diverse.
“When people think about Swampscott, they don’t think it’s diverse,” Khatib said before the event kicked off. “But diversity isn’t just about ethnicity or color … It’s about the things that make us different and the things that make us similar. And that’s important for a community to understand.”
That message was shared by many attendees, including one participant, Jordan Ortiz, who traveled from Springfield to take part in the celebration.
“It’s a Black History Month event in March,” Ortiz said. “When else is that ever going to happen?”
Swampscott Police Chief Ruben Quesada also attended the event alongside police captain Joe Kable. While Quesada was a part of last year’s speaking program, he said that this year he simply came to take part in the community celebration.
“Everybody has an individual story,” he said. “We’re all from different locations and different backgrounds, and it’s important to celebrate those differences, because it brings us back to what makes us the same.”
Many attendees and organizers alike shared that they were most excited for the evening’s closing activity: a Jeopardy-style game led by Sasha Shadari, a Swampscott junior and a member of the Students of Color Association.
Twelve audience volunteers split into three teams to test their knowledge across categories of history, science, entertainment, lingo, and athletes — all focused on Black culture and studies. The game drew laughs and cheers from the crowd, underscoring the event’s goal of making engaging connections through all ages.
“The program was literally created by students,” said S.U.R.E. Board member Margaret Somer. “And seeing young people get involved in this … that’s the most exciting part.”
That level of engagement was felt throughout the night. Despite the weather delay, the turnout showed what organizers said the event was really about: creating a space for conversations to happen, and making sure the topic of diversity in Swampscott lasts beyond a single night.
