Two Towns, Two Takes on Black History

CONCORD, Mass.--In this town of red and white clapboard houses and proudly flying American flags, a small Starbucks seems to be the only sign of the twentieth century.

Couples strolling hand-in-hand down the main street, old-timers sipping steaming mugs of coffee, a young mother ducking into the post office--these figures might have been around before the battle of Lexington and Concord.

But while the history--and even the black history--of Concord is rich and varied, many residents feel this colonial village turned affluent suburb has hardly noticed February's Black History Month.

"The general public isn't focusing on it," says Belinda P. Smith, the owner and manager of the Concord Bookshop, which displays books on John Coltrane, Wilma Rudolph and Amistad, under the heading "Celebrating Our African-American Heritage."

Over the last two hundred years, the ratio of black to white residents in Concord has changed just slightly.

In 1783, 15 of Concord's 1,321 residents were black--just 1.5 percent. Today, the "non-white" population, includingnot only blacks but every person who is notCaucasian, is 6.4 percent.

A Proper Celebration

While few of the Bay State's white suburbancommunities are celebrating Black History Month,some residents of Concord feel their town shouldfind some way of marking the month.

"It's good for people to be aware of differentgroups," says Armine S. Roat, a cook at a localrestaurant.

Roat suggests the community make an effort tobring in speakers and cultural events.

Herb Kaupp, a retired electrical engineer, saysConcord should "look to see if there were earlyresidents of the town--that would be focusing onlocal history."

"Personally, I would like to see more blackart," he adds.

Others, like town librarian Ray Gerke, say theywould like to see "a brainstorming session withinterested parties--planning is part of what itinvolves."

One resident has even higher hopes.

"[Black History Month] gives black peopleawareness of their history," said Rosemary Kaupp.

But, she adds, while the month is necessary fornow, she hopes that the world "eventually won'thave to highlight it--everyone's history ties into the same thing."

A Minimal Effort

As it is, Black History Month in Concord islimited to one bookstore's window display.

Neither the town library nor the town itself isholding any special events to celebrate the month.

"We are conscious that [store] windows do alertpeople; we wanted to expose people to blackliterature and black history," Smith says, nothingthat the town is holding no events of which she isaware.

"I don't think there is [awareness]," Kauppsays. "I think there's an awareness for MartinLuther King, which is not the same as blackhistory."

"I guess...thinking of black history is arelatively new thing."

In the Concord Free Public Library, there is nowindow display nor book exhibit pertaining toBlack History Month.

Photographs by and articles on Concordphotographer Alfred Munroe fill two glass cases oneither side of the entrance.

Leaflets, ranging in topics from real estate toyoga to genealogy, are stacked in shelves near theentrance.

Despite the varied resources, there is no signof Black History Month within the wooden walls ofthe library.

According to librarians, the library did notcreate an exhibit on Black History Month due tolack of demand.

"Generally, the groups come in and they designsomething [with] a circulating book collection,"says Gerke, adding that no groups asked for aBlack History Month display this year.

"We've had a book display on it in the past,"he says. "There are so many differentobservations--Women's History Month and soforth--that...there always seems to be someimportance with a particular observation."

Librarian Jane Misslin gives a slightlydifferent reason for the lack of an exhibition.

"Everything you put on exhibit, you're removingfrom where it belongs," she says, noting thatschoolchildren often need books for Black HistoryMonth assignments.

"Even at the point where I was going to pullthings, I thought maybe it's a disservice to gothrough that," she says, noting that there werelikely several school assignments on Black HistoryMonth.

The Role of Schools

Usha Narayana, a junior at Concord-CarlisleRegional High School, says her school is notholding any special events for Black HistoryMonth.

She faults the students, as well as the school,for not properly celebrating the month.

"The school should try, but we should try tomake the students do more--they should understandhow important it is for us to understanddifferences," she says.

To that end, Narayana says she helped toorganize an assembly on civil rights andcelebration of cultures, where students woreethnic dress and speakers debated civil rights.

However, Narayana says, the audience "didn'tcare."

"[The students] will realize that you'redifferent--they'll accept that--but it doesn't getthrough, there's no action," says Narayana, who isof Indian descent.

Despite Narayana's experience, most residentsare confident that the schools are exposingstudents to Black History Month.

"I think in the schools they're getting a lotof awareness," Smith says.

Within the school, Narayana says, students ofdifferent races are well-integrated--"they arefriends and everything," she says, "but if you goto the cafeteria, there are differentcliques--it's an integrated school, but peoplearen't taking advantage of it."

Concord's Black History

In the Concord Library lies a volume on thetown's black history to 1860, published by theConcord Public Schools.

"There has been little information available tochildren to help them know about these Blacks forwhom local places are named," wrote the book'sauthors in the introduction.

The book describes prominent black figures inConcord's history, including ex-slaves,Revolutionary War soldiers and notable localfamilies.

But to the dismay of some Concord residents,few are familiar with these stories

A Proper Celebration

While few of the Bay State's white suburbancommunities are celebrating Black History Month,some residents of Concord feel their town shouldfind some way of marking the month.

"It's good for people to be aware of differentgroups," says Armine S. Roat, a cook at a localrestaurant.

Roat suggests the community make an effort tobring in speakers and cultural events.

Herb Kaupp, a retired electrical engineer, saysConcord should "look to see if there were earlyresidents of the town--that would be focusing onlocal history."

"Personally, I would like to see more blackart," he adds.

Others, like town librarian Ray Gerke, say theywould like to see "a brainstorming session withinterested parties--planning is part of what itinvolves."

One resident has even higher hopes.

"[Black History Month] gives black peopleawareness of their history," said Rosemary Kaupp.

But, she adds, while the month is necessary fornow, she hopes that the world "eventually won'thave to highlight it--everyone's history ties into the same thing."

A Minimal Effort

As it is, Black History Month in Concord islimited to one bookstore's window display.

Neither the town library nor the town itself isholding any special events to celebrate the month.

"We are conscious that [store] windows do alertpeople; we wanted to expose people to blackliterature and black history," Smith says, nothingthat the town is holding no events of which she isaware.

"I don't think there is [awareness]," Kauppsays. "I think there's an awareness for MartinLuther King, which is not the same as blackhistory."

"I guess...thinking of black history is arelatively new thing."

In the Concord Free Public Library, there is nowindow display nor book exhibit pertaining toBlack History Month.

Photographs by and articles on Concordphotographer Alfred Munroe fill two glass cases oneither side of the entrance.

Leaflets, ranging in topics from real estate toyoga to genealogy, are stacked in shelves near theentrance.

Despite the varied resources, there is no signof Black History Month within the wooden walls ofthe library.

According to librarians, the library did notcreate an exhibit on Black History Month due tolack of demand.

"Generally, the groups come in and they designsomething [with] a circulating book collection,"says Gerke, adding that no groups asked for aBlack History Month display this year.

"We've had a book display on it in the past,"he says. "There are so many differentobservations--Women's History Month and soforth--that...there always seems to be someimportance with a particular observation."

Librarian Jane Misslin gives a slightlydifferent reason for the lack of an exhibition.

"Everything you put on exhibit, you're removingfrom where it belongs," she says, noting thatschoolchildren often need books for Black HistoryMonth assignments.

"Even at the point where I was going to pullthings, I thought maybe it's a disservice to gothrough that," she says, noting that there werelikely several school assignments on Black HistoryMonth.

The Role of Schools

Usha Narayana, a junior at Concord-CarlisleRegional High School, says her school is notholding any special events for Black HistoryMonth.

She faults the students, as well as the school,for not properly celebrating the month.

"The school should try, but we should try tomake the students do more--they should understandhow important it is for us to understanddifferences," she says.

To that end, Narayana says she helped toorganize an assembly on civil rights andcelebration of cultures, where students woreethnic dress and speakers debated civil rights.

However, Narayana says, the audience "didn'tcare."

"[The students] will realize that you'redifferent--they'll accept that--but it doesn't getthrough, there's no action," says Narayana, who isof Indian descent.

Despite Narayana's experience, most residentsare confident that the schools are exposingstudents to Black History Month.

"I think in the schools they're getting a lotof awareness," Smith says.

Within the school, Narayana says, students ofdifferent races are well-integrated--"they arefriends and everything," she says, "but if you goto the cafeteria, there are differentcliques--it's an integrated school, but peoplearen't taking advantage of it."

Concord's Black History

In the Concord Library lies a volume on thetown's black history to 1860, published by theConcord Public Schools.

"There has been little information available tochildren to help them know about these Blacks forwhom local places are named," wrote the book'sauthors in the introduction.

The book describes prominent black figures inConcord's history, including ex-slaves,Revolutionary War soldiers and notable localfamilies.

But to the dismay of some Concord residents,few are familiar with these stories