Black History Month

Throughout February, keep an eye on our weekly announcements, where (G)RACE Speaks will lift up issues, events, and people who have made a difference in our community. 

In February, we celebrate Black History Month at Old South Church. Established in 1915, half a century after the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery in the United States, Black History Month is an annual celebration of the achievements made by African Americans and a time to recognize their central role in US history. Also known as African American History Month, the event grew out of “Negro History Week,” the brainchild of noted historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African Americans.  

We live in a season where efforts are underway to deny and erase the contributions of our sisters and brothers who are wrapped in Black and brown skin and bear the image of God. As people of faith,  Black History Month allows us to affirm the God-given worth of Black people, resist the erasure of communities God loves, and restore truth-telling.   

During February, (G)RACE Speaks will lift up issues, events, and people who have made a difference in our community in our weekly announcements. Stay tuned! 

Prayer: Oh God, help me to pause in gratitude for the stories, lives, and legacies of Black people whose courage, brilliance, faith, and resilience have shaped our world. Amen.

Celebrating the Life and Legacy
of Reverend Jessie Jackson
( October8,1941-February 17, 2026)

The week of February 23 we lift up the life of Reverend Jessie Jackson a Civil Rights icon who passed away this week at the age of 84. We honor Reverend Jackson for his vison, passion for change and justice.

Rev. Jackson, recognized for his eloquence, organizational skills, and talent for uniting diverse groups, captured the American imagination with his two Democratic Presidential campaigns. These runs opened the doors for future progressive leaders and people of color to run to get engaged in the political area. 

He was a firm believer that our capacity to change the world was only as big as our imagination. “ I am-Somebody” was a poem that he often recited to encourage and remind people of their unique gifts and specialness. He was the founder of Operation PUSH and later the Rambow/PUSH Coalition, organizations that focus on economic justice, racial equity and voter empowerment. As a protégé of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jackson was with King in Memphis when he was assassinated in 1968. 

Reverend Jacksons’ moral voice  for justice, voter rights, economy equity will be missed. Truly, a giant oak has fallen. Thanks be to God for his prophetic witness and his commitment to God’s vision of the Beloved community.

Learn more about our African American neighbors
Join us for a free screening of an award-winning documentary about racial disparities in Boston on Tuesday, February 24, at 6:30pm, on Zoom. The film, A Reckoning in Boston is hosted by the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts's Racial Justice Commission. Following the 90 minute film, you will have an opportunity to engage in a panel discussion with the filmmaker and the subjects of the film.

To RSVP for the screening visit this website

• https://kinema.com/events/A-Reckoning-in-Boston-onus9k

About (G)RACE Speaks

The (G)RACE Speaks Committee affirms the sacred worth of every individual by fostering conversations on race within the life of Old South Church. Guided by the Seven Gifts of the Spirit—Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Knowledge, Fortitude, Piety, and Wonder—we aim to build a community proficient in protecting the dignity of self and others. Grounded in biblical and theological thought, this work is a profoundly Christian undertaking.