UniteBoston

Bridging Divides Across Christians for the Flourishing of the City

Six Ways to Celebrate Boston’s Black History

This is the 100th anniversary of celebrating Black History Month, and UniteBoston celebrates Black History Month by honoring the rich legacy of Black leaders, churches, and communities who have shaped Boston. We recognize the pivotal role of the Black Church in the Civil Rights Movement, whose faith and resilience followed in the footsteps of Jesus Christ to champion racial justice, equality, and shalom.

This month, we invite you to join us to celebrate Boston’s Black History with the opportunities below:

1. Glean From the Stories and Perspectives of Black Pastors

In his powerful sermon on Psalm 78, entitled “What Will We Tell the Next Generation?”, Pastor Willie Bodrick II of Twelfth Baptist Church reminds us that remembering our history is a spiritual responsibility: “Black history isn’t just something we celebrate – it’s something we need to survive our present. The moment we are living in is trying to make us forget who we are. Remembering is our spiritual responsibility and we tell our history so people can put their hope and trust in God.”

Click above to watch Rev. Bodrick’s sermon preached on February 1, 2026 beginning at 1:30

We also commend a message by Rev. Sabrina Gray from Bethel AME Church on how Black history isn’t only what we remember. It’s what we live, what we carry, and what we continue.

2. Dive into EGC’s Fact Friday series

Jaronzie Harris explores the church’s history and legacy in Boston, one short video at a time. Click below to watch their Instagram videos!

  • Did you know that the African Meeting House on Beacon Hill was co-founded by Cato Gardner, a formerly enslaved man born in Africa? 
  • Or that Twelfth Baptist Church was the spiritual home of Wilhelmina Crosson, a pioneering Black school teacher in Boston, who also was instrumental in launching the precursor to Black History Month? 
  • Why is a church on Warren Street in Roxbury called “The Historic Charles Street AME Church?”
  • How about this gem? The founding pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, Rev. Peter Randolph, led a group of 66 freed slaves from Virginia to Boston before the Civil War and also obtained a lawyer to win their rightful freedom! His autobiography is available online!
  • And Union Methodist Church was a stop on the Underground Railroad as well as the home church of David Walker, author of one of the most important early attacks on slavery, Walker’s Appeal. 

3. Take a Black Theology course

This course is part of the Theology Lab at Highrock Church and features scholars, musicians, and church leaders, including Prof. Tom Baskett (Highrock; Berklee College of Music), explores how the faith experiences of Black Americans open up distinct ways of reading Scripture, shed light on the gospel’s liberating power, and model the importance of social engagement for all Christians. Central to this class is the theological claim that the faith of Black Americans is a gift to the whole church. There are six videos and a discussion guide is available here.

4. Learn about Boston’s Black History

Experience Boston’s Black History Firsthand:

  • Use this guide from WBUR to experience the history firsthand in downtown Boston, Cambridge, or Roxbury
  • Use this Map to go on a Boston Greenbook Tour, compiled by Rev. June Cooper, Sankofa cohort member and Theologian in the City at Old South Church. The Boston Green Book was part of The Negro Motorist Green Book, a travel guide published from 1936 to 1967 that listed safe businesses for Black travelers during segregation. Featuring hotels, restaurants, and social hubs along Columbus Avenue and Tremont Street, it highlighted key establishments like Slade’s Bar and Grill and Charlie’s Sandwich Shoppe, which remain cultural landmarks today.
  • Use this guide to discover places associated with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King in Boston.

Other resources on Boston’s Black History:

Hidden in Plain Sight is a new documentary that tells the history of the Black Catholic community within the Archdiocese of Boston through interviews and archival footage of people and meaningful places within the community. This 30-minute documentary explores the contributions, experiences, and enduring faith of Black Catholics. Watch Video Trailers Here: Trailer #1 Trailer #2

They are hosting screenings in Boston on February 10, February 22, and March 21! More info here

5. Incorporate Black History into your daily devotional time

The Evangelical Covenant Church has just published a Love Your Neighbor: A Black History Month Devotional Inspired by Martin Luther King Jr. This seven-day devotional explores biblical texts on sacrificial love, justice, and Christian neighboring through the life and teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Beginning with young Martin’s painful encounter with racism and his parents’ affirming response, it moves through the Parable of the Good Samaritan, examining what it means to truly love our neighbors—including our enemies. Drawing on Dr. King’s sermons and Scripture, this plan invites readers to address both immediate needs and systemic injustice, ultimately calling Christians to embody Christ’s countercultural love in a divided world.

6. Join us for the upcoming Gospel Experience Tour & the “Boston Sankofa Showcase“event!

 The United Gospel Experience Tour concert on February 21 will be from 3:00 to 5:00pm at UMass Lowell, 220 Pawtucket Street, Lowell, MA 01854, hosted by New Purpose Gospel Choir.

Centered on the theme “Come together, stay together, worship together” (Mt. 18:20), the tour centers on Jesus’ promise that “where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” In these challenging times, our prayer is that, through this united worship, God’s Spirit will move mightily to bring healing, reconciliation, and new life. We’ve discovered that when students from across New England join their voices in one choir, gospel music rises as a powerful proclamation of hope and freedom.

Click here to read the story behind this year’s tour and how you can be part of it. And don’t miss this documentary of highlights and testimonies from last year’s gospel experience tour!

Also, please plan to join us for a Moth-style storytelling night on Thursday, March 26 from 6:30 – 8:30 PM at Twelfth Baptist Church. As part of the Boston Sankofa Journey, our team has been working to record the stories of twelve Black Christian leaders whose faith in Jesus has fueled the work of racial justice and reconciliation in our beloved city. This gathering will bring these testimonies to life through a powerful evening of spoken word, art, and communal reflection. The showcase is designed to bridge the gap between history and the present, inviting the broader community to sit at the feet of these elders and discern how to carry the work of truth and repair forward.

Boston Sankofa Journey Luncheon we hosted in January 2026 with many of the leaders who are being featured in our story archive

It also serves as a launchpad for a city-wide season of story-collecting, encouraging others to record the living histories in their own neighborhoods to ensure that the leadership and spiritual vitality of the Black freedom movement continue to illuminate our path towards racial healing and shalom.

Sankofa teaches us that we cannot move forward unless we look back. By honoring those who paved the way, we carry their courage, conviction, and faith into what’s next. We’re grateful for every story shared and excited to preserve this living legacy for generations to come. 

Black history IS Boston’s history! There are so many onroads here… we encourage you to choose one or two of these this month!

As each of us take steps to learn and experience Boston’s Black history, we discover how remembering the past can help us pursue racial justice, reconciliation, and shalom in our city today.


Teachers at Park Street School Preschool

Park Street School is located in the heart of Boston’s historic Beacon Hill neighborhood and offers a continuous, integrated, Christian-based learning environment to students from toddler to grade six. Exemplifying a Christian worldview, Park Street School is an equal opportunity employer and is continuously striving to maintain a faculty and staff with varying backgrounds and cultural experiences.

Values that we hold high are trustworthiness, honesty, diligence, open communication, fairness, and politeness. All employees and volunteers at Park Street School work together to fulfill the school’s mission statement. We expect to employ professionals who will work beyond job descriptions, creating both a fulfilling career environment and very successful outcomes for our students. Park Street School offers competitive benefits, generous time off, and a meaningful work environment with like-minded colleagues.

We are seeking Lead and Associate Toddler, Preschool, and Pre-Kindergarten Teachers for the 2025-2026 school year. We are also seeking a part-time Preschool Music Teacher.

Apply now: Online Employment Application and email employment@parkstreetschool.org for more information.

Part-Time Business Office Associate

Located in the historic Boston neighborhood of Beacon Hill, Park Street School provides a continuous, integrated Christian-based education for children from toddler through sixth grade. Exemplifying a Christian worldview, Park Street School is an equal opportunity employer and is continuously striving to maintain a faculty with varying backgrounds and cultural experiences. It is truly a wonderful place to work! We are currently seeking to hire a Part-Time Business Office Associate. Please email employment@parkstreetschool.org for application instructions.

Position Summary
The Business Office Associate (BOA) is an integral member of the Business Office at Park Street School (the School). This position reports to the Director of Finance. The BOA’s central responsibility is managing Accounts Payable, which involves working with colleagues and outside vendors to ensure timely payment and recording of the School’s expenses.

Primary Responsibilities
• Process invoices in a timely and accurate manner
• Follow approval procedures for payment of invoices, and a variety of reimbursements
• Obtain accurate vendor information for 1099’s
• Proactively establish and maintain processes within the Business Office to improve efficiency
• Use innovative methods to develop efficient A/P processes
• Collaborate with colleagues to develop and maintain proper and efficient processes between the Business Office and other departments
• Maintain an organized filing system, both online and physical
• Actively pursue learning opportunities to better their understanding of accounting procedures, databases and software
• Support the Administrative team in assisting where needed, with a mission driven focus
• Support Faculty members as needed, with a student-first focus
• Other duties as assigned, including but not limited to front-desk coverage, lunch-duty, recess and pick-up/drop-off of students

Requirements and Qualifications
• 2-4 years related experience and a Bachelor’s degree preferred
• Capable and proficient in using technology to process work, including Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word and other online applications and database management software
• Experience with Veracross, Fyle, Bill.com desirable
• Demonstrate excellent, interpersonal communication skills with a diverse group of people
• Ability to be flexible in duties by exhibiting a can-do attitude
• Ability to understand or research the needs and concerns of colleagues and a willingness to help them with any Business Office-related questions or concerns
• Highly detail-oriented with the capability to organize, plan, manage, and work simultaneously on multiple projects and follow through to completion
• Previous experience in a school environment is desirable
• Understanding of and experience with preschool, elementary, and middle school students is helpful
• Evening and weekend availability for School events, as necessary

Please email employment@parkstreetschool.org for application instructions.

A Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols

Childcare will be available for ages 0–4. RSVP is requested for childcare, but not required.

“Let us read and mark in Holy Scripture the tale of the loving purposes of God from the first days of our disobedience unto the glorious Redemption brought us by this Holy Child; and let us make this church glad with our carols of praise.” Music sung by the Sanctuary Choir and Congregation, and accompanied by the Park Street Orchestra.

Seating will be limited to sanctuary capacity; we recommend arriving 30 minutes early in order to be sure of getting a seat. Overflow seating will be available in the Fellowship Hall.

HISTORICAL NOTE

The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols was first sung in a wooden building which served as the first Truro Cathedral; it is said that the Rt. Reverend Edward White Benson, who originated the service in 1880, chose the time of 10:00 PM on Christmas Eve in order to “get the men out of the pubs early so they would not be drunk for the midnight service.” In 1918, Eric Milner-White, Dean of King’s College, Cambridge, adapted the service for use in the chapel at King’s. The service has remained virtually unchanged since that time, and has spread through all the world. The hymns and carols vary in each service (though it is traditional to begin with Once in Royal David’s City), but the readings and other spoken portions are always the same, even, traditionally, retaining the well-loved King James translation. The sound of the same words, year after year, becomes an echo of the unchanging significance and reality of the story. The music takes the role of reflecting on each text and exhorting the congregation. The tone of this worship service is both solemn and joyful, reflecting the intimidating grandeur of the story—from Fall to Incarnation—and rejoicing in the love of God and the redemption that is ours through Christ.

Mystic Chorale sings GOSPEL 3/2 and 3/3

The Mystic Chorale, one of Greater Boston’s favorite community choruses, presents its annual Gospel concert. Led by award­-winning gospel director Jonathan Singleton, the 250­-voices­-strong chorale and 5-piece band presents two joyful and spirit-filled performances featuring a mix of music rooted in the African American gospel tradition.

This year’s exciting program includes an eclectic mix of gospel sourced from all around the world, including the Soweto Gospel Choir’s Woza Meli Wami, Irish composer Brian Houston’s So That I Can Walk In Your Way, and American Gospel composer Hezekiah Walker’s Better! The chorus will continue its celebration of Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin’s enormous contribution to gospel music by singing the inspirational Never Gonna Break My Faith.

This program of songs of love and hope is guaranteed to lift your spirits!

 

WHEN: Saturday, March 2nd at 7:30 pm and Sunday, March 3rd at 3:30 pm

WHERE: Converse Hall, Tremont Temple, 88 Tremont Street, Boston (one block from Park Street T)

TICKETS: $20 (children under 10, free) available at www.mysticchorale.org

 


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