February 2023

This month we celebrate Black History and what the achievements and contributions of Black Americans mean to the American story. From slavery, to Jim Crow, to mass incarceration, and more -- the fight for equity and healing continues. Locally, we carry that fight in our shared vision of a healed and equitable Boston and the work we do as an organization in community with other change makers in the city.

Last month, here in Boston, we celebrated one of the most iconic love stories in American Black History with the unveiling of The Embrace on Boston Common - a monument of love and justice dedicated to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King. Their legacy inspires us to continue our mission of healing for our city's youth of color and the adults who work with them.

Photo by Bret Clancy

Just weeks after celebrating The Embrace, we’re mourning the death of Tyre Nichols, another black man whose life was cut short by police violence. After hundreds of years of oppression, decades of protests, and countless demands for change, little has changed. These ongoing cycles of trauma and harm remind us that healing can’t wait.

Healing happens in community. We cannot realize our vision of a more equitable Boston alone.

As an opportunity to reflect and heal in community, we invite you to participate in TBC's Racial Healing Challenge for Black History Month. In addition to highlighting an activity, book, podcast, or organization that’s helping you on your racial healing and learning journey right now, we encourage you to share a Black leader, historical figure, or change maker you admire who has impacted Black History. You can find details on how to participate here.

If you're looking for healing communities to lean into this month, Trinity Boston Counseling Center (TBCC) provides individual and group therapy, and mental health wellness workshops for youth workers in Boston. Drop into their Mindful Monday series, beginning on February 13.

TBC's Organizational Equity Program runs support spaces for anyone who works in the nonprofit sector. Join us virtually at POC Tea Time on the 3rd Thursday of every month. The next one will be on February 16.

In honor of Black History Month, please consider a gift to support our programs and carry our healing mission forward. Thank you!