BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2020
Making History
Inaugural Pan-African flag-raising ceremony kicked off Black History Month 2020.
A historic moment for the City of Scranton—the first ever the Pan-African Flag flies in front of City Hall to honor the legacy of African Americans.
A crowd of more than 75 people gathered in front of City Hall for the ceremony, which commenced with an addresses by BSP founder, Glynis Johns:
“Take some time during this month to learn a new story, learn a new face. There’s so many incredible black and brown people who are doing so much for the world and for the country,” Johns said. “I was really excited that I could spread this message.”
Mayor Paige Cognetti
“This is the beginning of what I hope in Scranton is really putting our money where our mouth is,” Cognetti said. “We can talk all we want about diversity and celebrating our diversity and people of color, we can do that or actually do something.”
NAACP Wilkes-Barre branch President Ron Felton
Congressman Matt Cartwright
“We’ve come a long way. We’ve got a long way to go,” Cartwright said. “It’s only fitting that we continue this work, this inclusion.”
Scranton School District Teacher, Robert McCleod
“I am one-half of the black faculty in the (Scranton) school district,” McCleod told the crowd. “Half. You’re looking at half.”
Vocalist Georgia Miller
sang moving renditions of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” and “Amazing Grace.”
Let’s check out the Exhibit
The exhibit at the Artists for Art (AFA) Gallery, 514 Lackawanna Ave., featured artifacts and works by local artists highlighting the black community’s historic contributions to life in Scranton and Northeast Pennsylvania.