CCHS students speak at Black Heritage Trail marker unveiling

The Town of Concord announced that members of Concord-Carlisle High School's Black Student Union joined town officials and community members Thursday, Oct. 22, to unveil the town's new Black Heritage Trail markers.

BSU President Mark Johnson, senior Kyle Amouzgar and junior Laila Smith spoke at the ceremony about what the history represented in the markers means to them. The trail's 10 markers tell the stories of Black individuals and families who helped shape Concord, including the house where Harriet Tubman stayed during her 1859 visit, Frederick Douglass' 1841 speech in town, and how Shadrach Minkins found refuge in Concord while escaping to freedom in Canada. The markers also explore Black families' lives in Walden Woods and other neighborhoods, touching on education, property ownership and the pursuit of equal rights.

Johnson, who has attended school in Concord through the METCO program since middle school, said, "I may not live here, but this is my school, my community, and my town, too." He added, "Black history is Concord history. It's in the streets we walk, the buildings we pass, and the ground we stand on."

Amouzgar said the markers "give us a fuller, truer story to carry forward," while Andrew K. Nyamekye, the district's Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, said the markers help students "understand who helped shape this town and their own place in its story."

Attendees included METCO Director Malinthi Fernando, Superintendent Dr. Laurie Hunter, and School Committee members Tracey Marano and Michael Williams, who served on the Black Heritage Trail Advisory Team. Superintendent Hunter said she was "proud of them for speaking and grateful to the classmates who came to support them."

The Town of Concord Black Heritage Trail Advisory Team led the unveiling, with support from the Select Board, the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission and the Concord Historical Commission. A related Black Heritage Trail walking tour, about two miles long and lasting 90 minutes to two hours, is also available, highlighting figures including Cesar Robbins, Brister Freeman and Ellen Garrison. More information is available on the Black Heritage Trail webpage on the Town of Concord's website.

Source: Town of Concord announcement, October 29, 2026.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the original announcement.