ABCL

This challenge seeks 15 Donors of $500 or more in honor of the Turner Family of Grafton, Vermont and their Lexington, Massachusetts Descendants. A Turner descendant has lived in Lexington since the turn of the 20^th century.  Read more about the Turner family here, Daisy Turner’s Kin: An African American Family Saga.

Thanks to our Turner 15 Challenge Donors and to all of our donors to date we have surpassed our fundraising goal of $25,000. See below the Turner 15 Challenge Donors list as of December 12, 2020.

Donate with a direct payment via PayPal or credit card https://www.abclex.org/donate-to-the-black-history-project-of-lexington/

Because of you we have exceeded our fundraising goal of $25,000!  Writing on behalf of the Black History Project of Lexington fundraising team, we are grateful for your generous and heartfelt support. 

• ABCL’s Black History Portrait Banners
  • The portrait banners are scheduled to be displayed in Lexington Center from Thursday, January 14, 2021 through Monday, March 1, 2021, and then displayed annually.
  • The portrait banner biographies are scheduled to be available at www.abclex.org by January 14, 2021.
• The Oral and Visual History Project of Lexingtonians of African Descent
  • The Period of Emphasis for February 2021 is 1960 to Present.
  • To schedule a donation contact us at admin@ablex.org.
• ABCL’s Lexington Black Heritage Trail
  • According to scholars, cousins Eli and Silas Burdoo and Prince Estabrook fought on April 19, 1775.  We will honor these Black Lexingtonians with our first set of historical markers.
  • Additional monuments and markers commemorating the lives and histories of Black people in Lexington from the 18^th century to the present will be installed.

This challenge seeks 15 Donors of $500 or more in honor of the Turner Family of Grafton, Vermont and their Lexington, Massachusetts Descendants. A Turner descendant has lived in Lexington since the turn of the 20^th century.  Read more about the Turner family here, Daisy Turner’s Kin: An African American Family Saga.

Thanks to our Turner 15 Challenge Donors and to all of our donors to date we are close to reaching our fundraising goal of $25,000. See below the Turner 15 Challenge Donors list as of November 16, 2020.

Donate with a direct payment via PayPal or credit card https://www.abclex.org/donate-to-the-black-history-project-of-lexington/

Greetings friends and neighbors,

Black Lexington residents fought on the Lexington Green and have continued to contribute to the rich history of Lexington and the Commonwealth.  To increase the knowledge and recognition of the history of Black people, the Association of Black Citizens of Lexington (ABCL) invites you to donate to the Black History Project of Lexington.

Your donation will support the Oral and Visual History Project of Lexingtonians of African Descent, ABCL’s Black History Portrait Banners, and ABCL’s Lexington Black Heritage Trail.  One of our 24 portrait banner honorees is Isaac Barbadoes.  Mr. Barbadoes was born in 1755. His parents Quawk Abel and Kate Barbadoes raised him, his sister Mercy, and his brother Abel in Lexington. Isaac Barbadoes died in 1777 while serving in the Revolutionary War as a soldier in the 15th Massachusetts Regiment.

Any contribution will help ABCL reach its goal of $25,000.

Black History Project of Lexington

The ABCL Police Reform Task Force recently sent the following letter to the Lexington Select Board. Please click to download the full text.

Here are your options for filing a concern or complaint about the Lexington Police Department or one of its employees.

Lexington Police website
Follow the police complaint procedures that are on the department’s website, https://www.lexingtonma.gov/police .

By Mail:
Attention Chief Mark Corr
Lexington Police Department
1575 Massachusetts Avenue
Lexington, MA 02420

In person:
Same Address
Request to speak with the Commanding Officer on-duty.

E-mail:
Policeinfo@lexingtonma.gov reviewed by Captain M. McLean
mcorr@lexingtonma.gov Chief Mark Corr
mmclean@lexingtonma.gov Captain of Operations, Captain M. McLean
jbarry@lexingtonma.gov Detective Commander; Designated Civil Rights Investigator, Lieutenant James Barry

By Phone:
781-862-1212 ext 205 Commanding Officer on-duty
781-863-9205 bypass the phone tree; Commanding Officer on-duty
781-862-1212 ext 300 Chief’s Office
781-863-9300 bypass the phone tree; Chief’s Office

Social Media
The Lexington Police Department has a Facebook page which is managed by our Community Resource Detective Aiden Evelyn. We are currently reviewing a better process by which to receive complaints by a social media platform.

In addition, you may consider filing a complaint or concern with the following:

Lexington Human Rights Committee

Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination

Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office
Directory of contacts at the Attorney General’s Office
How to file a civil rights complaint

Helpful resources on racial/social justice are available on the Town of Lexington website.

At the Lexington Historical Society Archives and Research Center
1332 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington, MA 02420

The Black History Project of Lexington

Everyone has a story. Will you share yours with us?

Lexington Historical Society and the Association of Black Citizens of Lexington (ABCL) are teaming up to document the history of the black experience in town. Collecting oral histories, photographs, documents, and artifacts will help historians build a clear and complete picture of Lexington’s multiracial history.

On February 8th, at our inaugural event, we will be collecting stories and scanning photographs at the new Archives and Research Center at Munroe Tavern.

If you or someone you know is interested in contributing to this project, please register on eventbrite to let us know that you are coming.

Cary Memorial Library
1874 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington, MA 02420

ABCL CELEBRATES ITS 3rd ANNUAL MLK DAY AT CARY LIBRARY WITH A DISCUSSION ON DR. KING AND EDUCATION

Join the Association of Black Citizens of Lexington (ABCL) in commemorating the life and works of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Saturday, January 18, 2020 from 10 am to 12 noon at the Large Meeting Room in Cary Memorial Library, 1874 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington, MA. We will open the event with Lift Every Voice and Sing performed by soloist Dr. Juliette Browne. This will be followed by a discussion on Dr. King’s essay, “The Purpose of Education” written when he was a student at Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA.

Please register on eventbrite

Cary Memorial Library
1874 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington, MA 02420

Large Meeting Room

Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn me ‘Round.

With original historical narratives, a dozen civil rights songs and over 200 historical images, this performance offers the story of the Civil Rights Movement for African Americans from 1955 to 1967, highlighting activists such as Rosa Parks, Fannie Lou Hamer and Ella Baker.

Charlie King and Candace Cassin recreate these dramatic events using first person historical narrative with over a dozen songs and more than 200 images from the Civil Rights Struggle. There is an emphasis on individual acts of courage and inspired action.

Charlie King is a musical storyteller, movement historian and political satirist. He is the 2018 recipient of the annual Phil Ochs Award, in recognition of his music and activism for social and political justice in the spirit of Phil Ochs. Candace Cassin is a social service provider, spiritual director and teacher of Buddhist practice.

This program is brought to the Cary Library in partnership with Association of Black Citizens of Lexington.

For more information visit: https://www.libraryinsight.com/eventdetails.asp?jx=gxp&lmx=%CFcc%24%AB%A4s&v=3