Lawmakers celebrate Black History Month at State House

February is Black History Month and lawmakers kicked off celebrations with a ceremony at the State House 22 News State House reporter Olivia Ray attended the festivities and explains what lawmakers are doing to honor the contributions of black residents of the Commonwealth the governor's black empowerment advisory Council celebrated Black History Month at the State House on Wednesday lawmakers and onlookers gathered in the standing room only Great Hall to hear from speakers ranging from black leaders to a youth choir to the governor each speaker emphasized resilience and togetherness in a time of political turmoil in the country they also spoke to Black History within State House walls and the impact of leadership uplifting people of color across the Commonwealth the history of black people in this state house is not one of absence it's one of persistence resilience and Dee rooted struggle for justice the first black member of the state legislature was elected 150 years ago and now the state has a 24 member Black and Latino caucus in order for the state's population to be accurately represented however several dozen more people of color would need to be elected the governor says the current state legislature has the responsibility to learn from black leaders who came before them informed and formed by resilience through trial and tribulation over centuries we need you and we must listen to our seniors and our elders 2 News will be celebrating black history all month long on air and online at wwlp.com working for you from the state house in Boston I'm Olivia Ray 22 News