Today I attended a very special dedication ceremony wherein the “Hidden Brookline Committee” unveiled an engraving to honor and remember previously unrecognized African-American slaves buried in the Old Burying Ground, a historic section of Brookline’s Walnut Hill Cemetery. With about 200 other locals and guests, I found myself filled with humility, facing up to the horrors that took place within our town and country, and proud to be living in a community that would pull back the comfortable veil of ignorance and embrace the difficult lessons of our history.

The mission of the Hidden Brookline Committee (a committee of the town’s Human Relations Commission) is “to bring to light the history of enslaved people of African descent who lived and worked in Brookline”. These dedicated neighbors have researched the history of slaves in Brookline, the work of the underground railroad in town, and, for the past two years, been working to recognize ten slaves in danger of being forgotten, all of whom were the property of Brookline families with familiar names such as Boylston and Sewall.

The story of how this ceremony came to pass is telling. Stephen Bressler (Director of Brookline’s Human Relations Commission) told local African scholar Dr. Barbara Brown to “check out the plaque honoring those who fought in the Battle of Lexington” on Town Hall. Surely he knew that in reading of Brookline slaves who fought, she would need to dig further, to learn more. Before long, they had formed the Hidden Brookline Committee, adding BHS’ Malcom Cawthorne (who ably led today’s ceremony), Rev. George Chapman, Karen Fischer, Dr. Lloyd Gellineau, Mark Gray, Marilyn Hershfield, Rita McNally and Dr. Emilie D. Steele to their cause. Not only did these neighbors of ours conduct research, but they began reaching out into the community to raise awareness. Their efforts included walking tours for local 4th graders studying Colonialism, focusing on the history of slavery and the underground railroad in town. These tours began at that same Town Hall plaque and ended with a visit to the Walnut Street Cemtery and an activity that laid bare the fact that, while many of those who fought in the Battle of Lexington were buried here with their names writ large, the names of their slaves buried here (including at least one who fought in that same battle) were nowhere to be found.

One of those classes, from the Runkle school, and its teacher Jay Sugarman, then took up the mantle and wrote a touching commentary for the Brookline Tab. They wrote, more than two years ago: “We think it’s time for Adam, Jack, Jackie and other slaves to be given their proper acknowledgement. If any of you reading this thinks so, too, we’d like to hear from you so we can continue this conversation to think about how we should honor these enslaved men and heroes of Brookline, either in town or at the cemetery.” And the rest is, now unhidden, history.

Today we learned from the Hidden Brookline Committee about history in our own neighborhood. Keynote speaker State Representative Byron Rushing, kept us riveted as he invited us to learn from this history, and put it in its broader U.S. and colonial context. He challenged us to forge new memories, to heal a legacy of amnesia by building a new anamnesis by which our community will never again forget.

Our rare opportunity for collective unforgetting is telling. It tells of the power of community, of how many came together, supported and inspired one another, and took a small step to right a large wrong.

Let me write more personally. Thanks to a network of dozens of committed and hard-working individuals in this great community, I was able to feel deeply sacred 250-plus-year-old horrors. I was able to feel great humility in the presence of those who were buried here. And I was able to again feel pride to live in a community with so many who, together, were intent on telling the difficult stories and uncovering the truth, the only thing that can ultimately set us a society free. And I was able to be part of a community, a very special community.

I became the Chairman of the Brookline Community Foundation because I realized that there was nothing more important to me than my children, and there was nowhere I would rather have raised my children than this unique Town of Brookline, MA. I am grateful for this great community, not only for the sake of my children, but for myself. Thank you to all who had a part in today's ceremony, and to unhiding the hidden.