This Black History Month, the Banner is teaming up with Write Boston’s Teens-In-Print Program, highlighting young voices of color. Each week, we will feature the work of three new students, who will deliver their perspectives on Black History and what it means to them.

The overlooked history of Black Bostonians

When I scroll my For You page on TikTok, oftentimes I’m greeted with a TikTok about Boston, and it always shows the same areas and topics that have been heavily discussed before. Whether introducing new, expensive dining options in Back Bay or shedding light on tourist spots in and around Boston. It’s been a common theme for proclaimed “Bostonian” TikTokers, to portray a crafted image of the city. This image is widely accepted by anyone outside of Boston and adopted as an accurate portrayal. Beacon Hill is a neighborhood in Boston known to be on the tourist bucket list. However, the same neighborhood praised for its intricate architecture and importance to the historical map of Boston has a crucial piece of its history hidden: it was once a Black neighborhood.

During the early 1600s, English colonists began their settlement in Boston and in 1635 a beacon mounted on a hill was used to warn settlers in the countryside of danger. This beacon was soon regarded as Beacon Hill and Thomas Hancock, the uncle of John Hancock, established the first home in the area. During the Revolutionary War, British troops overtook Beacon Hill, prompting the evacuation of British troops from the neighborhood and a postwar revamping of Beacon Hill. Boston architect Charles Bulfinch took part in the reconstruction of the neighborhood transforming Beacon Hill into a place where Boston’s richest and most powerful residents resided. This part of Beacon Hill was regarded as the southern slope and overshadows the historical backgrounds of the western and northern slopes of the neighborhood.

While the southern slope is renowned for its prominent wealth and power, the western and northern slopes were homes to working-class families, notably African Americans. Hidden in this side of Beacon Hill was a strong and tight-knit community of middle-class and African American Bostonians who exemplified progressive changes that helped set precedents in the city and the country. It’s in these areas that one of the first integrated schools in the United States could be found. Also, prominent abolitionists and activists lived there, such as Maria W. Stewart, Lewis and Harriet Hayden and Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin. Also located in Beacon Hill is the African Meeting House, built in 1806, which is the oldest surviving Black church in the U.S. The African Meeting House served as a meeting space for the Black community in Boston and played an important role in the Underground Railroad and abolitionist movement. The building was used to house enslaved people who escaped through the Underground Railroad. Notable activists including Frederick Douglass congregated there to hold meetings and space for discussion and advocacy. In addition to being an important building for political and social progression, it also was a valuable resource in education for both young and adult African Americans in the early 1800s.

Historical awareness is important and today, the stories of the Black community in Beacon Hill are often swept under the rug on social media. On TikTok, many creators focus on the southern slope of Beacon Hill and often forget the significance that the northern and western slopes have on Boston’s history. Beacon Hill has been reduced to a tourist attraction for its colonial architecture and overpriced food spots, rather than a place for the celebration of Black American determination throughout the 1800s. This lack of coverage of an important part of Boston history on social media is frustrating to me as a black Bostonian as it feels as though Black American history is, in a sense, being gentrified by new-wave influencers. While not talked about much, concealed in that area is the Museum of African American History located on Joy Street. The MAAH offers locals and tourists an interactive telling of Black American history in the city and sheds light on the stories of the people who lived on the northern and western slopes of the neighborhood. The museum acts as a way to preserve the history of the Black Bostonians who lived there, leading to more people being exposed to underrepresented parts of Beacon Hill’s history.

Beacon Hill serves as an unintentional commentary on how much of the historical importance of Black Bostonians is treated. While there are many beautiful landmarks and places that tourists crowd around to marvel at, many seem unwilling to peer into the stories of those not highlighted by the city’s brochures. This unwillingness continues to shed light on the city’s history equally, allowing for the abandonment of groups intertwined in the city’s foundation.

The erasure of the historical significance that Black Bostonians, especially on social media, is the result of historical neglect. Although African American activism and progress have roots in Beacon Hill, yet this is rarely talked about. Rather, it’s portrayed as a historically white, affluent neighborhood. Shining light on the importance of African American history in the city isn’t just about adding context, it’s also about ensuring that the stories of those who have been forgotten are heard. Beacon Hill represents the cultural diversity seen in many parts of the city, and promoting Boston’s cultural diversity to the mainstream is presenting a more accurate tapestry of the city. One that isn’t portrayed on social media.

Gloria Ekechukwu is a teen writer based in Boston who enjoys writing about all things entertainment and niche. She spends her free time watching movies/shows, playing video games, and reading books she’ll never finish.