Bexley program honors city’s African-American leaders
BEXLEY, Ohio (WCMH) — The city of Bexley is honoring its community members this Black History Month with an initiative designed to celebrate African Americans who have made a significant difference in the community.
There are 22 banners along Main Street, each showing the face and name of someone who has contributed or is contributing to Bexley. It’s a way to teach both the community and people visiting the city.
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“We had a committee from Capital, Bexley Minority Parent Alliance and a few other people just kind of sit down, like, who’s been important, who’s been critical in the African American community,” Bexley Minority Parent Alliance Board (BMPA) member Bryan Drewry said.
Drewry’s son came home one day talking about what he learned in a Hidden History of African Americans class. This helped inspire the idea for the inaugural Black History Month banner program.
Jonathan Baker is one of the people featured on a banner.
“I thought, there’s so many times that I was looking at other people for Black History Month and to see myself as part of this other group of people who are doing great things in the community, I felt honored,” Baker, the Bexley Minority Parent Alliance founder and a Bexley Board of Education member said.
“I think it obviously adds a lot of visual interest to Main Street,” Bexley Mayor Ben Kessler said. “Really, I think, opens people’s eyes to Bexley today and Bexley of the past and kind of points towards our future, too.”
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The community has been having conversations around acceptance for a while. Last February, a teacher resigned after a racist image was sent around during morning announcements.
“One thing we saw was more education opportunities and more ways for a policy to reflect an anti-racist community, an anti-racist school district and city overall,” Baker said.
Since then, the BMPA says people have come together to talk about how to make Bexley a better city. They also created One Bexley.
“One of the things they want to do is really, you know, dig deep in, you know, why are these things happening on a periodic basis, right? And how can we more, you know, get to know our neighbors,” Drewry said.
“What’s been so powerful about One Bexley is it’s a partnership. It’s the city of Bexley, it’s our library, it’s our school district all coming together and saying, ‘We have got to be proactive leaders in making sure our community is welcoming to everybody, everyone who comes through it, everyone who lives in it, everyone who works in it,’” Kessler said.
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The banners are about honoring those pictured and about continuing conversations.
“I think the progress is not dramatic, but it’s little steps. And I think those little steps create positive influence,” Drewry said.
The bios for each of the people featured on the banners can be found online.
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