BELCHERTOWN — For 15 minutes Wednesday morning, Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler turned the Belchertown High School Auditorium into his history classroom, teaching the Belchertown student body about a series of individuals who shattered the glass ceilings for Black people in their respective industries.

Projected across a the screen were large images of Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler, the first Black women to earn a medical degree; Benjamin Davis Sr., the son of slaves who became the first Black general in the U.S. Army; and Bessie Coleman, the first Black pilot to earn an international license and fly around the world. Then, Tutwiler’s photo appeared.

“I not only was the first Black secretary of education, I was also the first Black superintendent in the city of Lynn. I was the first Black principal at Wayland High School when I was principal there,” he said. “All of you have the potential, the wherewithal, the skills to be whatever it is you want to be, and indeed, potentially, a first.”

For Belchertown’s 2025 Black History Month event, Tutwiler asked the audience of students why Black History Month is significant, and they answered with a celebration of history, particularly the past contributions of Black individuals across the world. Students from Swift River Elementary School, Chestnut Hill Community School, Jabish Brook Middle School and Belchertown High School exhibited music, poetry and community work that embraces the previous contributions of Black people across the world.

But to Tutwiler and other Belchertown school staff, Black History Month represents the power of every individual, regardless of identity, to create a more equitable and inclusive future for all races, ethnicities and genders.

“What does that actually mean to commit to understanding the lives, the journey of other people who might not look like you. That is one of the supreme skill sets, a supreme piece of collaboration,” Tutwiler said. “My ask of all of you, beyond the ask of maximizing your potential, is also take the time to understand difference, take the time to understand others. It’ll make you a better person. It’ll make our society a better place.”

Throughout the event, speakers mentioned Black activists, innovators and leaders who inspired them to achieve their dreams and seek new points of view. Music teacher Geoff Gould mentioned his own coming-of-age experience seeing Maya Angelou speak to his Belchertown High School class. Antoine Harrison, secretariat chief information officer for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Education, mentioned his personal interaction with Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson, who shocked the entire room at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with her contributions to the cellphone and fiber optic cable.

“Every person here has the potential to be an innovator,” Harrison said. “When I started to read these books about Black inventors, I started seeing the amazing things and the possibilities that we can do. I never knew that we had the ability to create things from our own bedrooms or from our own houses.”

Instead of recalling the empowering feats of others, Swift River Principal Magda Harrision chose tell her own story. Born in Ghana, Harrison moved to New York at a young age. Her upbringing in the city brimming with different cultures melded with her West African roots, shaping her appreciation for world cultures at a young age.

“I encourage each and every one of you to reflect on your own story, your own heritage and your own identity,” she said. “Be proud of your work, embrace your individuality and understand that it’s your unique experiences that can change the world.”

Swift River’s first grade class paid tribute to their principal’s West African heritage with a performance of “Sunsa Kroma,” a Ghanaian song about an orphan hawk. The Belchertown High School Big Band highlighted the sounds of the New Orleans jazz pioneered by Black Americans with their rendition of “Sissy’s Strut.”

Besides musical acts, Chestnut Hill student read from “The Undefeated” by Kwame Alexander and Kadir Nelson, highlighting the triumph over oppression of Black individuals worldwide. A team of eighth graders from Jabish Brook Middle School represented their work crafting advisory lesson plans as part of the Anti-Defamation League “No Place For Hate” by reading out the pledge each student takes.

“Every student in this room started their journey with Belchertown Public Schools as peace builders,” Gould said. “You remember the pledge. You remember saying it. You’ve grown up, you’ve stretched out, you’ve gotten taller, but you’re still peace builders.”

Emilee Klein can be reached at eklein@gazettenet.com.