NORTHAMPTON — The city of Northampton will celebrate Black History Month this weekend at College Church on Pomeroy Terrace, featuring live music, discussions of the city’s history in the abolitionist movement and how it can do better to support communities of color today.

Sunday’s event will feature a keynote address by state Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa, D-Northampton, and music from performers such as Evelyn Harris, a local gospel singer. Another speaker will be Elise Bernier-Feeley, a librarian with Forbes Library who will discuss the abolitionist movement in Northampton, whose members included the likes of Sojourner Truth, and how it came to influence the nationwide antislavery movement.

Anthony Arena-DeRosa, an activist and volunteer with College Church who helped put the event together, said that the event would also explore the concept of “white fragility.”

“The white fragility piece is really looking at the ways people struggle to witness just how violent and awful some of the history of slavery is, and how that history is absolutely still in play today,” he said. “This isn’t meant to be discouraging or pessimistic, but it’s not meant to whitewash that either.”

Arena-DeRosa also said that the event would feature an update by the Commission to Study Racialized Harms, formed last year by the city to study the ways the city can redress past injustices against the city’s Black residents.

“There’s this kind of polarity between what’s overtly a very inclusive and progressive message of Northampton, but where it really hasn’t been, in terms of raw numbers and statistics, a very inclusive place,” Arena-DeRosa said.

Currently, only 2% of Northampton residents are Black, according to the most recent census figures.

The event will take place at 1 p.m., with refreshments and reception held at the church’s Glass House building.

Alexander MacDougall can be reached at amacdougall@gazettenet.com.