This Black Lives Matter chapter wants to recognize people benefiting the Seacoast. Here’s why.
When the leaders of the Black Lives Matter Seacoast chapter saw Seacoastonline’s 10 to Watch 2020 list, they quickly noticed that the 10 winners all had something in common: They all apparently were white.New Hampshire’s coastal region and the bordering areas of Massachusetts and Maine are predominantly white, but the leaders of the chapter knew that people of all backgrounds in the Seacoast community also deserved to be recognized for what they do.So, they decided to hold their own event.Called BIPOC Seacoast Leaders Celebration, the event will recognize 10 Seacoast residents who identify as Black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) and who are contributing positively to the community.“We recognize that there are so many people of color in the Seacoast area who are making history today, and they’re doing it without being recognized or seen,” said Julian Maduro, a University of New Hampshire student who has been organizing the event in her role as BLM Seacoast’s event manager.The event will be held virtually at the end of February to coincide with Black History Month.Nominations can be submitted through a form on the chapter’s website until Sunday, Feb. 7.The criteria to nominate someone are purposely broad, Maduro explained. The form simply asks how the person has benefited the Seacoast community. Nominees can also be of all ages, from 14 years old to senior citizens, unlike other awards that are limited to just young professionals.“There’s nothing that could prohibit someone from nominating someone,” Maduro said. “We want artists, musicians, entrepreneurs, business owners, inventors, athletes — anybody who is benefiting the Seacoast in some way.”While the event will only feature 10 nominees chosen by BLM Seacoast, the organization hopes to recognize other candidates as well, according to the website.BLM Seacoast has been organizing events in the community since it was founded last summer — in the weeks following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis — by Clifton West Jr. and Tanisha Johnson, two Seacoast residents who met online while looking to start a BLM chapter on the Seacoast.There were established chapters nearby in Manchester and Nashua, but West and Johnson saw the need for a chapter in their own community. The fact that the Black community on the Seacoast is small was part of their motivation. “Here, people feel so alone. It really drives me to keep going,” West, now BLM Seacoast’s executive director, told Foster’s Daily Democrat last year.Since last summer, BLM Seacoast has been holding meetings, events, and fundraisers — mostly virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic.It’s been a mostly positive experience so far, though not without some challenges from some members of the community.“Obviously, with any BLM organization, you’re going to be met with a bit of backlash, which is honestly understandable,” Maduro said. “It’s new for people and it’s new for the community, and people aren’t necessarily sure what we represent.” The chapter hopes events like the BIPOC Seacoast Leaders Celebration will continue to further its goals of supporting the Black community, promoting Black-owned businesses, nurturing Black youth leadership, and demanding social justice, while continuing to build its presence in the community.“This is an event that is being done with a lot of love,” Maduro said. “It’s love for the community and love for the people that are working hard to make it great.”
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