NIKAVIKA SISTERHOOD HONORS THE BLACK WOMEN LEAD PROJECT
LED BY GREATER GROVE HALL MAIN STREETS

Throughout Women's History Month, 2024, NikaVika featured the inspiring Black Women Lead initiative launched by our Boston neighbors: Greater Grove Hall Main Streets (GGHMS). 

A snapshot of the project is provided below (excerpts from GGHMS's website).  Within this section, you will also find profiles of the 212 black women who were honored, along with our free sisterhood storytelling activities. 

For 2025, we will be exploring these women further and hope to meet many of them and feature them in our new magazine.  

October, 25, 2023-- The Black Women Lead project honors 212 of Boston’s most admired, beloved, and successful Black Women leaders" whose images are featured on banners stretching for two miles along Blue Hill Avenue, making this exhibit the largest public art project in the city. 

These women shaped Boston through their work in arts and culture, legislation, health, education, community building and raising future generations of leaders, further improving the quality of life for everyone in the city. 

Each banner features a commissioned portrait for each woman, her name and credentials. Accompanying historical information, compiled from research by Boston Public Library and Northeastern University, is being collected for a Wikipedia page for each honoree.

“We live in a city where history has shined brightly on the contributions made by those of Irish and Italian heritage, not to mention the ‘Boston Brahmins.’ But the spotlight has missed the collective and cumulative impact of generations of Black women,” said Ed Gaskin, executive director of Greater Grove Hall Main Streets. “When the spotlight has been on these leaders, it hasn’t always been the best light possible, and we hope to change that narrative. The Black Women Lead project aims to fill our knowledge gap by recognizing Black women leaders who made their marks on Boston from the 1700s through the present day.” 

The nomination process was extensive and resulted in 600 nominations. The selection criteria for the inaugural slate of Black women leaders was quite extensive — over a page long. Students from the Mother Caroline Academy were among the selection committee. The process led to a list of leaders that includes women who made history by being the first to do something, and those who had something named after them from scholarships to streets to  buildings. Others were leaders having received Grammys, Emmys and Hall of Fame nominations. Leadership was defined broadly to include extraordinary role models — like a woman who had 50 foster children, or a woman who worked as a foster grandmother for 25 years and retired at age 95 — as well as others who have made unique contributions to the community.

Banners for each of the 212 Black women leaders included designs from local artist Kamali Thornell and Baltimore-based Brianna Young. Each portrait is signed by the artist as an original piece of art, similar to prints. 

“I see this exhibit as being reminiscent of ‘The Gates’ in Central Park, created by Christo and Jeanne-Claude. As an artist, this is my Christo,” said Gaskin. “It provides placemaking for Grove Hall, promotes Black art, honors Black women and seniors, and inspires us all. It is in memory of my grandmother Maxine Moss and great aunt Anna Moss who graduated from college during the time of the depression — Black women leaders in their day.” 

The project hopes to repeat this process annually, adding new voices and new stories to the still unfolding story that is Boston.

NikaVika invites your school, company, family and friends to participate in our free sisterhood storytelling activities and events designed to engage, enlighten and empower through the lived experiences of 200+ inspiring, black women leaders with Boston-area roots or connections.