A Local Look At Black History - Editorial
To celebrate the start of Black History Month, last week’s episode of “The Upper Cape Catch” podcast put a spotlight on some of the Black history that was made right here on the Upper Cape.
The episode, which can be found on our website and anywhere you listen to podcasts, recounts the story of Emma Barrow, the first Black teacher—and later, principal—on Cape Cod. Podcast host Gilda Geist originally reported Ms. Barrow’s story last February following an interview with her daughter, then-Falmouth resident Willinda M. Powell-Gray, who now lives in Bourne.
When we posted this podcast episode to Facebook, a comment came in that—in not so many words—questioned why Black History Month is celebrated. While we do not have carte blanche on the topic, we would like to try to answer that question through the lens of our latest episode on Emma Barrow.
According to the Enterprise’s own reporting from August 1959, Ms. Barrow’s hiring at the Woods Hole School made her the first Black teacher on all of Cape Cod. Her career was a successful one and secured Ms. Barrow’s legacy as a fixture of both the community and the local education system, but it was not without its tribulations and struggles.
After being denied twice for a principal position she was most certainly qualified for, Ms. Barrow sued the Falmouth School Committee. The lawsuit ultimately did not go in her favor but in the end, Ms. Barrow was, in fact, named principal of the school that had twice denied her application.
Like so many people of color in America, Ms. Barrow’s story is one of strength, perseverance and determination—all of which are needed to survive and thrive as a person of color in a place as racially homogenous (read: white) as Cape Cod.
The most-recent census reveals an unsurprising statistic: Cape Cod’s demographic makeup is roughly 90 percent white. The white population was a smidge higher in 2010 at 93 percent, but dipped in 2020 to 86 percent. Knowing this, we can imagine (but will likely never fully understand) how much more difficult things may have been here during the various civil rights movements of the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s, when Ms. Barrow taught here.
As the local newspaper, we believe that part of our mission is to tell the stories of the communities we represent, and to amplify the voices that may otherwise be drowned out in the echo chamber of communitywide dialogue.
On its surface, the story of Emma Barrow may seem like the story of just one person, but it is truly so much more than that. It is the story of a woman, a Black woman, who worked against the odds her entire life—odds that were stacked against her simply because of the color of her skin. She may have been the first to do this on the Cape, but she was certainly not the last. The unfortunate truth is this: that same battle Ms. Barrow fought so diligently is still being fought today, all these decades later in 2024.
To some, it may seem like the story of just one person. But to so many more, the story of Emma Barrow is the story of Black resistance, existence and persistence. It deserves to be told, it deserves to be heard and Cape Cod’s history would be incomplete without it.
We hope you will take some time to read or listen to Ms. Barrow’s story. In addition to recounting the history of the Cape’s first Black teacher, the February 2 episode of “The Upper Cape Catch” features an inside look at the Woods Hole Diversity Initiative’s Black History Month events. This year’s theme is “African Americans and the Arts,” which is meant to highlight the Cape’s rich arts and culture scene. Events are happening all month long, so be sure to check out the itinerary at www.woodsholediversity.org/bhm2024.