On this week’s episode of the One O‘ahu Podcast, Alphonso Braggs, Assistant Secretary of the National Board of Directors for the NAACP, and Rev. Dr. Gregory C. Carrow-Boyd, Director of Worship and Religious Education at the First Unitarian Church of Honolulu, join host Brandi Higa to reflect on Mayor Blangiardi’s Black History Month Proclamation Ceremony, what makes Hawai‘i’s Black History so unique, and their call to action to celebrate the accomplishments of Black Americans beyond the month of February.
Black History Month Ceremony
On Feb. 12, 2025, at the historic Mission Memorial Auditorium, Mayor Rick Blangiardi hosted a powerful and inspirational ceremony to proclaim February as Black History Month in the City and County of Honolulu. Rev. Dr. Gregory C. Carrow-Boyd and Alphonso Braggs delivered resounding speeches discussing the Black experience of living in Hawaiʻi
“While this nation is in the midst of some unprecedented times, and although a lot of people are feeling as though it’s just not worth the fight, I would take us back to something that, Senator Hirono reminds us of, which is that, in this war, we may win a lot of battles,” explained Alphonso Braggs. “The battles that we’ve won, we got to keep won. We’ve got to make sure that we stay in the win column.”
In addition, Honolulu Hale was illuminated in navy blue and yellow – the colors of the NAACP – from sunset on February 11, 2025 to sunrise of February 12, 2025.
Hawai‘i’s Unique Black History
Rev. Dr. Gregory C. Carrow-Boyd and Alphonso Braggs also talked about the ongoing impact of Black Americans throughout Hawaiʻi’s history and into the present.
“One of the things that I mentioned rather obliquely in my message is: it is true depending on whose measurements you look at or which data you refer to, about anywhere between 3 and 10% of all Native Hawaiians are actually of African descent,” said Dr. Carrow-Boyd. “And that has to do with immigration patters, primarily, that people who were brought from Cape Verde, which was an island nation, continues to be an island nation that was formerly controlled by Portugal.”
Dr. Carrow-Boyd referred to the ʻŌlelo Noʻeau (Hawaiian proverb) of “Nana I Ke Kumu” (Look to the Source) when explaining his point that black people are here and that black people will be here.
Celebrating Black History during February and beyond
Black history lessons shouldn’t stop once February ends. On this week’s episode of the One O‘ahu Podcast, Rev. Dr. Gregory C. Carrow-Boyd and Alphonso Braggs provide some ways folks can continue to honor the accomplishments of Black Americans beyond the month of February.
“I would say, remember, black people have birthdays, right?” responded Dr. Carrow-Boyd. “Black History Month is also about making a place for successful black futures. And the way we have more black futures is by making sure that the black people who live right now can thrive.”
The keynote speaker of the event on Feb. 12 was Camille A. Nelson, Dean of the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. For her full keynote speech, please see the YouTube video below.
