Press Release  Suffolk Juvenile Probation hosts Black History Celebration featuring Obama exhibit

Boston — The official portraits of former president Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama were unveiled recently. On Friday, February 23, there was another unveiling of sorts in Boston where Suffolk Juvenile Probation Officer II Ronald Whitehead featured the Obamas in an exhibit in honor of Black History Month. This celebration included musical selections by the Gospel Ensemble and a luncheon in the rotunda at the Edward Brooke Courthouse.

This year marks the 15th year that Whitehead has organized the Black History Month celebration where he shares part of his expansive collection of African-American memorabilia that spans generations and serves as a lens on history. Last year’s exhibit spotlighted visual art, literature, music, inventions, and overall contributions to society made by Black people. This year’s Obama exhibit was an amazing visual feast of artwork, photos, magazines, original inauguration programs, campaign buttons, clothing, hats, clocks, and even talking bobble heads—one featuring an Obama speech.

The 44th president’s “Yes we can,” speech played in the background and there was a DVD on loop of Obama’s trip to Africa. This “all-things Obama” exhibit transformed a magistrate’s room into a Pop-Up museum of African American Memorabilia. This exhibit is a reflection of history, according to Whitehead.

“Black History is American History. It is the history of you, me and everyone that exists in this country. Black History Month is not only 29 days, it is 365 days a year,” he said.

Whitehead has been collecting memorabilia since he was a six-year-old living in segregated Hawkinsville, Georgia. The first item that attracted his attention and launched his life-long passion for collecting memorabilia was a Coca Cola bottle cap with the name of his favorite team, the Atlanta Braves. He moved with his family to Boston at age 12 in 1968 and he continued to collect memorabilia. As a college student, he collected old books on African-American culture, history, and art from the library when the librarian discarded old books and out of date collections.

In his office at the Brooke, where he meets with the juveniles he supervises and their parents, you will find the walls adorned with magazine covers that depict the African-American experience. The images, which Whitehead refers to as the “Wall of Fame,” immediately captures the attention of those who enter his office and often serve as an icebreaker, according to Whitehead.

For many who enter his office, the collection of photos are a comforting, inspirational, and uplifting experience.

“They are in awe when they see the ‘Wall of Fame.’ When they walk in, I let them take a moment to observe it. What they see is positivity and boom, it blows their minds,” Whitehead said. “Many of the young men I supervise see something that they identify with. Those who go through the system don’t always see themselves reflected in this way.”

He organized the first Black History Month exhibit while a Probation Officer at the Dorchester Court. Whitehead recalled that during the first year, Judge Sydney Hanlon contributed a swath of Kente cloth from a trip to Ghana and a book on Africa. When Whitehead transferred to Brooke Court, he brought the Black History Month celebration and exhibit with him. This annual fete continues to be a much anticipated event that draws attendees from the courts, legal, law enforcement, and human services communities.

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