Joe Palumbo

Last fall, the Town of Concord and Concord250 were proud to be among the 37 selected recipients of a Massachusetts250 Grant provided by the Healey-Driscoll Administration and the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism. The grant funded the project “A Fight for Freedom: Honoring Patriots of Color.” 

For many months, scholars, interpreters, and artists collaborated to create this signature event. The program launched in March at The Umbrella Center for the Arts with a two-hour live event dedicated to uncovering and honoring the often-overlooked contributions of Black and Indigenous Patriots during the American Revolution and the ongoing struggle for freedom and equality over the past 250 years.

Dubbed “GLORY for George,” this celebration engaged visitors and locals alike to honor the legacy of George Washington Dugan on the 160th anniversary of his heroic sacrifice as a member of the 54th Massachusetts, the first all-Black regiment of the Civil War.

This year, for the first time in 160 years, the town paused to honor and celebrate the story of its Black native son, George Washington Dugan. Dubbed “GLORY for George,” this celebration engaged visitors and locals alike to honor the legacy of George Washington Dugan on the 160th anniversary of his heroic sacrifice as a member of the 54th Massachusetts, the first all-Black regiment of the Civil War.