Black History Month and Women's History Month

February is Black History Month. Its origins go back to February 1926 and Negro History Week. March is Women's History Month. Its origins go back to 1981 and led to its first celebration in March 1982. The purpose of those recognitions was to recognize, celebrate, pay tribute, and celebrate African Americans and women for their contributions into the fabric of this nation.

One way that Montgomery County Commission for Women is celebrating Women's History Month is by sponsoring a 2019 Girl Power Contest. I will not submit an entry for the contest. However, I will lift up both celebrations by simply telling you about a Montgomery County pioneer, a trailblazer who meets the criteria of both celebrations.

Just recently during Black History month Barbara Jean Flack-Darko passed. Cancer claimed a stalwart contributor to history. This is an excellent time to take a look-back, celebrate, and pay tribute to Barbara. You probably do not know Barbara. I just met her two years ago myself. However, I must admit that when I met her, I was impressed. If you had met her, you would be impressed, too.

Barbara was born in North Carolina, grew up in Tennessee, lived and worked in New York, and was a longtime resident of Montgomery County. She was a graduate of Johnson C. Smith University and Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

Journalism was Barbara’s forte. In 1969 she moved to New York where she worked her way through the ranks of network television news to become one of the first African American producers for CBS while simultaneously earning a masters’ degree in journalism from Columbia University.

In 1974 she married Nana Ohene Darko and moved to Atlanta to produce the news for CNN. When she left network news, they moved to Montgomery County. They had a son, Kwame, who was the apple of her eye. He made her a genuine soccer mom. He won two soccer championships while at University of Maryland.

She was a longtime journalist, Executive Editor of The Afro newspaper, contributor to Huffington Post and AOL. She was Editor of Heart & Soul magazine. The Afro described her as someone with a passion for informing the Black community.

Whew! Wait, I am not done. She was so into journalism that after moving to Montgomery County, she looked at the County’s growing black population and its needs and realized that she must start her own publication to connect this population to resources and news not covered by other news organizations.

In a three-column spread in September 1992 the Washington Post heralded the entrance of the Montgomery Times. In that article Barbara told Beth Kaiman of the Washington Post, "The Washington Informer and Afro-American have tried to cover Montgomery County with one page. We're large enough to have our own paper." Hence, she created The Montgomery Times, a one-woman organization. A tireless advocate for equal rights, she used her journalism skills to specialize in multicultural news.

Kwame Darko, the Apple of Barbara’s Eye, in 1993

Today the County recognizes her, her value, and contributions to the County. Montgomery County Public Library has created a digital archive of seven years of the Montgomery Times on their website. The web address is : https://www.mymcmedia.org/tag/barbara-flack-darko/

Barbara had long been an advocate of equal rights and engaged in community affairs. This included activities such as organizing an African and Caribbean leadership initiative and helping to create a consortium of historically black colleges for an AIDS project. She served on the County’s Ethnic Affairs Committee, an SBA advisory council, the boards of the County’s Boys & Girls Clubs and Leadership Montgomery, a non-profit organization that develops future leaders of the County. She served as political aide to Tom Perez, County Council member. As if that were not enough, she was a member of the Silver Spring Civilian Advisory Board and Facilitator of the Civic Committee at The Bonifant @ Silver Spring, a senior apartment community.

Recently Ike Leggett, our former County Executive, related how early in his County career Barbara encouraged him in the Montgomery Times and wished him well while insisting that he keep his promises and live up to expectations. He appreciated her encouragement and her honesty. According to her neighbor and friend Maria Armstrong, Barbara was very encouraging, positive in her outlook, and believed in the universe. Barbara loved a good political debate. Her neighbor and friend Sandra Johnson said that many nights they enjoyed engaging in spirited debates by phone.

Barbara was an avid astrology buff. The Bonifant, her apartment building, had given her a great apartment from which she could watch the sky and check out its goings-on.

Those who knew Barbara will have memories of a conversation, an exchange of ideas, an expression of friendship, an intellectual discussion, political debate, a smile, or just telling a funny story. Barbara could meet you at so many levels. There were so many levels to Barbara. You could always find a spot to stop, engage, or listen while Barbara dropped some knowledge. At any rate, you could derive pleasure from your meeting.

Love for journalism. Care and concern for others. Research. Writing. Planning. Public affairs. Community affairs. Media relations. Truth and honesty. Organization. Management. These are skills and abilities I learned to appreciate about Barbara. I am sure there are more, but about these I can say this: she used her many talents for the good of all and made major contributions to our 20th and 21st century cares, concerns, and fulfillment of needs.

Those desiring to further recognize and celebrate this amazing trailblazer can do so by making donations in Barbara Jean Flack-Darko’s memory to the Montgomery College Foundation, 9221 Corporate Boulevard, Rockville, MD 20850.