As Black History Month came to a close at the end of February, reporter Elizabeth Rodriguez spent the month gathering these stories from community members of Sullivan County who have made outstanding impacts on the place they call home. Read on to hear about their stories, and turn to page 6A for an insightful editorial by Hon. E. Danielle Jose-Decker about Sojourner Truth, and to page 1A for an article on the Sullivan County Legislature’s recognition of Black History Month. 

Historian Al Dumas

For Town of Thompson Historian and community leader, Al Dumas, Black History Month isn’t just about reflection, it’s about responsibility.

Standing in a village where his family’s roots stretch back to nearly a century, Dumas reflects on the town’s changes and the legacy his family has built within the community.

His father arrived in Monticello in 1926, a brick mason whose craftmanship helped shape much of the community that still stands today, from sections of Route 17 to local schools and even the Government Center. 

“His handiwork is everywhere,” Dumas expressed with pride.

That legacy instilled in him a sense of duty. “It gave me a feeling that I have a part to do with making things better and easier,” he shared. 

With that mindset, Dumas has served as an outstanding member within the community, by serving in the US Navy, becoming a teacher, a driver and assistant to Judge Lawrence Cooke, a community liaison for the Sullivan County Sheriffs Office and President of the Sullivan County Firefighters Association, among many more public roles that he served with honor and dedication.

As a child growing up in the 60s and 70s, he remembered a different Monticello. Broadway was so busy on Saturday nights, “you couldn’t walk down the street,” he reflected. But he also remembered the quieter realities of discrimination years prior in the same town. Like when his sister, Elizabeth Marilyn Dumas, was the first person of color born in the old Monticello Hospital in 1937 and his brother, Harold, was the third born in 1938. Such milestones came with resistance.

Over the years, he has continued to share and preserve those stories, noting the importance of remembering the past and appreciating the present. From early black firefighters like Harvey Griffin to the day Martin Luther King Jr was at the Concord Hotel days before his assassination. 

Today, he remains forward looking. After a battle with cancer, and his son being diagnosed shortly after, they faced the challenge together and rang the bell together, something that brought much gratitude for his family. 

He spoke with excitement about the time capsule set to be opened at the old Monticello High School on St. John Street, in 2029. Something he looked forward to with an appreciation that connects the past with future generations.

“It’s a given that if the heart is in it, the mindset follows,” he said.

For him, Black History in Sullivan County isn’t distant or abstract; it is personal, lived and built, brick by brick.

Business Owners Crystal and Pedro Tweed

F

or Crystal and Pedro Tweed, community impact isn’t just a side project; it is a way of life.

Crystal is the Sports Editor here at the Sullivan County Democrat, a longtime actress and is working towards a degree in sports journalism. She reflects on her career path with pride, embracing the skills and experiences each role has given her. 

Starting with her role as a reporter, she explained that reporting was “not something that I had sought to do.” At the time she had just returned to school to pursue her degree after years in theater and film, when the job listing was made available. Due to the position and timing, the role felt like fate.

“I was just at a point in my life where I was ready to do something else,” she said. “You don’t stop performing; you just find another creative outlet.” Since then, she has found joy in highlighting student athletes and giving local youth recognition. 

She has also resumed her theater career by taking on a few roles for the River Rep Theater while being an active member of the Sullivan Central Rotary Club in which she co-chaired the recent health fair.

 “It’s about growth and embracing what you’re doing,” she shared. “If you feel like it’s time for a shift in your life, go for it.”

As for her husband,      Pedro Tweed, he too has been shaping the young lives of Sullivan County for many years.

As a gymnast, martial artist and world record holder, he founded his gymnastics program in 1977. What began as a recreation department with two mats turned into a 50-year commitment to local children at Tweed’s Gymnastics in Monticello, better known as Monticello Gymnastics Club.

But for Pedro, coaching goes beyond physical skill. “Nothing becomes physical unless you see it mentally first,” he said. “If you say, ‘I’m going to do this’ you’ve already started.” 

It was with that mindset that carried him to set a world record for planche pushups, not for personal recognition but to inspire others that with a positive mindset, anything is possible. 

Currently, he is working on writing a book based on his experiences and continues to share his positivity and leadership within the community. During the Sullivan County Legislature Black History Celebration event, he was honored for his tireless contributions and lasting impact on the community.

Together, the couple sees themselves not just as professionals but as examples.

“We take being called role models very seriously,” Crystal said. “The example we set for children is something they can look up to in a positive way.” 

Pedro agrees, noting that young people often look first at what they see. “You don’t choose how you are born” he says, “but you choose the history you create.” 

Together, their guidance and examples have shaped the next generation of leaders showing that dedication and kindness can leave a lasting mark.

But at the heart of it all is the couple’s partnership. A relationship built on mutual support, shared goals, and a commitment to uplifting their community. Faith, they say, is the foundation in both their work and marriage. 

“If you don’t have a foundation, the building will fall,” Pedro explained. 

As Crystal added, “At the core we are people of faith, that is our foundation.” 

They further explained that through hard times it is their faith that brings it all back together and they make it a point to celebrate each other’s ambitions, to encourage one another to pursue their dreams and act as each other’s biggest fans.

For the Tweeds, Black History Month is not only about honoring the past but building the future. “If you don’t see what you want, create it,” Pedro said.

Sullivan County Legislator Amanda Ward

Amanda Ward, District 8 Legislator, reflected on the significance of Black History Month during a post-event interview for the Black History Celebration at the Government Center in Monticello. Ward had organized the event with fellow legislators, aiming to make it meaningful and educational.

“I really wanted it to be intentional,” Ward explained. “A lot of people, when they think of Black History Month, don’t really understand the meaning; we wanted to show that Black history is about both struggle and contribution.” 

She emphasized that Black history wasn’t just something found in textbooks but the story of real people whose lives, struggles and contributions shaped the world around us.

The event also highlighted the importance of local youth programs like My Brothers Keeper, which she said were in jeopardy of losing funding and encouraged community support. “If we expect to have sustainability in our communities, we have to invest in our youth so that they become the leaders of tomorrow,” Ward said. She went on to explain that people can help by donating or contacting the school district to express support for such programs.

When asked what Black History Month personally means to her, Ward reflected on her family history. Her father Rowland Ward was a pioneering figure in the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office with many years of service, rising as the first black Lieutenant. She shared that he “came from Union Town, Alabama and went to a segregated school. That was part of our history, his journey paved the way for me to become the first black judge in the Town of Fallsburg and first black legislator to serve in Sullivan County and it’s a responsibility to take that seriously.”

She concluded with an expression of gratitude by adding that the event “moves me to continue to be inspired, to inspire to motivate others and to contribute. The impact we can have reminds people of the great contributions of Black Americans.”