Springfield Mosaic Project

The 2004 PuertoRican festival was held in downtown Springfield in Court Square and was very well attended. Photograph by Edward Cohen.

At the 2003 Italian Festival in the South End of Springfield teams of climbers competed to climb a greased pole to reach the top of the pole for prizes placed there. Photograph by Edward Cohen.

The Jumba family can be described as a large family who have overcome the odds in order to be one big happy family. Anyone associated with the Jumbas can call it their family away from home as they are welcoming and make one feel as if they were always part of the family. As a family of Kenyan origin they hold true to their culture when it comes to everything from language(Swahili) to food. The picture represents four generation that are held up by one very strong grandmother. The picture was taken at the Springfield Science Museum at a reception after the 2015 Ubora and Ahadi Youth Award Ceremony. One of the member of the Jumba family, Victor L. Adaji, was the recipient of the Ahadi Youth Award. He was top of his class with a 4.3 GPA and was the 2015 Youth Mayor of Springfield. He attended the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth studying Mechanical Engineering. Photograph by Edward Cohen.

The GLBTA Club of Springfield Technical Community College attended the Northampton Price Parade in May 2014 Photograph by Edward Cohen.

Community Youth challenge the Dragon Dancers to collect a traditional gift of lucky money (Li Xi) at an annual Vietnamese New Years (Tet) Celebration. Photograph by Edward Cohen.

The Vietnamese Dragon Dancers performed at the 2015 Springfield Parade of the Big Balloons taking place the day after Thanksgiving. Photograph by Edward Cohen.

A young audience at the 2013 Stone Soul Festival taking place in Blunt Park in Springfield was asked to express their unity by holding hands. Photograph by Edward Cohen.

Vietnam War Veterans Heriberto Flores (left) and the late Dan Walsh (right) at the Student Prince Restaurant after a Vietnam War Memorial Program taking place in Court Square in Springfield. Photograph by Edward Cohen.

Dancers from the Asian Performing Arts Company performed a traditional Chinese Dance during the Springfield Dragon Boat Festival taking place at the Pioneer Valley Riverfront Club in Springfield. Photograph by Edward Cohen.

Dragon Dancers performed at the Grand Opening of the Springfield Vietnamese Cultural Association office on Belmont Ave. in Springfield. Photograph by Edward Cohen.

Vietnamese youth performed at a cultural celebration Photograph by Edward Cohen.

Rico Daniele with family and friends posed for a photo at the Bocce Court behind the Mt Carmel Club in Springfield’s South End. Photograph by Edward Cohen.

Mrs Philippines appeared in the 2015 Springfield Caribbean Parade. Photograph by Edward Cohen.

Colin Trevor (Red Raven) is smudging participants at a raising of the Native American Flag in front of Springfield City Hall. Smudging is a Native American custom to cleanse participants usually done before a Native American Ceremony Photograph by Edward Cohen.

Dancers at the Springfield Puerto Rican Parade in 2015. Photograph by Edward Cohen.

Attendees at Glendi Festival in Springfield celebrated Greek culture and Greek dancing, which is an important part of that culture. Photograph by Edward Cohen.

Emma Caballero celebrated her PuertoRican heritage by marching in the Caribbean Parade. Photograph by Edward Cohen.

MA State Senator and former Springfield City Councilor Adam Gomez was a member of the PuertoRican Parade Committee. Here he helped to give some direction to marchers during the the parade. Photograph by Edward Cohen.

Members of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses marched in the 2015 Springfield PuertoRican Parade. Photograph by Edward Cohen.

Ricardo Miranda (left), owner of Miranda Auto Body has been helping people maintain their cars for almost 40 years. Gumersindo Gomez (right) is the director of the Bilingual Veterans Outreach Centers of Massachusetts and his office operates several residential facilities for homeless veterans in Springfield. Photograph by Edward Cohen.

The Western Mass Black Nurses chapter of the National Black Nurses Association posed for a group photo in 2016 and have been chartered since 1994. Photograph by Edward Cohen.

Every January the Springfield Chapter of the NAACP under the direction of the chapter President Bishop Talbert Swan II holds a Rev Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. birthday celebration and flag raising at Springfield City Hall. Photograph by Edward Cohen.

The DuBois Academy, an academic, cultural and social program is administered by the Black Men of Greater Springifeld. Besides having a Saturday program at the Springfield Boys and Girls Club, the Academy also have a summer Academy where the youth who participate sometimes have had the opportunity to use the facilities at Pioneer Valley Riverfront. Photograph by Edward Cohen.

The cast from First Generation’s Production of Tenderness, a portrayal of Refugee’s interactions in the United States. Photograph by Edward Cohen.

Waleska Lugo-DeJesus, currently the CEO of Inclusive Strategies, LLC and founding director of the Healing Racism Institute is honored at the 2009 Puerto Rican Flag Raising Ceremony at City Hall as a Latina Woman “Paving the Way” by the Springfield Puerto Rican Cultural Center She also received a Dedicated Poem “La Mujer Puertoriqueña” by Luis Llorens Torres. Photograph by Edward Cohen.

The 2016 Stone Soul Festival was very well attended. Many former Springfield residents return every year to participate in the 3 day family festival. Photograph by Edward Cohen.

Springfield responded to the murder of Treyvon Martin with "1,000 Hoodies: A Walk for Trayvon Martin," protest walk and rally on the steps of Springfield City Hall March of 2012. Stone Soul Inc. under the direction of program director Jay Griffin created the S.O.S. sign on display at the rally at Springfield City Hall. Photograph by Edward Cohen.

Vietnamese Youth perform at a Vietnamese cultural event. Photograph by Edward Cohen.

A team of rowers participate in the Springfield Dragon Boat Festival taking place at the Pioneer Valley Riverfront Club in Springfield. Photograph by Edward Cohen.

Meghan, Molly, and Mary Kate Sullivan from the Springfield St. Patrick’s Day Parade contingent participated in the 2014 St. Patrick's Day Parade in Holyoke Photograph by Edward Cohen.

Members of the Springfield Fire Dept. marched in the 2015 Springfield PuertoRican Parade. Among them is Yolimar Torres (third from left) the first Latina firefighter in the history of the Springfield Fire Dept. Photograph by Edward Cohen.

In 2005, A group of dancers and musicians from Jamaica participated in the Caribbean proclamation and parade. Photograph by Edward Cohen.

In 2005, a participant enjoyed the Springfield Caribbean Parade Photograph by Edward Cohen.

Rhonda Swan was a gifted poet, author, and newspaper editor and columnist. and a champion against prejudice and injustice. She wrote two novels, "I Saw Your Profile" and "Exposed: The Consequences of Truth." She has also published a volume of poetry, "Speaking My Mind...in Poetic Verse" and a memoir "Dancing to the Rhythm of My Soul: A Sister's Guide for Transforming Madness into Gladness.” Here she is holding her grandson, Mason Slaughter, shortly after his birth. Rhonda Swan passed away in 2015, a victim of breast cancer. Her family had set up a scholarship fund in her name, the Rhonda Swan Memorial Scholarship Fund. Contributions to the fund can be sent to the Rhonda Swan Memorial Scholarship Fund, 52 Eton St., Springfield, Ma. 01108 Photograph by Edward Cohen.

Oscar award recipient and Springfield Mass Native Ruth E. Carter posed in from of a mural that was installed in her honor on the outside walls of Rebecca Johnson School on Catharine St. in Springfield in after the ribbon cutting ceremony in September 2023. The illustration was done by Salem Beiruti, concept and art direction by Ruth E. Carter. The group Common Wealth Murals installed the mural. Photograph by Edward Cohen

At the conclusion of the installation service in 2022 for the new senior pastor of St. John’s Congregational Church in Springfield, Reverend Dayhige Wright, clergy at the event shared the hand signs representing their African American fraternities and sororities that they were members of. Photograph by Edward Cohen

Members of the Vietnamese Buddhist Association of Greater Springfield Buddhist Temple Chau Huyen Quang posed for a photo at the conclusion of the Buddha’s Birthday Celebration. Photograph by Edward Cohen

At the recent Springfield Roger L. Putnam Vocational Technical Academy commencement, graduate Christopher Marti gets a last minute congratulatory hug before his commencement ceremony. His college of choice was Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island and he started attending there in September 2023. Photograph by Edward Cohen

Representatives of Gándara Center pose for a photo before participating in the June 2023 Springfield Pride Parade Photograph by Edward Cohen

Mural artists from the Community Mural Institute Master Class completed the “Be The Bridge” mural on Plainfield St. in Springfield June 2023. L to R- Yolanda Lopez, Greta McLain, Gabriela Sepulveda, Kali Green, Britt Ruhe, and Isaiah Ruhe. Photograph by Edward Cohen

Angeliah Carter (Starfire) celebrated her Native American roots at an Intertribal Council of Western Mass event several years ago Photograph by Edward Cohen

The Miller-Lewis family reunion took place in Springfield in July 2022 with family members gathering in Springfield for their large family reunion Photograph by Edward Cohen

Springfield Fire Dept firefighters at the North End Fire Station in 2017. Firefighter Left to right: Springfield Fire Dept. District Chief Curt Marcellin, Andre Postell, and Luis A. Montanez Photograph by Edward Cohen

Springfield Central High School graduate Noah Bhuiya celebrated his High School graduation with his family members at the conclusion of his commencement ceremony taking place at Springfield Symphony Hall June 2022 Photograph by Edward Cohen

Gumersindo Gomez, Executive Director of the Bilingual Veterans Outreach Centers of Massachusetts leads the 2018 Puerto Rican Parade with the Puerto Rican flag on a long bamboo pole prominently displayed for the community. Photograph by Edward Cohen

Springfield is home to people from all over the world including Puerto Rico, Italy, Vietnam, Somalia, Ireland, Jamaica, Ghana, Native American communities and more.