Robert Gilbert was a Black man who lived in Inman Square, a respected member of the community – and a genius ornithologist, photographer, musician, chef, entrepreneur and possibly even model for an F. Scott Fitzgerald character.

I knew the Harvard Divinity School’s Rev. Peter Gomes only as a boy; on the anniversary of his death Feb. 28, 2011, I now marvel at the man he became.

When my grandfather was alive, Memorial Day was a day well celebrated. So many have made great sacrifices for us on the field of battle. All should be memorialized.

This sophisticated Black man lived in the United States at a time most people who looked like him were enslaved and considered subhuman. Even those who were free were usually limited to a small set of occupations. Aaron Hewlett, however, managed to find a way to prosper here in Cambridge.

There was a moment when a one-of-a-kind personality brightened our streets, parks and squares with his presence – a bard whose lyrical musings came wrapped with musical sounds and a simple message of love for nature, life and one another. His name was Brother Blue.

In his own recounting of his historic April 18, 1775 ride, Paul Revere uses the body of an enslaved person as a landmark. To today’s reader, the reference is likely shocking.

This Memorial Day, people will observe or not observe the holiday as they see fit. The Black veterans of Cambridge’s Isaac Wilson Taylor Post should be remembered and thanked for their courageous service.