The right to vote is the precious centerpiece of American citizenship and democracy.Â
Kevin Peterson
Posted inRace/Racism
Ogletree was a peerless champion for justice
THE SUNDAY MORNING drive to Dorchester from the iHeart Radio studios just north of Boston was uneventful except for the presence of political royalty in the car. I sat slightly […]
Posted inPolitics
King was idealist with an eye for political pragmatism
MEL KING’S name surfaced in Marty Walsh’s kitchen very early on a sunny Wednesday morning, a day after a bruising preliminary election squabble for mayor of Boston. Walsh was one […]
Posted inArts and Culture
‘The Embrace’ is good art, but not good public art
I AGREE WITH those who say “The Embrace” tribute to Martin Luther King and Coretta Scott King is good art. But it may not be good public art. Good public […]
Posted inOpinion
Warren should now champion race dialogue at home, too
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN is running for president with an ever-percolating pot of policy ideas. She has advanced a cornucopia of legislative proposals in recent weeks, earning her the mark of […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Opinion
Rollins brings welcome change
SUFFOLK COUNTY District Attorney’s Rachael Rollins’s bold stances around criminal justice in Massachusetts are good for democracy. Her proposals to effectively limit the criminal stigma of some illegal offenses — […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
New civics law should spur study of race and urban violence
THE STRENGTHENED MASSACHUSETTS civics standards for schools that was signed into law last month may well contain an unexpected benefit that will bolster the core of the state’s democracy: It […]
Posted inOpinion
Why we boycott Faneuil Hall
The following remarks are a slightly edited version of a speech delivered on Thursday at a protest at Faneuil Hall. Â THE ROOTS OF BOSTON — our history, our legacy, our […]
Posted inOpinion
Renaming Faneuil Hall would not erase history
IN A LOCAL TV news station poll this month, more than 90 percent of viewers opposed renaming Faneuil Hall, an iconic civic edifice in Boston which has been a magnet […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
Abysmal voter turnout a sad statement
A VANISHINGLY SMALL number of voters will be visiting the polls for today’s Massachusetts state primary. And you know what? It’s our fault. In our dreams, election days are supposed […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
Blacks need to be savvier political players
LATELY, DONALD TRUMP has been making appeals to black voters. His argument to African-Americans is that the Democratic Party relies on black voters, but has failed to improve their economic […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
Trump’s phony appeal to blacks
REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE Donald Trump is a Machiavellian lout whose overblown xenophobic tendencies have lately inveighed upon race — specifically black Americans. His bullying of black people began recently with […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
Weld outshines Johnson in CNN town hall
FORMER MASSACHUSETTS GOVERNOR Bill Weld is a typical political alpha male. Always has been. He proved that by once jumping headfirst in a not-so-clean Charles River as a display of […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
Obama’s legacy wrapped up in Clinton’s success
PHILADELPHIA – PRESIDENT OBAMA’S night at the Democratic National Convention was all about legacy lengthening. He warmly embraced party presidential nominee Hillary Clinton at the conclusion of his speech when she appeared […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
Cities likely to be key election battleground
PHILADELPHIA —Â Massachusetts is likely to be an electoral sure thing in November for Hillary Clinton and the Democrats, so urban voters across the state probably won’t hold much sway during […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
Michelle Obama as prophet of compassionate family values
CALL HER THE Democrats’ prophet of family values. With wit and guile, charisma and wisdom, Michelle Obama proved herself worthy of that title last night in her speech to Democratic […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
Make America hate
IF IT WASN’T exceedingly clear before last night, Donald Trump doesn’t want to make American strong again. He wants to take it back to a divided past with a contorted […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
Baker’s absence in Cleveland speaks volumes
AS PROMISED, Gov. Charlie Baker didn’t show up for the start of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland yesterday. But Baker did weigh in on critical issues relating to race and […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Education, Opinion
Missed opportunities in Channel 5 forum on race
THE CONVERSATION ON race in Boston hosted by Channel 5 and the Boston Foundation on Thursday offered a tremendous opportunity to confront prejudice and systemic discrimination in Boston. Sadly, people talked around […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Guns, Opinion
A time to heal
THE MURDER OF two black men at the hands of the police earlier this week and the killing of five law enforcement officers in Dallas Thursday night is a double […]
Posted inEducation, Opinion
Boston Latin turmoil also moment of opportunity
THE RESIGNATION OF Boston Latin School headmaster Lynne Mooney Teta last week punctuates a tragedy that we all must feel compelled to address. Teta appeared to have ignored pleas from […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
The case for automatic voter registration
IT JUST MAKES good policy sense that every eligible resident in Massachusetts should be registered to vote — automatically. In fact, automatic voter registration (AVR) should be among the Commonwealth’s […]
Posted inEducation, Opinion
Race issues at Boston Latin demand change
THE RACIAL CRISIS roiling Boston Latin School requires immediate attention, which could have an impact on public education policy in Boston and the Commonwealth. Last year two of Boston Latin’s best and […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
Voting reforms are long overdue
In an era of voting rights retrenchment – where electoral freedoms are steadily eroding nationwide – Massachusetts lawmakers on Beacon Hill are on the verge of doing the unexpected: Passing […]