ON WEDNESDAY, the First Circuit Court of Appeals will begin hearing arguments in Students for Fair Admissions vs. Harvard College. This case against Harvard’s use of holistic admissions – including […]
Race
Posted inOpinion
We must address black, brown mistrust of COVID-19 vaccine
MASSACHUSETTS IS IN DANGER of failing communities of color, once again, if we do not start preparing for a COVID-19 vaccine now. Black Americans, in particular, are both more susceptible […]
Posted inRace/Racism
Black staffers urge Beacon Hill to look inward
THE MASSACHUSETTS LEGISLATURE has touted the importance of racial equity as lawmakers passed bills related to police reform, maternal health disparities, demographic reporting on COVID-19, and commemorating Martin Luther King, Jr.’s […]
Posted inThe Download
Black staffers urge Beacon Hill to look inward
The Massachusetts Legislature has touted the importance of racial equity as lawmakers passed bills related to police reform, maternal health disparities, demographic reporting on COVID-19, and commemorating Martin Luther King, […]
Posted inRace/Racism
Black State House staffers raise voices
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE POINTING TO RACISM they have faced during their work on Beacon Hill, a coalition of black state legislative employees urged Democratic leaders to reform hiring practices, […]
Posted inRace/Racism
House police reform debate moves at glacial pace
THE HOUSE ON WEDNESDAY moved at a glacial pace through the 217 proposed amendments to a police reform bill. By day’s end, according to the State House News Service, six amendments […]
Posted inThe Download
House police reform debate moves at glacial pace
The House on Wednesday moved at a glacial pace through the 217 proposed amendments to a police reform bill. By day’s end, according to the State House News Service, six […]
Posted inRace/Racism
Masking your political views
AT THE WASHINGTON POST, owned by bazillionaire Jeff Bezos, the slogan adopted shortly after President Trump took office proclaims, “Democracy dies in darkness.” At Whole Foods supermarkets, which Bezos also owns, […]
Posted inThe Download
Masking your political views
At the Washington Post, owned by bazillionaire Jeff Bezos, the slogan adopted shortly after President Trump took office proclaims, “Democracy dies in darkness.” At Whole Foods supermarkets, which Bezos also […]
Posted inRace/Racism
Michael Curry: Waging a duel-front war on the pandemic and racism
THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS have been dominated by two seismic issues convulsing the nation — the global coronavirus pandemic and a burgeoning movement for racial justice. For Michael Curry, that’s meant […]
Posted inPolitics
Race comments roil public sector workforce
MANY PUBLIC EMPLOYEES are learning the hard way: The right to free speech doesn’t extend to racist speech when you’re on a taxpayer-funded salary. Some of the recent examples are particularly […]
Posted inThe Download
Race comments roil public sector workforce
Many public employees are learning the hard way: The right to free speech doesn’t extend to racist speech when you’re on a taxpayer-funded salary. Some of the recent examples are […]
Posted inArts and Culture
Juneteenth observances growing amid racial unrest
WITH PROTESTS AGAINST racial inequities roiling the country, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday issued an executive order declaring Juneteenth a paid holiday for state employees this year. Juneteenth – June […]
Posted inThe Download
Juneteenth observances growing amid racial unrest
With protests against racial inequities roiling the country, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday issued an executive order declaring Juneteenth a paid holiday for state employees this year. Juneteenth – […]
Posted inOpinion
Where you live matters
THE PANDEMIC HAS UNMASKED the reality of the separate and palpably unequal worlds we inhabit and implicates critical issues of race and class. Given our history, this “reveal” should not […]
Posted inPolitics
In Mass., white pols dominate state and local politics
THE PREDOMINANCE OF white male politicians in positions of power in Massachusetts may be a symptom of the way elections are run, according to a report released Wednesday entitled MassForward. […]
Posted inEconomy
For black grad students in Boston, stay or go?
SHANNON FAIRLEY-PITTMAN calls it “the conversation.” It’s the discussion he regularly has with other black graduate students in Boston about whether they’ll stay in the area after completing their degree […]
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 inEducation
MA public colleges rated tops on black student access, success
A NEW STUDY indicates Massachusetts schools lead the nation in terms of black student access and success at four-year public universities and colleges. The report, written by two researchers at […]
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. THE ROOTS OF BOSTON — our history, our legacy, our […]