LOCAL NEWS

Gov. Patrick chronicles his life in new book

Those hoping for a daggers-out political tell-all from Gov. Deval Patrick's new memoir will be sorely disappointed. More »

Local journalists address the state of Boston media

Speaking at the National Conference for Media Reform last weekend, a panel of local journalists addressed the state of Boston media. The group tackled tough topics like the Globe's recent decision to build a pay wall around its online news, the possible defunding of NPR, WGBH's switch away from classical music, the role of ethnic media in the city and the sustainability of journalism today. More »

'A Reason to Believe'

Deval Laurdine Patrick was born on July 31, 1956 in Chicago where he and his elder sister, Rhonda, were raised by their mother, Emily "Mae" Wintersmith, in the home of their maternal grandparents after she was abandoned by her husband. Their absentee father, the late Pat Patrick, was a legendary jazz saxophonist who recorded and performed with everyone from Duke Ellington to Miles Davis to Thelonious Monk to Sun Ra. More »

Gov. Patrick rejects criticism of SJC pick

Gov. Deval Patrick and the panel charged with approving his judicial nominees are increasingly at odds over his handling of his latest pick for the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. More »

Mattapan musician Rose rises to national fame

Shea Rose - a Mattapan-based singer, rapper and poet is a natural born leader. The Berklee-trained musician heads up The Movement@Berklee, a student-led community outreach group that creates access to music in low-income neighborhoods. More »

A citizen and a Celtic

Today, community activism seems to be at a low ebb in Boston and community involvement by sports heroes is too often confined to much-appreciated but well-publicized charity golf tournaments and visits to schools and hospitals. More »

The Revolution will be televised

In 1970, American jazz artist and urban poet Gil Scott-Heron wrote an ode to activism called "The Revolution will not be televised." With the recent populist explosions against the police states of Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Yemen and Libya; not only is the revolution being televised, it seems to be on every channel. This is both good news and bad news. More »

Hoop dreams, class distinctions

As the NCAA tournament marched on to the Final Four, the battle between two former NBA superstars - Jalen Rose and Grant Hill - still reigned as the most intriguing contest this season. More »

'Broke-ology' sees richness in black family life

David Curtis is a sibling maven. The Dorchester-raised 46-year-old African American actor is one of five brothers (one passed away in 1996) and a sister - a fact that is serving him particularly well in his latest stage role at the Lyric Stage Company of Boston. More »

Harvard celebrates 40 years of jazz

Jazz at Harvard has come a long way, baby. Before 1971, the African American-dominated musical genre was unheard of at the Ivy League institution. More »