LOCAL NEWS
Political activism is part of black Boston's DNAThe idea of public service is nothing new among Boston African Americans. In 1867, Edwin Walker and Charles Mitchell were elected to the state legislature and became the first black state legislators in the United States. From then until 1902, 13 different black men served at various times in the general court, most serving more than one term. More » |
Berklee alum set to headline jazz concert in RoxburySaturday Night Live keyboardist Tuffus Zimbabwe is headlining a free jazz concert in Highland Park on Sunday, Aug. 7 at 5 p.m. The former Roxbury resident's performance is part of Berklee College of Music's "Summer in the City" series that features more than 80 free outdoor events. More » |
'Our diversity ... is one of our greatest strengths'During the National Urban League gala, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino received the civil rights organization's President's Award. Here are excerpts from the Mayor's address: Thank you, Marc [Morial] for this special award. I'm truly honored to receive it, but it's the people of Boston that deserve all of the credit. I accept this award on their behalf. More » |
Urban League: Black middle class losing groundThe economic downturn has erased the gains made by the black middle class over the last 30 years as the unemployment rate of blacks with a four-year college degree has skyrocketed, according to a new study by the National Urban League Policy Institute released last week. More » |
Mass. texting ban requires education, enforcementMassachusetts drivers are still sending and reading text messages, despite a statewide ban on texting behind the wheel. More » |
New precinct lines aid MA redistricting effortMassachusetts lawmakers charged with drawing new political lines for Statehouse and congressional seats have received the key building blocks of any new redistricting map: new local precinct boundaries. More » |
'1001' is a modern twist on 'Arabian Nights'Do stories have the power to change history and save lives? Scheherazade, the fable-spinning heroine of "One Thousand and One Arabian Nights," suggests that they do. So does playwright Jason Grote, whose re-imagining of the venerable tale, "1001," is on stage through Aug.13 at the Plaza Theatre of the Boston Center for the Arts. More » |
Banner Biz: The case for raising taxes to balance the U.S. budgetI am not sure who said it first in public debate, but it holds truer today than ever. "Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but no one is entitled to their own set of facts." More » |
Banner Biz: National Urban League: Focus national debate on jobsThe National Urban League concluded the first conference of its second century of service and economic empowerment this past Saturday in Boston. More » |
NATIONAL NEWS
With debt debate over, Obama focuses on jobsPresident Barack Obama marked the end of the "long and contentious" debt-limit debate Tuesday afternoon, lamenting that the "manufactured crisis" has stunted the economic recovery and promising a return to a jobs-focused agenda. More » |
Bill Gates: Poverty not an excuse for no educationMicrosoft founder Bill Gates told the National Urban League last Thursday that a child's success should not depend on the race or income of parents and that poverty cannot be an excuse for a poor education. More » |
Sharpton: Debt fight about 'your mama,' not ObamaThe fight in Congress about raising the nation's debt limit isn't about President Barack Obama, but rather, "your mama," the Rev. Al Sharpton said last week. More » |
NAACP urges need for minorities to vote in '12LOS ANGELES - The NAACP plans a big push to increase minority turnout in the 2012 elections, hoping to gain political influence and turn back what the civil rights group says are efforts in various states to deny minorities the right to vote. More » |
'Hollywood' won't yield to those of colorLOS ANGELES - Harry Belafonte says Hollywood has yet to explore the breadth of black experience and that the industry will "never ever yield to the needs of people of color." More » |
Internet archivist seeks 1 of every book writtenRICHMOND, Calif. - Tucked away in a small warehouse on a dead-end street, an Internet pioneer is building a bunker to protect an endangered species: the printed word. More » |
WORLD NEWS
'Rescuing Regina' details refugee's odysseyRegina Bakala survived the unthinkable. A victim of rape in the war-torn Democratic Republic of the Congo and a political enemy of the country's brutal regime, the former school teacher fled her home to the United States, where she hoped to receive asylum. More » |
'Christian terrorist'? Norway case strikes debateWhen the "enemy" is different, an outsider, it's easier to draw quick conclusions, to develop stereotypes. It's simply human nature: There is "us," and there is "them." But what happens when the enemy looks like us - from the same tradition and belief system? More » |
Anger in Haiti as new leader stumbles in politicsPORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - Haitian President Michel Martelly has styled himself as a man of the people, a showy former pop star who waded easily into adoring crowds. So the reception he received on his latest trip to his country's north was a surprise: Protesters pelted his entourage with soft drink bottles and rocks. More » |
In the land of soccer, NBA eyes African inroadsDAKAR, Senegal - On a rectangle of dirt separating two arms of a congested highway, a game of soccer is under way - just as it is every day in cities throughout Africa. Not far away, a team of coaches from the NBA is trying to expand the continent?s options. More » |
Arab unrest, high food prices cast pall on RamadanCAIRO - From Syria to Libya and Egypt, the uprisings and unrest gripping the Arab world have cast a pall on the start of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month when the traditional focus on piety will likely be eclipsed by more unrest. More » |
