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Much at stake in council races

Melvin B. Miller

It is likely that the four at-large Boston city councilors will all be re-elected. However, there is greater status for the councilor with the greatest number of votes. African American voters should be certain to vote for Ayanna Pressley. She deserves a strong turnout in order to become an even stronger voice on important issues.

The primary city council contest will be in District 7 between Rufus Faulk and Kim Janey. Both are well educated; Faulk went to Temple and Janey went to Smith. Faulk is the director of the Gang Mediation Initiative at Ten Point Coalition. Janey is a senior project director at Massachusetts Advocates for Children (MAC).

Which candidate you support for the District 7 seat depends primarily on your view of the major problems. Black youth across the country are incarcerated at a much higher rate than whites. Massachusetts is one of only six states where the disparity is 10 times greater or more. With the school-to-prison pipeline functioning, many young blacks who could be going to college will be sitting in prisons.

There is too little interest in this problem. While the problems with which MAC contends are extensive they are getting attention. We could lose a substantial generation of young men. You decide.