Opinion

If Black Bostonians are to have a continued presence in this city, it is imperative to unlock Black Boston’s wealth. We know the statistics. Boston Black homeownership dropped to 30% post-COVID from 34% in 2019 and Black wages have stagnated for the past 30 years.

This week’s editorial is a personal one for me, because it’s the story of Philip Reavis Sr., who is more like an uncle than a family friend, and his son Philip Reavis Jr., who is my brother from another mother. To tell the story properly, I have to go back to the beginning.

School safety in the Boston Public Schools (BPS) is not as simple as taking a stand on police or metal detectors in schools. The real problem is that Superintendent Mary Skipper and Mayor Michelle Wu do not see schools as distinct communities.

In this congressional session, House Republicans have chosen to hold America hostage with extreme demands that threaten funding for Social Security, Medicaid and programs that support children and senior citizens. Or else, they say, they will not support raising the debt ceiling.

Companies owned and managed by women and people of color are underrepresented in construction. Those of us on the ground competing for construction contracts are all too aware of the obstacles that are even more challenging in this post-pandemic era of inflationary costs and limited resources.

In our country, there are thousands of politicians and appointed government officials who claim to work hard for their constituents. But here in Massachusetts, we have a history of public servants who have made a real difference in the lives of the people they serve. From Ed Brooke and Ruth Batson to Mel King and Ayanna Pressley, many local public officials have fought long and hard to create real positive change in our community. None has worked harder than Rachael Rollins.

Are faithful, seasoned and concerned citizens growing tired and weary of trying to fight against those who are undermining the very fabric of our democratic republic?

So here we are once again, looking at the death of an unarmed Black man at the hands of a white man. And once again, our justice system was slow to react when it came to holding accountable the white man for the seemingly senseless murder.

There is an unspoken thought that while there is enough room for us in Boston, we rarely come together. Could the answer to this question simply be venturing into the spaces of our counterparts? Can a native-born Black American find solace at a West African restaurant in Roxbury? Can an Afro-Latina experience community at the Haitian parade?

When a college reaches 50 years old it is customary the talk about it in glowing terms, using phrases like “beacon of education” and “cherished asset of the community.”

If you are Black or have Black children, it’s likely you or your child may have experienced adultification bias, a newer term that describes the experiences of Black childhood, its roots and the mental health impact of this.

We lost much on April 25, 2023. Harry Belafonte was more than a world-class performer, winning multiple music awards. He was also a world-class human being like few others right from the start.