Boston black history

Despite Boston's reputation for liberal politics, Blacks living here in the 1800s faced rigid barriers to employment and were often relegated to domestic service and other low-paying menial work.

One of the few African Americans who practiced dentistry in late nineteenth-century Boston, Dr. George Franklin Grant earned a reputation for exceptional skill in bridge work.

Boston has always been at the forefront of American history. Nevertheless, residents know little about the city’s link to the underground railroad, a life-saving network of safe houses established by slaves before the Civil War. As Black History Month kicked off, Boston Public Library partnered with the National Park Service to commemorate freedom-seekers and stowaways that traveled here to escape enslavement.

International Underground Railroad Month is underway, and the National Parks Service is shining a light on fugitive slaves who made their way through Boston.

Roxbury residents share reminiscences of growing up in a tight-knit community where neighbors looked out for each other.

WGBH’s "Basic Black" hosted a special live taping last Friday at WGBH studios, celebrating 50 years as the longest-running television program highlighting issues affecting people of color in Greater Boston.

On May 18 and 19, the Roxbury Cultural District is hosting an inaugural launch celebration on the one-year anniversary of its designation.