The ‘Black Panther’ Experience
On Friday, Feb. 16 more than 500 young black professionals attended Black Boston Night Out: “Black Panther” Black Out Experience, a private, red carpet screening of the blockbuster film at Regal Fenway Stadium and an after party at Game On Fenway. See more movie photos from the opening night of “Black Panther” on PAGE 21.

Legislators advance school funding bill
For decades, Massachusetts policymakers have tried to address the achievement gap between low and high-income districts by desegregating public schools, implementing the 1993 Education Reform Act. Today, legislators say the education funding formula within the 1993 act should be updated to finally close this gap.

Pressley launches bid for congressional seat
By all accounts, Pressley faces an uphill battle against Capuano, an 18-year incumbent and former mayor of Somerville. A WBUR poll of likely Democratic voters showed Capuano with a 12-point lead over Pressley districtwide. While Bostonians in the poll preferred Pressley 46 percent to Capuano’s 35 percent,.

Trump calls for fed. housing cuts
Local organizations in Massachusetts say that thousands of low-income families would be in danger of losing affordable housing under President Donald Trump’s 2019 fiscal year budget proposal, which contains severe cuts to social programs such as public housing.

Madison Park cuts ribbon on renovated mixed-income building
The four-floor building contains 21 affordably-priced appartments, nine market-rate rentals and three ground-floor commercial spaces. The project is the second phase of Madison Park’s Parcel 10, which relocated and expanded Tropical Foods, a third-generation family-owned local grocery store.

Different strategies for different times
Carter G. Woodson, a black historian, was the progenitor of Negro History Week in 1926. The idea was widely accepted and was later expanded to Black History Month. It is important to note with the passing of the years whether the curators of black history apply a demanding standard before events attain the status of being historically significant.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
budget states that the budget increased 4.4 percent from FY2018. That percentage is accurate if the comparison is with the proposed FY2018 budget approved initially by School Committee. That percentage is overstated if the comparison is with the current FY2018 appropriation from the City.

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Jeff Sessions perverts American justice
One year ago, I went to the Senate floor to oppose the nomination of Jeff Sessions — a man deemed too racist to be a federal judge in the 1980s — to lead the Department of Justice. The Justice Department is charged with defending our laws and standing up for all people, regardless of color, sex, sexual orientation, religion or ability.

IN THE NEWS
Vice President of Community Health and Health Equity at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Wanda McClain, will be honored with the Whittier’s 2018 Black History Leadership Award on Thursday, February 22, 2018 at Whittier Street Health Center. The event is part of WSHC Black History Month celebration and its Annual Meeting.

ROVING CAMERA
I think that the government does not take gun violence seriously. People here are dying and the government is more concerned about what’s going on in other countries. There’s a war raging here..

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State’s top pols turn out for Dorcena Forry’s farewell address
Dorcena Forry recalled when she first arrived on Beacon Hill, fresh out of Boston College in 1996, she worked as an aide to former Rep. Charlotte Golar Richie. When former House Speaker Thomas Finneran resigned from the 12th Suffolk District in 2004, Dorcena Forry prevailed in a four-way race for the seat.

Investing in our students to provide a better education for all
At the Boston Public Schools, we believe that our budget is a values statement, reflecting our commitment to creating the best schools for all our students. Through the BPS budget, we prioritize investing in every individual learner throughout their academic career.

BPS budget falls short of promise of quality education for all
Every Boston school should offer its students a high-quality education, but the proposed school budget falls far short of that standard. While this budget is better than it has been in previous years, it still subscribes to a model of school funding that at its core doesn’t believe all schools deserve the same opportunities and resources.

Chinese New Year
Students at the Josiah Quincy School in Chinatown celebrated Chinese New Year with a variety of cultural performances..

Walpole police implement new training in wake of bias suit
On August 13, 2016, after Wahnon left a shopping center in Walpole, Massachusetts, a police officer followed him for approximately 15 minutes as he drove to his mother’s house in Westwood, Massachusetts. Moments before he entered Westwood, Wahnon was stopped by Walpole police.

A focus on small business
During her first speech from the floor of the city council, District 7 City Councilor Kim Janey called for a hearing to examine the opportunities and challenges facing small businesses in Boston and spoke about her intention to focus on increasing homeownership and supporting entrepreneurship, especially among women, immigrants and people of color.

BIZ BITS
Has this ever happened to you? You sign up for a great deal on wireless service, but when it’s time to pay, the numbers just don’t add up. That $70 service shows up on your bill as $80 or more, leaving you confused about how your costs have gone up without any warning.

Make any job feel more meaningful
You head into the office day after day, sit down at your desk, and power your way through your to-do list. And, while you generally enjoy what you do, you’re starting to feel a little uninspired.

Waitress
The actress originated the role of Nurse Norma when the musical premiered at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge in 2015. She was a member of the ensemble at the A.R.T. and when it debuted on Broadway in 2016, eventually assuming the role of waitress Becky from Keala Settle (“The Greatest Showman”) during its Broadway run.

Moving forward, looking back
“African American Heritage in Massachusetts” by Rosalyn D. Elder is the tour guide history lessons everywhere have been missing. Organized by town and region, the book brings the reader on a journey through African American history in the state. Elder says, “All of our history needs to be told.

Renaissance brother!
Rel Dowdell is a screenwriter, film director and producer, as well as an English/screenwriting professor. Born and raised in Philadelphia, he received his B.A. in English from Fisk University and an M.A. in film and screenwriting from Boston University..

Free and open to all
Every year, the Boston Public Library presents the “Lowell Lecture Series,” a piece of programming established in 1836 to keep the public educated and informed. With this year’s theme, “Speaking Up, Speaking Out: Voices of Social Justice,” the series takes on a whole new life.

FOOD
According to a Nov. 8 NPR story, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) released “guidance on implementing an Obama-era rule that requires chain restaurants and other food establishments to post calories on menus or menu boards.”.

Drink your fiber
Fiber is a catch-all word for carbohydrates, such as cellulose, that we cannot digest. Although we can’t derive energy or nutrients from these particles, they exert their goodness in other ways, such as feeding the microbes in our gut, scrubbing our pipes, and helping to regulate blood sugar and fat.

BOSTON SCENES
On Friday Feb 16th, event organizers and social connectors - Farrah Belizaire (LiteWork Events), Sheena Collier (The Collier Connection), and Quontay Turner (Boston Young Black Professionals) - hosted Black Boston Night Out: Black Panther Black Out Experience.

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