Does Boston deserve its reputation as a “racist city?”

It does. I’ve been in Boston since the busing era. I feel like there’s still a lot of residue from that time.

Julia Mejia

Community Organizer

Dorchester

Boston has worked very hard to be a racist city. There still isn’t diversity in the places where important decisions are made.

Rodney Muhammad

Minister

Roxbury

Of course. For someone who’s lived through busing, the Stuart Case and stop-and-frisk, it’s definitely earned its reputation. I do think we’re making progress. But there’s still a huge economic gap between blacks and whites.

Ron Bell

Community Organizer

Milton

Yes, I do. There are a lot of efforts for equality happening on the individual level, but the infrastructure of our systems is racist.

Maria Dolorico

Psychotherapist

South End

As an African American from this city, I think we’ve made some strides forward. But we have a lot of work to do.

Tony Brewer

State Employee

Roxbury

The data doesn’t lie. The median net worth of blacks is $8. For a white family, it’s $247,500. From Back Bay to Roxbury, there’s a 22-year-difference in life expectancy.

Tito Jackson

CEO

Roxbury