Restaurants, retail now open in Mass.
State Rep. Mike Conolly has previously said that not enough has been done to protect at-risk communities. He has said that officials in the commonwealth are rejecting science and rejecting experts in an effort to serve capitalism, and that the economy began reopening once the privileged and wealthy were ensured a hospital bed.

Urban League marks 100 years
Not long after the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts opened its doors, lynchings were sweeping across the South, race riots were exploding in cities across the land and African American veterans of World War I were finding doors to employment closed in their faces.

Will police protests lead to substantive changes?
implementation of body cameras, a civilian review board, transparency in the department’s database of stops and searches, and clear protocols for use of force by police officers — all issues activists and councilors of color have sought progress on over the last six years.

Ibram Kendi opens anti-racism center at BU
Ibram X. Kendi, one of the nation’s leading scholars of racism, will launch Boston University’s BU Center for Antiracist Research on July 1. Kendi comes to Boston from American University in Washington, D.C., where he is a professor of history and of international relations.

Respecting Roxbury’s history
The Boston Public Library board of trustees is to be commended for naming the newly renovated Dudley Library the “Roxbury Branch of the Boston Public Library.” It is a historically significant name that has meaning for those who have called Roxbury home for several generations.

A loud demand for change
During the Civil Rights era, blacks and their white allies spent years in the courts trying to implement laws against racial discrimination in employment, education, public accommodations and housing. Conservatives are still trying to prevent working-class citizens from easily casting their votes in elections.

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Black officers hurt when our community hurts
The killing of George Floyd and the many other reported incidents of people of color dying or being killed because of the actions of police officers or vigilantes has left us hurting, emotionally drained and dismayed.

IN THE NEWS
The Bay State Banner is pleased to announce Report for America corps member Morgan C. Mullings has joined our newsroom. A recent graduate of St. John’s University, Mullings was editor-in-chief of the university’s weekly newspaper. She has interned with Nylon Magazine and Rolling Stone Magazine.

Asian American activists in solidarity with black community
In light of the recent murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, and the numerous murders of black people by a white supremacist system, the Asian Pacific Islander Civic Action Network of Massachusetts (APIs CAN!) stands firmly with the black communities of this country.

City councilors question police dept. funding
Nationwide demands to defund local police departments have reached Boston. The Boston City Council is set to decide on June 10 whether or not to approve the $414 million allocated to Boston Police Department (BPD) in the city’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

Graduation
PHOTO: JEREMIAH ROBINSON, MAYOR’S OFFICE Local elected officials and community organizations held a Boston Public Schools Commencement Caravan Kickoff in Mattapan Saturday..

Senators seek end to qualified immunity
In response to nationwide protests sparked by George Floyd’s murder, U.S. Sens. Ed Markey, Kamala Harris and Cory Booker have introduced a resolution abolishing qualified immunity, a legal doctrine that shields officers from certain lawsuits.

Moment of silence
PHOTO: JOHN WILCOX, MAYOR’S OFFICE Mayor Martin Walsh and other city officials and employees take part in an eight minute and 46 second “moment of silence” in memory of George Floyd outside Boston City Hall..

Black, Latino officials call for police reforms
Ayanna Pressley, gathered on the steps of the State House June 2 to advocate for police reform in the wake of George Floyd’s murder.

Public defenders protest police violence
Organized by public defenders Shayla Mombeleur, Christian Williams, Connor Barusch and Olivia Dubois (public defender social worker), the protest began near the Roxbury courthouse, where many of the protesters work. It ended in front of the South Bay House of Corrections, “because that’s where our clients are,” Williams said.

With a little help from his friends
In a wave of violence the night of May 31 that kicked off after a peaceful march ended, most of the stores vandalized and looted were in the Downtown Crossing and Copley Square areas, but stores in Uphams Corner, Grove Hall and Fields Corner were also hit.

OPERATIC OVERHAUL
NOW was born from a desire to push opera forward. “We love the musical aesthetics … but we are tired of putting on stories that don’t reflect our values or our experiences,” says Christie Gibson, OperaHub’s general director. “We want to see a lot more people writing in a space that is contemporary.

Mapping mistrust
The Boston Public Library’s Leventhal Map and Education Center exhibition “BENDING LINES: Maps and Data from Deception to Distortion” presents a timely analysis of data manipulation over the past 500 years.

The making of a virtual museum
Since closing their doors for the benefit of public health, cultural institutions across Greater Boston have launched virtual museum tours online. The move required museums to pivot at an extraordinary pace to cater to viewers missing a crucial part of the experience – the ability to exist in the same space as the artwork.