Barros launches mayoral campaign
John Barros, who two weeks ago resigned as the city’s chief of Economic Development, kicked off his Boston mayoral campaign last Thursday at the Cesaria, the Bowdoin Street restaurant he cofounded, stressing his experience in city government, business and the nonprofit sector.

Cornel West calls it quits at Harvard
Harvard University Professor Dr. Cornel R. West, who had been threatening a second departure from the Ivy League institution since he was not offered a tenured position last month, announced Monday that he will leave for a post at Union Theological Seminary, where he was first hired at 23 years old.

Education commissioner calls for return to schools
Two weeks ago, Massachusetts Education Commissioner Jeff Riley announced the state would no longer count remote learning toward hours schools are required to teach students, arguing that increased COVID-19 testing of students and the availability of vaccines for teachers would make schools safer.

Council probes police reform questions
Last year, in the wake of nationwide protests stemming from the Minneapolis police murder of George Floyd, Boston and Massachusetts officials passed measures aimed at reforming policing including restricting use of deadly force and crowd control measures.

BPS students charge nonprofit with abuse
Twelve of the 49 members of the Boston Student Advisory Council resigned last week amid charges that the head of the nonprofit that administers the group engaged in emotionally abusive behavior and sought to stifle the voices of students challenging the administration of Boston Public Schools.

Blacks must protect their power at the polls
While Black activists are celebrating Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election, conservatives are working to assure that their candidate will not lose the election in 2024. They understand the narrow difference between victory and defeat..

White militia groups: a continuing threat to democracy
There was an attack on the nation’s Capitol building on Jan. 6, but the insurrection has been defeated. The relative quiet that followed does not indicate that issues have been resolved. Patriotic citizens still do not clearly understand the cause of the real conflict.

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Essential workers deserve $15 an hour
In my last job, I sold vacuums door to door. My coworkers and I had to go into strangers’ houses to demonstrate the equipment. But our company didn’t provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and it didn’t require employees or clients to socially distance or wear masks.

IN THE NEWS
A graduate of Boston College Law School, Hall develops civil rights litigation in areas including voting rights, employment and education for LCR. In one of her more prominent cases, Hall brought suit against the state’s system of background checks for child care workers.

Tough slog getting George Floyd police bill into law
It took months and months, and many tries, for the House to finally get passage of the much-shelved George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. Now the real slog to get the bill into law begins. Start with the House, almost all the Democrats voted for the bill and not one Republican voted for it.

Teachers struggle with new vaccine eligibility
Per the state’s announcement last week, educators can start booking appointments as of March 11, but they will be competing for the limited number of doses available to the long list of eligible patients in phases one and two. They estimate that it will take a month for all eligible individuals to schedule their first dose.

Momentum builds to rein in predatory lending
According to the Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey taken in early February, more than a third (34.9%) of adults live in households where it has been somewhat or very difficult to pay usual household expenses during the coronavirus pandemic; 30% expect eviction or foreclosure is likely in the next two months.

Activists call for review of police shootings
Family members of men who were killed by police in or around Boston called for independent investigations into their deaths during a news conference organized by Mass Action Against Police Brutality in front of the State House on Thursday, March 4.

Our path forward to advance racial equity
The COVID-19 pandemic is tearing through Black communities across the country, killing Black people at twice the rate of white Americans, while leaving a trail of lost jobs and shuttered Black-owned businesses in its wake.

Only days left to apply for a PPP loan
That helped them pay their workers, their mortgage or rent, and their utility bills. Unfortunately, many small businesses owned by minorities, women and veterans didn’t get PPP loans last year. We want to make sure you know how to apply for the funding your business really needs.

Q & A with MAMLEO President Jeffrey Lopes
Jeffrey Lopes became the new president of the Massachusetts Association of Minority Law Enforcement Officers this year. Lopes serves as a detective in the Boston Police Department and has been involved in the community since 2013, attending community meetings and leading programs targeted at helping young people.

History gets a Reality Check
Local living history organization History at Play has partnered with historical interpreter Cheyney McKnight to delve into the untold stories of enslaved people in the 18th century. On March 12 at 7:30 p.m., “Not Your Momma’s History: The Life of an Enslaved Lady’s Maid” streams live on Zoom.

Honoring Ornette Coleman
Alto saxophonist and Berklee alumnus Miguel Zenón and an international quartet of musicians commemorate renowned jazz saxophonist Ornette Coleman with their new album, “Law Years: The Music of Ornette Coleman.

Accidental actor
Over Christmas break in 2018, Taylor Takahashi was given the screenplay “Boogie” to read by his boss and producer Eddie Huang, author of “Fresh Off the Boat: A Memoir,” which was the basis for the ABC television series of the same name. At the time, Takahashi was working as Huang’s personal assistant.