NAACP convention returns to Boston
The event, which runs from July 28 through Aug. 1, will host speakers like Vice President Kamala Harris and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Harris will speak July 29 at the event’s opening public meeting, Clinton at a ticketed dinner Aug. 1..

NAACP resolution addresses hair relaxer cancer risk
The resolution comes after a recent study linked these products to a higher risk of uterine cancer, and lawsuits have been filed against five hair care companies alleging that years-long use of their harmful hair straighteners poses serious health risks.

At academic olympics, students ‘act so’
As the NAACP’s national convention comes to Boston, teens from across the country will show off their skills in arts and science in the organization’s youth competition. The Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics, or ACT-SO, lets young people compete for college scholarships and other prizes.

Experts decry move to eliminate advanced math in middle school
Algebra 1, seen as a gateway to college, not only teaches students equations, graphic functions, and quadratics, but it also provides problem-solving and critical thinking skills required for high school, college or careers in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics or STEM, the experts said.

It’s NAACP time
This ominous trend started with the manipulation of the facts by one political candidate for short-term gain. It has become his party’s main pitch and marketing message, pulling out one of the oldest tricks in the political playbook: Divide and conquer by stoking fear and blaming others for the country’s problems.

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Cultivating the next crop of young farmers
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the median age for agricultural producers increased from 56.3 to 57.5 years old between 2012 and 2017 — making farmers among the country’s oldest workforces. People 35 or younger account for only 9 percent of the country’s farm producers.

IN THE NEWS
Williams’ research has focused nities, while making her scholarly on African American intellectual contributions more widely accessible through the innovative use history, Black women’s history and race/ethnic studies. Currently the president of the African She earned her Ph.

Black borrowers stand to benefit the most from new plan for student loan relief
When the Biden administration announced its latest initiative to reduce the nation’s unsustainable trillion-dollar student debt, both borrowers and advocates rejoiced. In the coming weeks an estimated 804,000 student loan borrowers will together receive $39 billion in federal loan debt cancellations.

A future without affirmative action?
One — titled “Is the Workforce Next?’’ — tackled the possibility of a ban on affirmative action in hiring practices. Panelists were Lee Pelton, president of the Boston Foundation; Ivan Espinoza-Madrigal, executive director for Lawyers for Civil Rights, and Brooke Thomson, president of Associated Industries of Massachusetts.

City grants boost Black businesses
They are the first recipients of the city’s grant program called Supporting Pandemic Affected Community Enterprises (SPACE). Each will receive $40,000 to $200,000, depending on their needs, over a three-year period to help cover anything from rental costs to upfront capital costs to much-needed infrastructure, the city said.

Reggie Lewis: The lost captain of the Celtics
“I remember the day as though it were yesterday. I received a call at work. I was told to call home immediately. I thought the call was about one of my children, Sheron, Irvin, or Jon — not Reggie. I had just talked to him, and he seemed fine.

Ready to start a business? Here are six steps to take before opening your doors
The first step is establishing your business by choosing between a limited liability corporation (LLC), a limited liability partnership (LLP) or a corporation.

Future scientists explore Arboretum in youth summer science program
On an overcast July morning, equipped with bug boxes and clippers, a group of about 15 middle school students gathered at the base of Hemlock Hill in Arnold Arboretum, ready to investigate the local ecosystem as part of a month of hands-on experience with science offered to Boston Public Schools students.

Biotech conference targets clinical trials diversity
Tom Browne, MassBio’s director of diversity, equity and inclusion, said he hopes the focus on health equity generally, rather than narrowing in on biotechnology, allowed member organizations to better understand broader ecosystem and equity impacts related to their work.

Cambridge Jazz Festival returns to Danehy Park
For eight years Ron Savage and Larry Ward, founders of the Cambridge Jazz Foundation, have brought vibrant, free live music to the public during the annual Cambridge Jazz Festival.

COOLIDGE CORNER THEATRE CELEBRATES 50 YEARS OF HIP-HOP
he Coolidge Corner Theatre is celebrating 50 years of hip-hop with a month-long lineup of films, panels and a concert in August. The program “Been Here For Years: Hip Hop at 50” was curated by the theater’s first Black film programmer, Billy Thegenus. The lineup aims to showcase hip-hop’s influence on cinema over the past five decades.

City of Boston debuts summer mixtape
The City of Boston provides many important civic services: public parks and urban green spaces, support for senior citizens and public education to name a few. But this year the City of Boston is also supplying a soundtrack for the neighborhood block party, the “Dear Summer Vol.