Photojournalist Don West auctions off images from world travels
Last Thursday, West auctioned off nine exhibits from his international collection at the African American Master Artists-in-Residency Program, the artist community and exhibition space in Jamaica Plain.

Varied efforts aim to close gaps in care for Black women facing breast cancer
Just by the numbers, Black women fare worse with breast cancer care. They’re 40% more likely than white women to die from the disease, though they’re less likely to be diagnosed with it, according to the American Cancer Society. When they are diagnosed, it’s likely to be at a later stage, when it’s harder to treat.

MCAS results sink state’s accountability system
That Monday, the board was offered a solution. An administrative advisory committee report recommended measuring differently, thereby allocating the system’s “deficit narratives” more equitably. But Massachusetts’s accountability system isn’t for praise and shame; it is made to strategically spend money.

City aims for equitable allotment of new liquor licenses
At a City Council hearing Oct. 1, council members, alongside staff and leadership from the city’s Economic Opportunity and Inclusion Cabinet, proposed a door-knocking campaign to talk to potential applicants and discussed increased support offered by the city.

Media arts nonprofit The Loop Lab to mark seven years with benefit gala
In 2023, Anna Montana had been looking for a third place, a space for social interaction outside of work and home. She was working a part-time job and had found herself bored. That’s when a friend introduced Montana to The Loop Lab, a media arts nonprofit that started in Cambridge but has since expanded to Boston and beyond.

Boston Public Health Comm. hosts EmpowerHer conference
(above) Dr. Bisola Ojikutu, executive director of the Boston Public Health Commission, delivers welcome remarks at the inaugural EmpowerHer Black Women’s Health Conference, Oct. 4.

Time’s up for MCAS
Coming up on the Nov. 5 ballot is a question that will decide whether the longstanding MCAS test will remain a requirement for high school graduation statewide. The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System was approved by the legislature in 1993, first administered in 1998 and adopted as a graduation requirement in 2003.

“If I don’t pass the MCAS, my college hopes are over.”
“If I don’t pass the MCAS, my college hopes are over.”.

IN THE NEWS
Jackie Jenkins-Scott, the former president of Wheelock College and current interim executive director of Boston’s Women’s Fund, was recently honored by Eastern Bank’s philanthropic counterpart, The Eastern Bank Foundation, during their 30th anniversary celebration.

Harris’ appeal to Gen-Z and millennials serves as a bridge between generations
It is refreshing to see a leader like Vice President Kamala Harris, who understands the wide generational gap we have in our nation. There will always be situations where older and younger people maintain different perspectives on life and the nation’s future based on their experiences, opinions, habits and behavior.

Cannabis voters: The pathway to winning the White House
Both the Harris and Trump campaigns must understand that diverse cannabis voters are looking for a president who supports legalization with equity. A diverse cannabis industry built on fairness can generate wealth and help address the harms caused by past policies.

Life science trade group’s five-year vision includes further support for a diversified workforce
MassBio President and CEO Kendalle Burlin O’Connell addresses attendees at the group’s annual conference on April 24. The trade group released a five-year vision plan Oct. 2, emphasizing priorities such as growing and diversifying the industry’s workforce as ways to keep the sector growing in the state.

Remembering Cissy Houston
Houston’s daughter-inlaw Pat Houston confirmed her passing saying, “Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness. We lost the matriarch of our family,” Pat said in a statement, “Cissy has been a strong and towering figure in our lives. A woman of deep faith and conviction, who cared greatly about family, ministry and community.

Boston Arts Academy honors June Ambrose, Debbie Allen and others
“Philanthropy makes up a big part of ensuring that we’re able to have summer reading, that we’re able to have extra interventions and math. If you come in a little behind in academics, we’re really able to make sure that they’re able to catch up,” she said.

47th Annual Roslindale Day Parade
The event takes place on the first or second Sunday in October and showcases the diversity and beauty of the neighborhood and its residents..

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk
Members of the Divine Nine show up for the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk on Saturday, Oct 5..

Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation celebrates 45 years
(above) Kimberly R. Lyle, CEO of the Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation (bottom left) Boston Poet Laureate Porsha Olayiwola delivers keynote address (bottom right, from left) Kimberly R.

Age Strong Latinx celebration
The Age Strong Commission celebrated Latinx Heritage Month with great food, great music and great company at Roxbury’s Reggie Lewis Track & Athletic Center..

Latinx Heritage Month at City Hall Plaza
Last week the City of Boston held a Latinx Heritage Month celebration on City Hall Plaza..

The Black and Missing Foundation is shining a light on the alarming number of missing Black people
The disappearance of 24-year-old Tamika Huston opened the eyes of people across the nation when she first went missing in 2004 — particularly, the meager news coverage of the South Carolina native’s case compared to the full court press given to missing white women.

Boston Area Church League holds annual award luncheon
The Boston Area Church League held its 22nd annual award luncheon at the Hilton Hotel in the Back Bay. The luncheon culminates a year in which Boston area children, ages 6-12 years old, get to learn and play the game of baseball in a free program sponsored by the Boston Red Sox and local law enforcement.

NFL and domestic violence in spotlight, again
During the investigation, the police found what was believed to be cocaine on the scene and placed Peppers under arrest. Charges of assault, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, strangulation and possession have been brought against Peppers because of this incident.

Major League Baseball playoffs in full swing
As of this writing, we find the Major League Baseball playoffs in the divisional round of competition, with the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres battling for the right to play for the National League...

Businesses urged to hire returning citizens
Miller is the former president of the National Basketball Association’s Portland Trailblazers and presently works as the chairman of the advisory board for Jordan Brand, the shoe component owned by the former Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards professional basketball great Michael Jordan.

Harris campaign’s key economic policies highlighted ahead of presidential election
Harris also wants to permanently restore the Expanded Child Tax Credit to up to $3,600. Currently the mark for the 2023 tax year is $2,000 per child. For middle-class working families, the expanded Child Tax Credit lowered taxes or helped them pay their rent or mortgage, along with buying food, and essentials for their children.

A bounty of jazz in Boston this fall
From the very famous to the well-known to those up-andcoming, the city has an unusually rich, nearly pre-pandemic musical season this year. Lots of small venues are offering audiences a chance to listen in and engage with the music, but four venues have cornered the market.

‘CODED’ reimagines iconic African American spirituals
“If you don’t actually know the meaning behind the songs, sometimes they just sound like beautiful tunes, right?” said McNeely, a cellist and member of A Far Cry, a Boston-based collaborative chamber orchestra. “You might not realize … the deeper, darker message,” she added.

Ways to commemorate and celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day in Boston
Monday, Oct. 14 is Indigenous Peoples’ Day, a celebration of Indigenous culture, history and heritage. Cultural institutions around Boston are celebrating with special programming, free admission and live art-making.