Historic MLK Breakfast still going strong after 55 years
“It’s a joy to come and commemorate Dr. King’s birthday so that we don’t forget because younger people these days think things just happen to keep his memory alive. I will continue for as long as the church, you know, wants me to do it, and the committee as well,” she said.

For Mass., transportation funding takes center stage
As currently structured, the Healey administration’s plan, which will be filed as part of the governor’s budget proposal for the next fiscal year, does not rely on any new taxes.

Healey’s plan to eliminate broker fees met with approval and caution
“Broker fees are an unfair cost for renters, and they should not be on the hook to pay for someone they didn’t hire,” Healey said in a statement, adding that the proposal would save tenants thousands of dollars and enable people to afford the cost of living in Massachusetts.

In state address, Healey touts achievements, vows reform to health care, housing and more
Governor Maura Healey leaned into the 250th anniversary of the country as she delivered her State of the Commonwealth speech on Thursday, Jan. 16, at the State House, promising reform to Massachusetts’ transportation, health care, housing, and education systems.

Voting begins for first round of participatory budgeting process
“I think the ideas are representative of who showed up in the process and their ideas, because they’re really widespread in terms of their impact, and also really focused on equity.

Ayanna Pressley channels MLK Jr.’s legacy to call for resistance to Trump
Later in the day, Pressley hosted an event in Roxbury billed as “a day of beloved community.” Staff members from Planned Parenthood and MIRA, an immigrant rights advocacy group, set up tables to share resources with the goal of preparing people to mitigate the anticipated impact of Trump’s policies.

“Trump pardoned his henchmen from the insurrection, but did not do anything to help regular people.“
“Trump pardoned his henchmen from the insurrection, but did not do anything to help regular people.“.

Trump praises MLK’s vision but takes actions to undermine his mission
Donald John Trump didn’t need a Bible to sanctify his inauguration as the nation’s 47th president. God, as Trump told the audience gathered beneath the Capitol rotunda for his swearing-in, had already done that by saving his life from a would-be assassin’s bullet “to make America great again.

IN THE NEWS
Newton resident Angela Pitter was recently elected chair of the board of directors for the Charles River Regional Chamber.

To be female, patriotic and Black
This message arriving on MLK Day added an undeniable layer of irony, given that President Trump’s return to the White House marks the end of an era when chances for electing a Black and South Asian woman to the nation’s highest office were the highest they’ve ever been.

To resist Trump 2.0, look to Florida — and organize
My name is Fedrick Ingram, and I am from the future. Not the distant future — the future that starts on January 20 when Donald Trump returns to the White House, bringing with him the promise of dangerous, retrograde ideas about education, immigration, and even democracy itself.

Josh Kraft is running for Mayor of Boston
Josh Kraft, president of the New England Patriots Foundation and son of Patriots owner Robert Kraft, has decided to run for mayor of Boston, sources close to him confirmed..

State pursues action to protect reproductive healthcare
The funding, under the Reproductive Health Access, Infrastructure and Security Grants program, is intended to provide financial assistance to patients and support infrastructure and security improvements for providers. The grants were announced Jan. 7..

Mayor’s Youth Summit hopes to engage future leaders
The 2025 Mayor’s Youth Summit will take place on Saturday, February 22. The summit is targeted toward youth throughout the city and gives them a forum to showcase their talents and build community. Implemented in 1994 under Mayor Thomas Menino, the summit was hosted annually for 10 years before taking a hiatus in 2005.

Along the Neponset, advocates look to balance remediation work with potential future use
The river is contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, man-made chemicals that were a part of industrial production for decades from the late 1920s until 1979 when they were banned by U.S. law. Exposure to PCBs can lead to a host of health concerns, including an increased risk of developing cancer.

HBCU’S CONTINUE TO STAND AS A BEACON IN DARK TIMES
In existence since the 19th Century, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) were established with the mandate to ensure that Black students would be afforded the opportunity to pursue higher education, despite attempts to prevent them...

Beyoncé pledges $2.5M to help rebuild historic Black community ravaged by fires
When the Eaton Canyon fires roared through Altadena and Pasadena on January 7, the historic Black community of Altadena, a beacon of resilience and Civil Rights-era progress, faced near-total devastation.

Harvard University purchases 1949 Green Book
The Green Book was used during the Jim Crow era of segregation by Black people who had a hard time finding hotels, restaurants and other necessary services when they traveled. According to the Harvard Gazette, this edition includes businesses in both Canada and Mexico.

Ohio State beats Notre Dame for NCAA Title
One of the worst feelings in life is to be the subject of teasing. As a youth or an adult, no one ever forgets the sting of being teased. I use that thought to describe what it must feel like to be a Notre Dame fan following their latest postseason loss in a college football playoff game.

The Final Four in football is set
The Chiefs, the top seed in the American Football Conference, took one step closer to NFL history — a third straight Super Bowl title, with their 23-14 win over the Houston Texans before a sellout crowd at GEHA Field in Kansas City, Missouri.

City of Quincy MLK Day
The City of Quincy celebrated the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King. Former Boston Police Department Commissioner William Gross was the keynote speaker. Students from Quincy’s Woodward School attended Quincy’s MLK Day breakfast event with former commissioner William Gross.

Third Annual Embrace Honors MLK: A Friends and Family Sneaker Affair
(Left photo) From left: Boston Foundation President Lee Pelton, Embrace Boston Co-Founder Rev. Liz Walker, Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts Kim Driscoll, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, Embrace Honors MLK Honoree and Former Massachusetts...

Boston Celtics’ Heroes Among Us Honoree
Emigrating from the Dominican Republic at just seven years old, Ivanna Solano experienced firsthand the challenges faced by young people in need. She founded Love Your Magic, a nonprofit dedicated to celebrating and uplifting Black and brown girls across Massachusetts.

55th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Breakfast
For 55 years, St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church and Union United Methodist Church have collaborated to present a memorial breakfast in honor of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Activist Angela Davis served as this year’s keynote speaker..

10+ THINGS YOU CAN DO WITH YOUR BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY CARD
The Boston Public Library is one of the most important public institutions in this city. Though it holds an impressive collection of books and has 25 neighborhood branches to visit, some of the best perks of having a library card aren’t about reading at all.

Actors’ Shakespeare Project tackles loss and light with August Wilson’s ‘The Piano Lesson’
Over the course of his career, playwright August Wilson produced a repertoire examining the condition of Black America. His plays have become canon in the arts world, with some of them going beyond the stage, like his 1985 “Fences,” brought to the big screen by Denzel Washington and Viola Davis in the 2016 award-winning film.

Angélique Kidjo coming to Somerville Theatre
The five-time Grammy winner and her quartet — a keyboardist, percussionist, drummer and bassist — will perform selections from three albums. “We’ll be celebrating my albums ‘Remain in Light,’ ‘Celia’ and ‘Mother Nature’ and the 40th anniversary of my musical career,” said Kidjo, speaking by phone from Paris last week.

Hope, fear and counter-protests in Washington
The march became a rally at the feet of the Lincoln Memorial, where a range of speakers — union organizers, Palestinian human rights advocates, LGBTQ organizers and others — took the stage, amping up the crowd to defend the rights of others. Also, in the capital were many Trump supporters already celebrating their win and counter-protesting.