Partnership between Metro Boston Alive and MGB fosters new trust for addiction care
The Metro Boston Alive headquarters in Roxbury, Jan. 31. Since 2022, the Roxbury recovery program has partnered with Mass General Brigham’s Bridge Clinic to provide substance use disorder support in the community, a partnership that they said has brought new trust to the programming.

‘It’s going to be a battle every day’ as Boston’s immigrant communities face new federal policies
Starting in the first days of his second term, President Donald Trump announced a host of policies aimed at restricting immigration and the rights of immigrants in the United States. He signed many of the executive actions hours after his inauguration.

Former U.S. education secretaries convene over future of agency
When three former federal secretaries of education opined on the future of their agency, they were at times honest, critical and hopeful. Refusing to despair at calls to abolish the U.S. Department of Education, each leapt to defend it during the January webinar hosted by the Brookings Institution.

Black gun ownership is rising
African Americans, especially Black women, are the fastest-growing demographic of new gun owners, according to a Pew Research study. With the increasing attacks on immigration, DEI and women’s rights, some are wondering if the current political climate has anything to do with these numbers.

Roxbury librarian files discrimination complaint against Boston Public Library
Roxbury librarian Allen Knight (right) accepts a certificate of appreciation from Boston Public Library President David Leonard for 25 years working at the Boston Public Library at an event in November 2018. Knight was placed on leave in July, after an event at the library ran overtime and a patron urinated on books in the children’s section.

“My family has lived in this country for five generations and they just demanded my ID.
“My family has lived in this country for five generations and they just demanded my ID..

Trump launches damaging deportation blitz
It didn’t take long for newly installed President Trump to launch his promised war on undocumented immigrants. Three days after his inauguration, federal officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began staging widespread raids and arrests, spreading fear and panic in immigrant communities.

What do we do now? Ten action steps for the next four years
There’s so much going on right now that it’s impossible to keep track of it all, and that’s the point. They want us to be overwhelmed so we can’t keep up or fight back, but today, I want to give you 10 action steps you can take to stay engaged, make a difference, and protect your peace.

IN THE NEWS
The Urban College of Boston just announced and welcomed Dr. Aisha Miller and Dr. Priscilla H. Douglas as its inaugural executives in residence. The new executive in residence program will usher in a new era of thought partnership and mentorship as the series will develop the Urban College of Boston’s networks and the connections with their students.

The power of Black boycotts: Be intentional
Peace family. I think it’s important to start with that as I want us to find and live in our own versions of peace. There seems to be landmines and dumpsters at every theoretical corner that we walk or drive past.

Valentine’s Day gift guide: jewelry for every relationship
While flowers and chocolates are a good start, no Valentine’s Day gift is as unapologetically romantic as fine jewelry. For many couples, gifting something as long-lasting and thoughtful as jewelry is a way of showing their commitment and devotion.

Bullpen Project
Brendan Little, Catrina Cooley BPHC, Dr. Bisola Ojikutu, Elsa Gomes Bondlow-Social Equity Access Fund, Steve Alperin, Boston BullPen Project.

Boston School Desegregation Panel
”Disrupting the Narrative: Latino Voices in Boston Desegregation; Before, During, and After” — An Evening of Reflection and Empowerment on the 50th Anniversary of Boston School Desegregation was held Jan. 30 at La Sala in Roxbury..

Big Night 2025
Back Row L to R: BBBSEM President and CEO Mark O’Donnell, Guardian Carol Turco, Lisa Hughes, Big Sister Kerry O’Callaghan, Joy Moore, Laura Bronner, Alana Anderson, Andrew Graff Front Row L to R: Little Brother Christopher, Little Sister Caylani, Annissa Essaibi George.

RCC Business Innovation Center Opening
Roxbury Community College hosted the grand opening of the Business Innovation Center, a business incubator hub housed on RCC’s campus. Over 60 supporters joined RCC President Jonathan K. Jefferson, Senator Liz Miranda, Executive Director Luciano Ramos, RCC student Carlens Henri (Business Major), and Director Edwidge.

The theme for Black History Month 2025 is African Americans and labor
The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) explains, “The 2025 Black History Month theme … focuses on the various and profound ways that work and working of all kinds — free and unfree, skilled, and unskilled, vocational and voluntary — intersect with the collective experiences of Black people.

Addie Wyatt fought for labor, civil rights
Wyatt’s career in the labor movement began in the 1940s when she worked in a meatpacking plant in Chicago. Hired as a typist, she was soon forced to work on the production line, where she experienced firsthand the unsafe conditions, discrimination and exploitation faced by workers, particularly Black women.

Chris Smalls took on Amazon
Born in Hackensack, New Jersey, Smalls worked as a supervisor at Amazon’s Staten Island warehouse, JFK8. His journey into labor activism began in 2020 when he raised concerns about unsafe working conditions amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

OneUnited launches down payment program
According to the Bipartisan Policy Center, the housing crisis for Black people in the United States is “characterized by disproportionately high housing cost burdens, entrenched patterns of segregation, concentrated poverty, and distinct challenges accessing homeownership and building family wealth.

ULEM starts 2025 with new staff hires and programming changes
Amid a difficult political climate, the Urban League is continuing to climb the mountain of hope, bringing in as many people from the community as they can with new changes to continue their mission of enabling adults in Eastern Mass.

Jim Rice becomes part owner of the Brockton Rox
Rice, currently a television studio host for the Red Sox, along with fellow owners Rob Janetschek, his father Rob, and Shawn Reilly, attended a press conference at Brockton City Hall on Jan. 29 to make the formal announcement of the independent baseball league franchise, the Brockton Rox.

Top Super Bowl halftime performances of all time
The 2025 Super Bowl in New Orleans will feature the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. While fans will be focused on the game, millions will tune in for the halftime show. This part of the Super Bowl has become just as popular as the action on the field.

Suzuki, Sabathia, Wagner join Baseball Hall of Fame
With the playing of Super Bowl LIX just days away, it is time to start focusing attention on America’s pastime — baseball. Football may have passed baseball as the number one viewing sport in this country, but it cannot overtake the grand old game in historical longevity, complexity and the majestic quality of its greatest stars.

New perspectives on Black History from Boston youth
This Black History Month, the Banner is teaming up with Write Boston’s Teens-In-Print Program, highlighting young voices of color. Each week, we will feature the work of three new students, who will deliver their perspectives on Black History and what it means to them.

Black history matters
As the teacher is talking, I suddenly feel a whirlwind of emotion hit me. I am no longer in history class, but instead, I am surrounded by the rich history of pre-colonial Africa, exploring the trade routes carved out by the Kongo kingdom and so much more.

Black history is more than slavery and civil rights
It’s the beginning of the school year and you’ve just entered your United States history class. As you sit at your desk you’re given a piece of paper — a syllabus that details the topics that will be covered during the school year.

‘Music should always be about the song’
The class was titled, “Songwriter Analysis: Songs of Beyoncé,” and is taught by Associate Professor Keli Nicole Price from the Songwriting Department. Professor Price co-wrote “Déjà Vu” on Beyoncé’s Grammy-winning album “B’Day.

‘Witnessing Humanity’
Artist John Wilson, the sculptor behind “Eternal Presence” at the National Center for Afro-American Artists, has been a revered artistic figure in Roxbury for decades. A new exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts aims to showcase Wilson’s talent on a national scale.

Art expands at MIT
Each year, thousands of people come to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to explore the latest developments in human achievement. While the school may be known for pioneering digital computing and space exploration (among other realms), there is also a very artistic side to the institute.

Boston Arts Academy students to perform at Carnegie Hall and WorldStrides Heritage Festival
The Spirituals is an ensemble of 32 students in the sophomore, junior and senior classes at Boston Arts Academy. They perform music from a broad spectrum of the African diaspora with roots in Negro spirituals. Many of the participants don’t have formal musical training, often due to a lack of access, but passion is prioritized over a lengthy resume.

Black artists took center stage at Grammys
The 67th Grammy Awards kicked off Black History Month in grand style Beyoncé finally got her crowning glory of Album of the Year, something that had eluded her illustrious career for decades. “Cowboy Carter” became number 36 in her collection of Grammys.