Health Equity summit pushes back on cuts
At the event, which brought together almost 1,000 attendees at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and online, pending federal cuts to Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and scientific research were a persistent specter — one that organizers said advocates across the state must push back on.

New local NAACP board focuses on health equity, housing, elected school committee
Hundreds of thousands take part in No kings protest marches in Cities around the country. Protesters marching to the Minnesota State Capitol.

1.5 years after approval, access to sickle cell therapies slowly spreads
Those crises, she said, have been getting worse over the past decade. In her four years of high school, Maitre said she was hospitalized for a sickle cell crisis maybe once. Now she’s admitted to the hospital for three- or four-week stints at a time, every month or two.

Activists protest Israel’s recent attack on Iran
Several dozen activists marched from the JFK Federal Building to the Israeli consulate in Park Square to call on U.S. lawmakers to push for a de-escalation of hostilities after Israel bombed Iran Thursday evening, hitting nuclear enrichment facilities and apartment buildings in the suburbs of Tehran.

NAACP’s Boston branch calls for halt to White Stadium demolition
The NAACP Boston Branch is calling on the administration of Mayor Michelle Wu to halt demolition on White Stadium, citing the projects displacement of BPS students from the facility, negative community impacts on parking and traffic, what it says is...

Juneteenth is America’s Holiday
When I was growing up, my mom would never miss the Roxbury Homecoming celebration. Even as she got older, we would stake out a spot the night before and return the next day and set up our cooler, food and chairs for the community picnic that’s been taking place in Franklin Park for decades.

“From the first Juneteenth to this week’s celebration Juneteenth is a family affair.”
“From the first Juneteenth to this week’s celebration Juneteenth is a family affair.”.

Can Black Teacher Pipelines Survive Trump’s Attacks?
And she did, becoming a high school English teacher in 2017. Now, at Science Leadership Academy at Beeber in Philadelphia, she also works with high schoolers who aspire to be teachers through the nonprofit Center for Black Educator Development.

IN THE NEWS
The Newberry Library, one of Chicago’s most historic cultural institutions, has presented its Newberry Library Award to Henry Louis Gates, Jr., the Alphonso Fletcher University Professor at Harvard University. The annual award recognizes outstanding achievement in the humanities.

What political violence means for Black America
The recent targeted murders of elected officials in Minnesota are a national tragedy — shameful, despicable and heartbreaking. On June 14, former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband were gunned down in their Brooklyn Park home by a man impersonating a police officer.

Kickball at Fenway Park brings high achieving students around Boston together
State Reps. Christopher Worrell and Dan Ryan invited the 60 students, who attend schools in Dorchester, Roxbury and Charlestown. Worrell represents the Fifth Suffolk District in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, which includes Dorchester and Roxbury.

In the key of us: John Coltrane and the spirit of Black music
“In truth, it is literature which establishes the context for social, political action. The writer who creates stories or narrates incidents which embody the essential nature of human (spiritual) existence … also suggests commitments … which will contribute most to man’s immediate welfare and ultimate fulfillment as a human being.

Echoes of emancipation: A Juneteenth reflection
Photograph of African American band at Emancipation Day celebration, June 19, 1900, held in “East Woods” on East 24th Street in Austin. Mrs. Grace Murray Stephenson kept a diary of the day’s events, which she later sold to the San Francisco Chronicle, which wrote a full-page feature on it.

Keeping Black tradition alive: A look at the importance of preserving African American culture
“Honoring tradition allows individuals to reflect on the progress made and the ongoing fight for equality, fostering a profound connection to their ancestry and boosting self-esteem,” said Bolton. “It also has the ability to heal generations from the epigenetic trauma of slavery.

Juneteenth – the youth response
The annual holiday Juneteenth is celebrated to commemorate the “official” end of slavery in the United States, after the Civil War. Juneteenth is also commonly known as Emancipation Day or Freedom Day. For Black people, this holiday is meant to be celebratory in acknowledging our freedom and growth as a community.

At Juneteenth event, local artists prioritize resilience and joy
What was once celebrated on a city or state level is now celebrated nationwide as a federal holiday on June 19, also known as Juneteenth. And in the spirit of the holiday, Cambridge’s LabCentral is hosting a special exhibit and panel discussion, centering local Black artists and community activists in an event called “Juneteenth: Freedom & Form.

Red Sox trade Devers to Giants for multiple players
As strange as this may seem, the Boston Red Sox, fresh off a threegame weekend sweep of the New York Yankees, made bigger headlines with the announcement of the trade of three-time All-Star slugger Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants for multiple players.

The Thunder hold a 3-2 advantage in the NBA Finals
The Oklahoma City Thunder, the youngest team to reach the NBA Finals in 48 years, got 71 points from their prolific backcourt combination of Jalen Williams, who had a playoff career-high 40 points, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 31 points...

The business of Juneteeth
Juneteenth, celebrated on June 19, marks the day in 1865 when enslaved African Americans in Texas were finally informed of their freedom — two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

Business owner looks to establish ‘Black Cheers’ in Roxbury
When he opened District 7 Tavern in 2018, he built a neighborhood bar for the people, with live music, guest bartenders, and plenty of space to watch the big game. Today, he hopes to expand that safe space for community connection during the daytime hours with his new restaurant just around the corner, District 7 Cafe at 376 Warren St.

Cloak-and-Dagger Cocktails
Boston is far from a dry town, but the thrill of the speakeasy is just as exciting as it was during Prohibition. Speakeasy-style cocktail bars are having a renaissance in the city. Some are leaning into a saloon style, while others require a password or a back-alley address for entry.

Soul & Sangria
Now in its 11th edition, Soul & Sangria 2025 will feature live bands and DJs, signature cocktails and sangrias, a handpicked marketplace of some of the city’s best small businesses, delicious food by Boston’s up-and-coming and veteran chefs and floral installations and custom photo backdrops.

‘Free as They Want to Be’
History and liberation are examined and reimagined in “Free as they want to be: Artists Committed to Memory” at the Ethelbert Cooper Gallery of African & African American Art in Harvard Square. Artists use photography, film and archival resources to explore the histories of enslaved people and the African diaspora.

RoxFilm returns, amplifying Black voices in a climate of erasure and chaos
In January, President Trump signed an executive order ending diversity initiatives across the federal government. In February, he signed an executive order banning critical race theory from K-12 schools.

A riveting ‘Blues for an Alabama Sky’ at Trinity Rep
Written by Pearl Cleage, the current Distinguished Artist in Residence at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, this play addresses such issues as racism, sexism, homophobia and violence among Black people through the story of five characters who are never less than searingly real.