National Urban League Conference 2025 report warns of backsliding on racial progress
For the past 115 years the National Urban League has done the same, bringing together leaders, advocates and community members to advance racial and economic justice.

Malcolm-Jamal Warner, beloved star of ‘The Cosby Show,’ dies at 54
Warner reportedly drowned on Sunday while swimming near Limón on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, according to the country’s Judicial Investigation Department. Authorities said he appeared to have been caught in a strong current. Bystanders attempted to rescue him but were unsuccessful.

Proposed health equity legislation aims to decrease disparities across Commonwealth
This year’s bill has a wide range of provisions targeted at different ways of closing health disparity gaps statewide, including broadening workforce supports, creating new statewide health equity goals and ensuring factors like immigration status don’t impact people’s access to care.

Clawback of $1.1 B in federal funding could throw the public media world into chaos
In a major victory for President Trump, Congress has approved a rescission package clawing back $9 billion in federal funds for priorities he deemed wasteful, including $8 billion allocated for foreign aid and $1.1 billion previously appropriated for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which helps fund PBS and NPR and member stations like GBH.

Youth mental health program designed to bring fast results to families
“He’s still at the same school that he was at when he was having those behaviors and the teachers would say, ‘If we didn’t know his story, if we hadn’t seen this before, we would just tell you that this isn’t real,’” said Oduah, whose middle child later went through the center as well.

National Urban League’s ‘State of Emergency’ report calls us to action
Laws and institutions, so often taken for granted, can protect us … until they don’t. Political leaders throughout history have swept away sacred rights and the agents entrusted with their preservation when given an opportunity to disenfranchise their opponents.

“These draconian tactics have got to stop!”
“I can’t believe that all we have built as a community is now under threat by our own government’s military.“.

We carry on: Black family reunions in a time of erasure
Erase the stories, the elders, the recipes handed down on index cards stained with soul. Erase the baby with thick curls chasing cousins through the grass. Erase the uncle who grills with one hand and carries history in the other. Erase the gospel laugh of an auntie who remembers when remembering was survival.

Without AmeriCorps, thousands of future teachers may never start
As a Teach For America (TFA) alum who started my teaching journey in Atlanta, Georgia, I vividly remember the experience the AmeriCorps Education award afforded me 13 years ago. Without it, I would have never been able to become a teacher. More than a decade later, I remain passionate about expanding educational opportunities for all students.

IN THE NEWS
The Sportsmen’s Tennis & Enrichment Center (STEC) is proud to announce that it has included two new skilled coaches to its expanding team, Trang “Tk” Dao and Dominique Coicou. Both have elite playing experience with a passion for youth development, bringing international experience as well as a commitment to helping advance athletes.

NAACP regroups to fight Trump at national convention
“People came with heavy hearts and left empowered and informed and equipped with what they need to go back and fight on the ground in cities and towns across the country,” said Curry, who serves locally as the president and CEO of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers.

The Boston Flower Company comes to Mattapan
A new flower shop arrived in Mattapan this summer with a mission to impact the community with beauty. This is what owner and founder Yanique Shaw seeks to do each day with her newly opened store, The Boston Flower Company, a flower and workshop studio that specializes in weddings and corporate social events, and in hosting creative workshops.

RCC’s innovation hub sparks local entrepreneurship
From left: RCC graduate Brenda Maria Mena; Edwidge Lafleur, BIC director; Luciano Ramos, CESJ executive director; Dominique Chanza, CESJ director of programs; RCC graduate Derek Goodwin; and BIC program coordinator Shana Penna, gather outside the Business Innovation Center at RCC.

Massachusetts High School All Stars
Senior Breanna Braham of Dennis Yarmouth High School was the winner of the 55-meter dash (7.18 seconds) and the 300-meter run (39.54 seconds) at the All-States meet. The multi-school record holder will attend the University of Louisville this coming fall.

Fred Richard: A young man with a vision
The Olympic Bronze medalist from the 2024 Paris Games has taken on a project that speaks volumes to his growth as a man of vision in this world.

Get your groove on at these outdoor dance parties around Boston
During the summer, Bostonians take advantage of every opportunity to be outdoors, especially when it means a party. Outdoor dance parties around the city celebrate local artists, global dance styles and music ranging from R&B and salsa beats to old-school dance classics.

Nzuko offers a healthy fusion of Caribbean and Mediterranean flavors
“I will talk to people about food and how it helps, even insomnia, for example, being able to sleep. There are vegetables that you can eat, and you know as adding your tea or your legume and helps you relax and sleep. So, all these things are really fascinating to me,” she said.

Farewell to revolutionary artist Dana Chandler
When Boston artist and social activist Dana Chandler Jr. died on June 9 at the age of 84, he left not only the legacy of his art. He created an institution in 1978 that also lives on: the African American Master Artists-in-Residence Program (AAMARP), in affiliation with Northeastern University (NEU).

Regie Gibson becomes first poet laureate of Massachusetts
“Regie Gibson is a talented poet with a proven commitment to community engagement and a deep appreciation for the history, beauty and resilience of our state and our people,” said Healey, who signed the executive order to establish the role earlier this year.

The Greenway ARTbeat series brings 50 programs to the urban green space
In partnership with Greenway Business Improvement District (Greenway BID), the Rose Kennedy Greenway has further developed the Greenway ARTbeat, a season-long series of five public art installations, 50 programs and family-friendly activities in the urban outdoor space.

Museum of African American History explores Black experiences during the American Revolution
In the midst of the MA250 celebrations exploring the history of the American Revolution and the establishment of the United States, Boston’s Museum of African American History (MAAH) has launched an exhibition exploring Black experiences during the revolutionary period.

PS3 Casino Night Fundraiser
Darryl Settles joined with his wife Dr. Lisa Michelle Owens speaks on stage at the PS3 Casino Night Fundraiser to support the Preston Memorial Fund. They created the fund in honor of their son, Preston Settles, who tragically passed away at 15 years old from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in 2022.

From left: Glynn Lloyd, Joey Kaigler,...
From left: Glynn Lloyd, Joey Kaigler, Denise Kaigler, Ray Blount, Gail Jackson Blount, Shenia Dancy, Rahsaan Hall, Ronald Mitchell and Monica Cost enjoy gambling at Ron Mitchell celebrity table during the event..

All-African Convention
On July 18-19, the First Annual Sankofa ’25 event took place at the Reggie Lewis Center. Presented by the group Afri-Can, the convention brought together a coalition of religious leaders, students, entrepreneurs and educators from the African and...

Fever pitch in the TD Garden
On Tuesday, July 15, 2025, TD Garden was more than just the home of the Celtics and Bruins; it became the epicenter of women’s professional basketball. The Indiana Fever took down the Connecticut Sun, 85–77, in a sold-out game that electrified the city.