State closes on sale of former Boston State Hospital parcel
More than four decades after the Boston State Hospital closed, another chapter in the site’s transformation is taking shape in Mattapan. The state has finalized the sale of a 10-acre parcel known as Olmsted Village — one of the last remaining pieces of the 175-acre campus slated for redevelopment.

The Bay State Banner wants to hear your questions
The Bay State Banner wants to hear your questions about the climate and environment. This article was produced as part of a new project called Encyclopedia Climatica, in response to a reader-submitted question. Do you have a question about climate or environment? Submit it to us at tinyurl.

Community air quality efforts score more than $1 million in city funding
Brian Swett, the city’s chief climate officer, said the grants serve as one way the city is looking to bring new solutions and cleaner air to Boston residents by supporting community members in having a say about how the problem is tackled, even as it tackles larger municipal-led efforts.

Pro-Palestinian activists see shift in attitudes after two years of war
But after two years of Israel’s siege of Gaza, during which people around the world have witnessed video recordings of Palestinians gunned down, bombed and burned alive by Israeli soldiers, activists say the needle has moved on popular opinion of Israel’s occupation.

Encyclopedia Climatica: What can a Bostonian do to help ease climate change?
According to a report released earlier this year by Carbon Majors, a database of production data from 180 of the world’s largest fossil fuel and cement producers, 36 of the largest fossil fuel companies were responsible for more than half of global carbon dioxide emissions in 2023.

Boston’s Black Men and Boys Commission looks to the future with renewed purpose and growing reach
Established in 2022 and now written into city law, the Commission advises City Hall on policies that extend opportunity for Black men and boys in education, housing, health and safety and economic mobility.

Spending and investing in our own communities will insure success
Unfortunately, it is an environment we as a people know very well, an environment that until recent decades was the norm in this country. As in the past, the only way we are going to continue to survive and thrive is by supporting our own businesses and institutions, not just with our kind words and feelings of love, but with our cold, hard cash.

“It’s up to all of us now if our community is going survive.“
“We have to make the effort to buy Black and make our dollars count.”.

IN THE NEWS
After a career spanning over two decades, the multi-awardwinning journalist and senior investigative reporter for the GBH News Center, Phillip Martin, has retired.

Black Boston at the ballot box Part two: Where we sit currently
If history has taught us anything, it is that Black political power in Boston is fragile, often symbolic, sometimes sabotaged and nearly always dependent on relentless organizing. So where do we stand today? The answer is stark: nowhere near where we should be.

Is mainstream media bowing down to government fearmongering?
I work for the Houston Defender, an independent outlet that unapologetically prioritizes the needs and concerns of Black people. That grounding gives me perspective and a slight sense of relief. But I often wonder what my media associates at mainstream legacy outlets are experiencing.

Boston’s Black Wall Street remembered: A tribute to Roxbury’s era of prosperity
Marie Firmin, the founder of The Way We Were and CEO of BlackBiz Development Group, explained that she used three different methodologies to capture the entrepreneurial spirit that marked Boston’s Black Wall Street era.

Lawsuit aims to stop taxpayer information sharing with ICE
“It is a shocking revelation that the Social Security Administration has also agreed to send private taxpayer data to ICE for immigration enforcement,” said Greater Boston Legal Services senior attorney Luz Arévalo.

Risk to Affordable Care Act and Medicaid forces extended shutdown
By all accounts, there’s no end in sight for the federal government shutdown that started on Wednesday the 30th. Votes held in the Senate on Friday didn’t lead to an agreement between congressional Democrats and Republicans; meanwhile, the verbal sniping across the aisle continued, a sign that left and right are still far apart.

New affordable housing heads to Mattapan
“We had the luck of being designated for five parcels along Blue Hill Avenue to develop affordable homeownership units and commercial spaces. Part of our process at DVM Housing Partners is really trying to bring in the community as much as we can through the development process,” she said.

Ben Crump pledges $50k to the Black Press
“Democrats need to spend money now with the Black Press,” Cummings told “Let It Be Known,” the Black Press morning news show, on the red carpet. “The Black Press has always been that vehicle in our community that we’ve all needed and that has always been the trusted voice.

Boston Red Sox sent home for the winter
For a fleeting moment, Boston Red Sox fans were giddy with the thought of sending the New York Yankees to an early exit from Major League Baseball postseason play.

Patriots upset undefeated Bills in Buffalo
The surviving members of the 1972 Miami Dolphins — the only Undefeated Super Bowl Championship team in National Football League history — toasted the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos for keeping their legacy intact for another year. The Patriots and Broncos pulled off stunning victories in two difficult places to win.

2025 Strong Black Women Redefined Conference focuses on joy and rest
Founder Regina Renaye talked about why she chose the theme for this year’s conference, including her intentionality around choosing the date to coincide with the new, unofficial holiday, “Black Girl Day Off” on Oct. 11, which “encourages Black women to take a mental day off to focus on their emotional well-being.

New steakhouse sizzles with Colombian flavor
For owners Vanessa Dorta and Carlos Gomez, opening their doors marks the fulfillment of a long-held dream. The couple met while employed at an Italian steakhouse 15 years ago; he was working in the kitchen and she was a server.

A Night at the Reggie
On Saturday, Oct. 4, the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center at Roxbury Community College celebrated its 30th anniversary by hosting A Night at the Reggie. Reggie Award honorees included (far right) Boston Athletic Association President Jack Fleming, pictured with College President Dr.

Mass Black Expo
On October 3, the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts hosted the Mass Black Expo, with the theme “Building Wealth Together, Owning the Next Decade.” Hundreds of professionals gathered at the Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport for a day of networking and career advancement opportunities.

Greatest MINDS Community Conversation
The Greatest MINDS Program joined the Bay State Banner at the Shaw Boston Public library in Nubian Sq. for an engaging community discussion exploring the powerful history of the Bay State Banner 60th anniversary issue as it chronicled the voices, struggles and triumphs of Black Boston and beyond for six decades.

‘Martin Puryear: Nexus’ at MFA Boston
Interpreting the natural world through organic materials and exquisite craftsmanship

‘Hang Time’ is a powerful portrait of Black men in America
Pulitzer Prize finalist Zora Howard describes her play “Hang Time” as “a talking play.” In it, three men have a meandering chat, bantering about love, life and the blues. Underneath the surface of their 60-minute conversation lies a poignant portrait of Black men in America.

Storytelling as resistance is explored in new J.Lo film, ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’
“Kiss of the Spider Woman” opens Oct. 10 in theaters nationwide.

‘TINA’ honors the Queen of Rock ’n’ Roll
In 2017, actress Darilyn Burtley was living in Chelsea and working in Beacon Hill. Every day she would walk past the glittering marquee at the Emerson Colonial Theatre, dreaming of performing on that stage. Eight years later, that dream has come true. This month, Burtley will star there as the “Queen of Rock ‘n Roll” in “TINA: The Tina Turner Musical.