Facade of Bolling Building receives Boston landmark designation
When local political strategist Joyce Ferriabough Bolling bought her first piece of furniture, it was at Ferdinand’s Blue Store. The long-standing Roxbury department store’s facade is still visible today, now a part of the municipal building that bears her late husband’s name.

Reggie Lewis Center welcomes new leadership
First opened in 1995, the Reggie is located at Roxbury Crossing and functions as a space not only for RCC students but also for those from local high schools and other community groups.

Fractures seen in mayor’s relationship with Black community
Wu’s response to Hill’s barrage of questions speaks to the fractures now showing in her relationship with Boston’s Black community.

In 1988, Jesse Jackson and Mike Dukakis were a political odd couple
After Jesse Jackson’s death last week, former Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis put out a brief statement through his son on Facebook. “I was sorry to hear this,” Dukakis said. “Jesse inspired a lot of people. I think ‘Keep Hope Alive’ in 1984 and 1988 did help lead to ‘Yes We Can’ in 2008.

Boston’s Black veterans need accountability and equity-focused services
There has never been a defining chapter in American military history in which Black service members did not stand on the front lines. From the Revolutionary and Civil War to World Wars I and II, and through the Korean and Vietnam conflicts and the Gulf War, their contributions have profoundly shaped the nation’s present identity.

Lessons learned from a night with Ilyasah Shabazz, author, activist and daughter of Malcolm X
Shabazz said her mother raised her six girls in a “bubble of love.” Betty Shabazz was a force of nature who reanimated Malcolm in a way that made their family feel whole.

The troubling state of our American Union
When the Trump administration took over from the Biden administration in the beginning of their second term, they began by blowing up as many DEI and social programs as they could, leaving our country’s social network in shambles.

Addressing Boston’s housing emergency
Boston is currently facing a housing crisis that threatens the city’s economic diversity and long-term stability. As one of the most expensive cities in the United States, the gap between escalating rents and stagnant wages has pushed the dream of homeownership — and even stable tenancy—out of reach for thousands.

“They’re still trying to tell us not to believe our own eyes.”
“Everything cost so much more than last year, I wonder where they shop.”.

Year in, Trump’s agenda has deepened Black economic pain
Prepared jointly with several nonprofit organizations, the report centers on the connection between the White House’s domestic policy agenda and the struggles of Black American households and workers.

Honoring Black history means protecting Black futures
Ashley Stewart, Ph.D., is a developmental scientist and the inaugural American Institutes of Research Health Equity Research Fellow at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation.

IN THE NEWS
The University of Massachusetts Amherst’s decision to rename its Chancellor’s Leadership Awards in honor of the late professor John H. Bracey Jr. is more than a formal gesture; it is a profound recognition of a man whose life work redefined the academic and social fabric of the institution.

‘Basketball saved all our lives’
Community members, former players and local organizers packed The DeWitt Center at Madison Park for the third Boston Neighborhood Heroes Awards, an event dedicated to honoring the men and the basketball leagues that have helped keep Boston’s youth alive during some of the city’s most dangerous decades through the present day.

Blue chip to Big Blue: Fope Ayo seals the deal with the Wolverines
This is the story of two women, Fope Ayo and Ushearnda Stroud. The 6-foot, 5-inch Fope (pronounced Fo-pay) Ayo is rated the number one high school female basketball player in Massachusetts (number 45 in the United States).

Yes, we need jobs. We need Black wealth, too
These numbers are not mere statistics — they signal families set back, dreams delayed, and communities left more vulnerable each time the economy falters.

Roxbury native wants media nonprofit to be ‘the BET and Telemundo’ of Worcester
At the time, there was a negative connotation about the city’s young people. Many would gather in their off time at the Worcester Youth Center, where “they were being attacked like no one’s business, almost kind of similar [to] the ICE situation,” said Floyd, who now runs 97.

It’s Cookie Time!
Girl Scout Cookie Season is in full swing, and this weekend, and the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts (GSEMA) celebrated National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend Shown here are Dorchester Troop 72132 and Roxbury Troop 82487. The Dorchester troop has been out almost every weekend selling cookies because they are going to Washington, D.

Overture to Spring: A Black History Month Family Concert
On February 15, the Strand Theater hosted an afternoon of powerful music featuring City Strings United and the Sheffield Chamber Players. This free performance celebrated young musicians, the community and the impact of music education..

Popular Black-owned restaurant expands from Downtown Boston to Foxborough
Lillian and Helder (George) Brandão are living the American Dream. Growing up in Dorchester, the couple rooted for the Patriots on TV every Sunday. Now, they’ve opened the second location of their restaurant Estella in the heart of the action at Patriot Place in Foxborough.

Say ‘cheers’ to Black-owned spirit brands at this cocktail party
In honor of Black History Month, Liteworks Events will host “The Black Label: A Toast to the Culture” affair on Feb. 28 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. The gathering will be “an elevated tasting experience featuring over a dozen Black-owned wine, spirits and specialty beverage brands all in one room.

Actor Blair Underwood arrives in Boston for Mass250 historical project
An exciting Black historical project for Massachusett’s 250th commemoration has recruited acclaimed actor Blair Underwood as a cast member.

Still flying high
Having first formed at Howard University under the tutelage of legendary horn player Dr. Donald Byrd, The Blackbyrds have taken Byrd’s jazz roots and influences and added a wide range of sounds and styles to make music that is both reminiscent and revolutionary, even all these years later.

‘Sanctuary City’ explores places of refuge in dark times
The Mildred S. Lee Gallery at the Rose Art Museum in Waltham has gone dark. As part of the installation “Yinka Shonibare: Sanctuary,” visitors enter a darkened space. When their eyes adjust, they see a small city of black wooden structures lit up and glowing from the inside.

Grammy winner Sullivan Fortner, on the move
Vivo Performing Arts is hosting pianist and composer Sullivan Fortner at Arrow Street Arts in Cambridge on March 8 at 7 p.m. with Tyrone Allen on bass and Kayvon Gordon on drums in a one-show-only musical experience that will close out Vivo’s fourday jazz festival.

THE POWER OF CRAFT
“This exhibition showcases not only the extraordinary skills being taught in carceral settings,” said Artistic Director and Chief Curator Beth McLaughlin, “but also shows the power of craft to foster agency, learning and resilience in underserved populations.