City showcase highlights how money from major opioid settlements is being used
Beginning in 2021, those efforts have been funded through settlements reached by the commonwealth of Massachusetts with pharmaceutical companies and distributors, including Johnson and Johnson, Walmart, CVS and Walgreens. As of August 2025, Boston had received more than $15.

Changing cannabis industry brings mixed feelings for operators of color
But a decade later, some business owners from those communities say that as the industry is in flux, the state doesn’t have all the necessary support for equity operators, leaving stores to try to figure out on their own what things will look like next.

Candelaria Silva-Collins, champion of Roxbury arts and cultural institutions, has died
Through more than half a century living in Boston, Silva-Collins founded or seeded Black cultural institutions and programs that include the performance space inside Hibernian Hall, Roxbury Open Studios, an annual literary journal and what has become the Roxbury International Film Festival.

No Kings rally on Boston Common
A crowd of over 180,000 attended the No Kings rally on Boston Common Saturday, March 28. See story, page 7..

Policy change for kidney transplants helped move Black patients up priority list, study finds
A recent policy change in how patients are assessed for a kidney transplant has helped Black patients get on the list of those waiting for donor organs — and has helped more patients get lifesaving treatment, according to a new study from Boston-area researchers.

Boston’s Black leaders honored as Trailblazers; say city has a long way to go
Fernando Phillips, who manages the Teen Career Pathways at the the Boys and Girls Club, said he was “a kid in the community who had a nonprofit.” Now an instructor at the Boys and Girls Club, Phillips is glad to give back to his community and the next generation.

Pressley moves to protect Haitian migrants
The way the rules of the U.S. House of Representatives are written, members of the political party in the minority have few options to shape the legislative agenda, particularly in the polarized chamber that exists now.

Holding the line for Haiti.
Holding the line for Haiti..

IN THE NEWS
The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA) has announced the appointment of Joyce Linehan (left) as chief of staff and Celina Barrios-Millner as chief of economic opportunity. Both having extensive leadership experience in their respective fields, the additions are sure to strengthen the MCCA as a whole.

Black women deserve power
If you’re anything like us, your heart swelled when he thanked his mother and the other Black women in his life for carrying him forward.

Could 2028 be the year the people finally pick the president?
When my son was 11, we walked the Lexington battlefield in Massachusetts. As we crossed that ground, I told him our family descends from the youngest person to carry a musket there that day. He was just a boy. He stood in a different unit from his father.

Wings of protection: The legacy of Milton M. Hopkins Jr. and George Hardy
History is often told through generals and strategies, but its deepest truths emerge from personal stories. For Christina Hopkins, daughter of Milton Moses Hopkins Jr., history was alive at the Friday night card table, where “uncles” played poker and quietly shared the legacy of the Bedford Red Tails.

Over 180,000 attendees at No Kings Boston, organizers say
The rally from 2-4 p.m., one of 162 planned in Massachusetts and 3,000 worldwide, according to organizers, was a protest against what they call “the authoritarian takeover of the United States and for a democracy that works for everyone.”

New performance space will bring jazz — and community connections — to Nubian Square
“To be able to open up a venue of this size … bringing the community together, bringing this venue together that would foster and support local talent, as well as national and international talent, is what the JazzUrbane mission statement is all about,” said Bill Banfield, the cafe’s arts director.

Cruz Development’s One Waverly project secures state funding
With walls sprayed with graffiti and trash lining the street nearby, a dilapidated structure sits at 1 Waverly St. in Roxbury. What had been a movie theater from the 1940s through the 1970s was converted into a Church of God of Prophecy Inc. site and served as a place of worship for more than 20 years.

Eight teams, two cities, zero Cinderellas: The heavyweights take over the Madness
For the brave among you who have watched the multitude of games in this March Madness extravaganza, you have been rewarded. In the men’s competition, Arizona, Michigan, Connecticut and Illinois advanced to their respective regional championship games.

Lawrence Academy’s Egbuonu is Player of the Year
Alex Egbuonu is a 6-foot, 6-inch, 220-pound forward who played the starring role on this year’s Lawrence Academy men’s basketball team.

New food trucks ride onto The Greenway this month
The weather is just barely clearing 50 degrees and already Bostonians are thinking about the return of outdoor dining. Many restaurants will start opening their patios in April and picnic season follows quickly.

Boston Latin School mixer creates safe space for Black alumni
After connecting with some of her Black Boston Latin School 1994 alumni, Alicia Wedderburn and her classmates would always note that Black alumni would not typically attend the traditional class reunions. It was during these conversations that they began to talk about creating an event for Black alumni like themselves and the next generation.

Two can keep a secret …
Truth, duty and compassion are explored in world premiere from DNAWORKS

Women are at the height of their power in ‘Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous’
The Lyric Stage Boston production of “Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous,” on stage through Sunday, April 12, at the company’s 224-seat theater in Copley Square, fully lives up to the verve of the play and its title.

Caribbean Foundation MLK Jr. Appreciation Awards
The Caribbean Foundation of Boston held its 41st Annual MLK Jr. Appreciation Awards banquet honoring Ms. Beulah Fagan Providence (far right photo) who received a special proclamation from Boston Mayor Michelle Wu..

This Moment: Women of Color Driving Change for Equity
State senators Lydia Edwards and Liz Miranda joined others at “This Moment: Women of Color Driving Change for Equity” conference at the UMass Club in Boston..

Economic Pathway Conference
Attorney General Andrea Campbell (top right) joined former Boston Mayor Kim Janey at the Economic Pathway Conference at Boston University.

George Clinton at Berklee
Legendary musician George Clinton visited the Berklee College of Music for their 3rd Annual Africana Studies Symposium. Dr. Funkenstein also played with Berklee students..