Proposed city fund looks to bolster locally owned pharmacies
It’s a hard time to be a local pharmacy. It’s something that Uche Egesionu, manager at the independent Nubian Square pharmacy Kornfield, knows all too well: an unforgiving reimbursement system through insurance companies, rising commercial rent prices and thefts have left many stores like his struggling or shuttered.

Racial wealth gap likely to grow under Trump administration policies
“Today’s hearing is about more than naming the problem, it’s about deeply understanding the role federal policy plays in creating the disparities and what Massachusetts can do to fight back,” Sen. Liz Miranda, co-chair of the joint committee, said at the hearing.

‘High Flying’ Philip Reavis Sr., Olympian, educator and musician, dies at 89
Reavis was born on October 10, 1936, in Somerville, Massachusetts. During his time at Somerville High School and Villanova University, he broke several track and field milestones including a world record in the high jump..

Mass. food insecurity at record high, report finds
Researchers from the organizations found that 40% of the more than 3,000 households surveyed reported some level of food insecurity — meaning they didn’t know where their next meal was coming from or had to skip meals because they couldn’t get them at some point during the year.

African American Museum of Rhode Island opens
As the crowd swelled beyond expectations and required a quick move to a larger space, it became clear that Providence was hungry for a repository of its own stories.

50 Years Later: The assault that changed the course of the Boston Busing Crisis
Minutes before he was beaten to the ground and had his nose broken, Ted Landsmark was just late.

Rename Dorchester District Court House for Judge Leslie E. Harris
Born in Chicago and raised in that city’s public housing, Harris moved here for graduate study at Boston University and stayed. He worked his way up from a high school teacher, probation officer, public defender and assistant prosecutor to juvenile judge in Suffolk County, where he served for two decades.

For all his many years of work Judge Harris deserves this honor.
For all his many years of work Judge Harris deserves this honor..

Seek generational change at the ballot box
Across the country, many younger voters, and some not so young, have been arguing that members of Congress of a certain age should bow out and pass their seats to someone from a newer generation.

IN THE NEWS
Dr. Kymberly Pinder has been appointed to a second five-year term as the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Dean of the Yale School of Art. She began the role in 2021 and will continue to serve in this capacity through 2031 under her renewed appointment.

Why Black communities must shape school closure decisions
President Obama, while on a podcast, discussed two competing narratives shaping American society. The narrative of hierarchy centers on exclusion — often by race and gender — while the narrative of equality emphasizes a shared creed and collective action.

March Madness runs on Black athletes, but at what cost?
Each March, college basketball becomes a unifying cultural event unlike almost anything else in American life. Group chats fill with bracket talk. Entire cities rally behind teams in ways that transcend sport, connecting generations and giving communities something to believe in together.

Bay State Banner Women’s History Month forum honors the legacy of women’s leadership in conversation with Ayanna Pressley
In conversation with Banner editor and publisher Ron Mitchell on March 20, congresswoman Ayanna Pressley talked about her inspirations and hopes for the future.

Filmmakers behind ‘Daughters’ documentary offer lessons on building community’s trust
The conference, now in its 28th year, brings together nonfiction writers, journalists, editors and others in creative fields to a weekend of events aimed at sharpening their narrative craft. Patton was present with filmmaker Natalie Rae to talk about their documentary “Daughters.

City says ‘no’ to more parking for Roxbury development
But abutters raised alarms about what wasn’t included in the project: Parking for more than a third of the units. The developers planned just 200 parking spaces.

METCO at 60: Built by struggle, sustained by leadership, still striving for educational equity and opportunity
As METCO marks its 60th anniversary, it stands as one of the longest-running voluntary desegregation programs in the United States — born out of protest, sustained by community, and still confronting the same structural inequities that made it necessary.

Girls’ basketball team in Worcester faces ongoing racial harassment
A Facebook video of South High Community School’s girls basketball team went viral earlier this month, amassing hundreds of racist comments. The ongoing vitriol and cyberbullying speaks to an underlying pattern of racial harassment levied at the Worcester team that extends beyond social media.

Traditional powerhouses reclaim throne
The women of Westwood restored some of the luster to the famed “UCLA Basketball Tradition” with their 79-51 thrashing of the Gamecocks of South Carolina.

Nonprofit Speak for the Trees works to expand tree canopy, inspire residents to get involved
Throughout his life, Jarel Ferguson remembers always being fascinated with all things nature: the bugs, trees and animals.

Annual Comics in Color Festival celebrates 6th year bringing BIPOC stories to fans
The duo started meetups at the Grove Hall Branch Library in Dorchester and slowly gained popularity. Once they were able to get 80 people to attend one of their events, Luse and Edwards realized that they could officially run their own Black Comic Festival.

Where Black students find racial healing on campus
Black students make up about 13% of college enrollment in the United States, while Black faculty account for only about 7% of fulltime professors, creating a significant gap between the number of Black students and faculty, according to the National Center of Education Statistics.

Eat and run (As in you eat and watch them run)
The Boston Marathon, held this year on April 20, is one of the biggest events of the year in the city. The race is the oldest annually operating marathon in the world and runners come from all corners of the globe to compete. For Bostonians, it’s a day of immense pride in our city and our strength.

The final days to shop at Final Touch
It was president and co-owner Catherine Hardaway’s idea to open the boutique in service of the Black community. Known for their hospitality and personalized customer service, the family has worked to provide quality service and “access to affordable classy attire.

Black literary luminaries will be celebrated in free youth choral concert
In a season full of programs celebrating America’s 250th anniversary, the voices of the Boston Children’s Choir ring particularly strong. This weekend, the choir will perform a free community concert with the Boston City Singers and the Handel and Haydn Society Youth Choruses Chamber Choir celebrating Black literary luminaries in American history.

Independent Film Festival Boston bringing more than 90 films to local screens
Independent Film Festival Boston (IFFBoston) returns for its 23rd year this month with more than 90 screenings at some of Greater Boston’s most beloved independent venues: Somerville Theatre in Davis Square, Brattle Theatre in Harvard Square and Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline.

John “Brother” Cruz III Easter Egg Hunt
On April 5th, the John B Cruz III Companies celebrated the Easter season wth their 1st Annual Easter Egg Hunt held at Franklin Park..

Boston Comics in Color Festival
The Sixth Annual Comics in Color Festival was held this past weekend at the Reggie Lewis Center in Roxbury. The event included a cosplay contest and illustration workshops..