Remembering Joan Wood, South End affordable housing activist
The genesis of Wood’s activism can be traced to their first house search with an African American couple, two of her colleagues, in the North End. Once the realtor saw the Black couple, he claimed that the house had already been sold. Enraged by this blatant racism, Wood’s career crystallized into one defined by change-seeking.

Upham’s Corner community faces traffic safety concerns
Stand with Anthony Meeks in the heart of Upham’s Corner for a few minutes and it’ll sound like he’s chanting a mantra — and in many ways, he is. “Red light. Red light. Red light,” he notes as cars run a traffic signal at a pedestrian crossing in the middle of the business corridor.

Advocates, lawmakers make final push for Ebony Alert bill
If the final vote is successful, advocates believe Massachusetts could serve as a model for advancing protections of missing and exploited people, sparking a wave of change in the Northeast. California was the first state to implement an Ebony Alert system in 2024.

Brigham and Women’s nurses return to work, ending largest nursing strike in Mass. history
“It’s exciting, but also frightening,” said Christine Forgeron, a cardiac nurse at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “I don’t know what to expect when we go back to our patients, what happens next, because we still don’t have a contract is the most unsettling part.

$170m in medical debt erased for 140,000 Eastern Mass. residents in nonprofit deal
Three nonprofits — Atrius Health Equity Foundation, Undue Medical Debt and the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association — last month announced $170 million in grantfunded relief to cover the medical debt of over 140,000 residents in Eastern Massachusetts.

Big efforts for small businesses
Some of those businesses already exist in the community; others could fill significant needs as leaders aim to reshape the area into a more vibrant and active hub. Obi pointed to businesses like dry cleaners and pharmacies, sit-down restaurants and day care centers.

ICE dehumanization kills again.
ICE dehumanization kills again..

ICE agents aren’t police officers
ICE is at it again. Less than a week apart, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents killed a man in Houston, Texas, and another in Biddeford, Maine.

Franklin Park enhanced
The reopening came in time for summer lessons offered by the Franklin Park Tennis Association, which had relocated its activities to Almont Park in Mattapan during construction.

Dianne Wilkerson, Donald Trump and white America’s double standard
I try to read the city’s major newspapers daily. But a June headline in the Boston Herald stood out. It was the Joe Battenfeld story on Dianne Wilkerson. The headline said, “Felony conviction isn’t holding her back.” As if something that happened is 2010 should.

IN THE NEWS
Milly Arbaje-Thomas was officially welcomed as the new president and CEO of Campus Without Walls (CWW) during its Public Launch Breakfast at The Boston Foundation.

Kalshi’s ‘Segregation Market’ turns Black suffering into a betting line
How much would you have bet on Rosa Parks moving to the back of the bus? This is the kind of information that Kalshi, a U. S. prediction market, wants to know.

City of Boston opens the latest budgeting cycle for resident ideas
On July 1, the city opened submissions for its latest round of participatory budgeting, a process through which residents submit ideas for services, amenities or other projects to benefit Boston. Those ideas are voted on and the most popular are funded through a portion of the city’s annual spending.

The Polar Bears of Martha’s Vineyard
The Polar Bears of Martha’s Vineyard, a historic African American swim/water aerobics club, opened their 80th season on Saturday, July 4 at 7:30 a.m. at Inkwell Beach with a record 270+ people participating. The organization, led by Caroline Hunter, offers daily deep-ocean swimming and water aerobics from July 4 through Labor Day.

Tony Richards Basketball Court Renaming
Tony Richards, founder of No Books No Ball Basketball, was honored this week when a basketball court at Ramsay Park in the South End was named after him. City officials, fans, clergy and The New Edition’s Michael Bivins were on hand to celebrate the accolade.

‘The Hoodlympics’ is a high-energy field day for adults
This community field day is offered in partnership with Save the Harbor/Save the Bay and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), which runs the Better Beaches Grant Program.

Haitian restaurant Marabou Cafe in Mattapan Square will soon serve alcohol
Some of the most popular dishes at Marabou are traditional Haitian meals like griot, a marinated pork shoulder; and legume, a savory vegetable stew. Diners can customize their dishes by choosing fried or grilled preparations and two sides from a list of rice, plantains, fries, steamed vegetables and fritay.

14 entrepreneurs graduate from city’s business access program
The city’s Office of Small Business recently celebrated 14 graduates from its first BizUnlocked Boston Business Access Program on June 28. In partnership with Tessi Consulting, the new program offers resources, fundamental business training and connections for small business owners just starting out.

Boston rents drop for 13 straight months as vacancy rates climb and job market weakens
Xu analyzed each of those demand trends. Boston has one of the highest shares of international students among major U.S. metro areas, with 11% of students coming from abroad. Their absence, she said, can have ripple effects on industries relying on the skilled labor they typically provide after graduation.

Gardner Museum launches free admission every Thursday after 5 p.m.
When Isabella Stewart Gardner, one of Boston’s most fabulous and notorious historical celebrities, created her art museum, her goal was always for the public to enjoy it. After decades of collecting artworks and curating precisely arranged exhibitions with elements from her travels and objects she held dear, Gardner opened the doors for all to see.

Front Porch Arts Collective celebrates 10 years
The Porch launches its new decade building on the impact it has achieved since 2016, when Dawn Meredith Simmons and Maurice Emmanuel Parent founded the company and led its first decade as co-producing artistic directors.