Encyclopedia Climatica: What is Boston doing to protect its coasts?
The City’s Office of Emergency Management is handling short-term efforts, such as preparing for upcoming storms. This work includes rapid response solutions such as training and education on physical barriers to stop or slow water and community preparedness efforts to equip residents with better information and communication, such.

Robert Jones, a man of the community, has died at 77
A native of Vicksburg, Mississippi, Bob had a profound love of learning at an early age. His brothers recall that as a teenager, Bob read the entire set of Encyclopedia Brittanica books in one year and he could be found at the library every two weeks returning the books he had read and taking out new ones.

Volunteers submit signatures for rent control measure
“We touched every corner of the state, collected signatures in every county of the state,” said Carolyn Chou, Executive Director of Homes for All. “And that was one-by-one, shift-by shift, supermarket-by-supermarket. Every time we talked to someone, they were ready to sign.

Grant funding looks to close maternal health gaps
And it’s also on the radar of the state Department of Public Health’s Advancing Health Equity in Massachusetts initiative, which is targeting maternal health as well as social determinants of health — factors beyond medical care from a hospital or clinic that impact health — to close racial and regional gaps in health outcomes.

Curious about climate issues?
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.

Black journalists gather in Boston to confront challenges to a free press
On Dec. 11, as part of the Bay State Banner’s 60th Anniversary Forum and the second season of “GBH Amplifies,” publisher and editor Ron Mitchell will host “Democracy on the Line: Black Journalists & The Fight for a Free Press.”

Enough City Council drama, let’s pick a mature leader like last time
We are living through an epidemic of disastrous leadership among the most powerful officeholders on the planet. From the White House to the Kremlin, the world is being buffeted by self-interested autocrats who disguise themselves as public servants.

“Yeah, I think the City Council needs a more mature leader.“
“She used the ‘N’ word as a young adult and now she fights with the police because she wants to ignore the city’s election laws?”.

IN THE NEWS
Prior to Haverford, he was the dean of institutional equity and inclusion at Connecticut College, where he paved the way for building a diverse community by implementing a number of changes across the college.

This Christmas, don’t let our elders be the last ones noticed
Every family has its holiday routines. In many Black households, the music starts early — Stevie Wonder’s “Someday at Christmas,” the Temptations’ “Silent Night,” and that one cousin who insists on singing lead every year despite no one ever assigning them the role.

The leadership lessons Jesse Jackson has given us
Look around the world, and it is easy to find charismatic voices rising amid liberation movements. Black America has been blessed with such figures across generations —perhaps because we have been cursed with a freedom struggle that never really ends..

City releases new tool tracking municipal language access implementation
“It’s an accountability tool,” said Jeniffer Vivar Wong, executive director of the office. “It’s transparency to our community members, and I think it’s also a way to say that we are going to continue to invest in the progression of language access across the city.

Beyond the dream: Documentary reveals uncertain road ahead for TPS families
A documentary screening and panel discussion at Harvard University this month, focused on the experiences of families living in the United States under Temporary Protected Status, a federal humanitarian designation that allows certain immigrants to live and work legally in the country but does not provide a path to permanent residency.

Meet Boston charts a bold 2026 as hospitality reels from 2025 tourism dip
Meet Boston, the city’s tourism bureau, held its annual meeting Dec. 2 at the InterContinental Boston, gathering hundreds of industry professionals and policymakers to review a turbulent year in tourism and highlight an ambitious slate of major events poised to reshape the 2026 visitor economy.

Immigrants kept from Faneuil Hall citizenship ceremony as feds crackdown
Becoming a U.S. citizen takes years and involves immigrants acquiring a green card, extensive interviews, background checks, classes and a citizenship test. The naturalization ceremony is the final step to the process, where the oath of allegiance and a citizenship certificate are granted.

Catholic Memorial wins 4th Super bowl title in 5 years
“I have coached thousands of players during my long career, and my message has remained consistent — to be the best that you can be, in life, in school and on the football field — in that order. My players deserve the credit for my coaching success.

World Cup draw is finalized with 7 games at Gillette Stadium
“We want to show people who we are and play with heart, a good attitude and a lot of humility,” said Bubista, who was recently named Africa’s Coach of the Year. “It’s not a matter of being afraid of Spain. It is about enjoying the game against a team we obviously need to be very wary of.

State investigations into convention center authority spark leadership crisis
Two upcoming state investigations into the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority are creating upheaval at the public-funded agency, and an attorney for the authority’s CEO, Marcel Vernon, said the board made moves to terminate his employment based on his welcoming of those investigations.

From doula to inventor: Dorchester native creates ‘Vision Band’
Inspired by the Korean Spa Headband, the certified doula birthed the Vision Band, “a patent-pending headband that stores and deploys retractable eyewear. It was designed to eliminate nose pain, lens smudging, and the constant frustration of losing or removing glasses throughout the day.

America 250: How can Boston’s citizens lead democracy forward?
The Event “America 250: How can Boston’s citizens lead democracy forward?” was held at Roxbury Community College on Thursday December 4th, 2025. Global Citizens Circle and Get Konnected invited the community about the future of democracy with a cross-section of grassroots community organizers, scholars, and corporate leaders.

MassArt Common Good Awards
This past Saturday the Massachusetts College of Art & Design celebrated several award recipients whose work demonstrates the transformative power of art and design in civic life across the Commonwealth and beyond.

MAAH Living Legends Gala
On December 7, The Museum of African American History held its Living Legends Gala in the Seaport. Honorees included Karen Holmes Ward of WCVB, the late Byron Barnett of WHDH and the Twelfth Baptist Church which is celebrating its 185th Birthday. GParis Alston, the host of GBH News Rooted, served as the mistress of ceremonies for the event.

Black Nativity opening night
The National Center of Afro-American Artists presented the 55th season of “Black Nativity” by Langston Hughes on Friday night at the Paramount Theater in Boston. Co-chairperson of the National Center, Dr. Kafi Meadows, addresses the audience after the performance, as interim director Akiba Abaka toasts the performers.

Black-owned businesses shine at this lively holiday market
“We started with a handful of vendors, and now we have 22 vendors being featured over three days,” she said. “Last year, we had over 800 people come through over three days for our holiday marketplace. So, we’re hoping to have over 1,000 [people this year].

Aatma Curry House opens at Widowmaker Brewing Co.
Chef Keith Sarasin fell in love with Indian food in an unexpected place, in the back corner of a spice shop in Nashua, N.H., where the owner, Indira, asked him if he was hungry and handed him a steaming Styrofoam cup of dahl. The flavorful lentil stew ignited something in Sarasin and he’s been researching and cooking Indian food for two decades since.

Ten years on, ‘Stringfest’ continues to connect young music students with global musicians
Ten years ago, the Guy Mendilow Ensemble, a Ladino musical group, performed with students from two Roxbury-based organizations: the Boston Citywide String Ensemble and City Strings United at Hibernian Hall.

Delfeayo Marsalis and Uptown Jazz Orchestra host the ‘Big Easy Holiday Bash’
Half performance, half party, the Big Easy Holiday Bash includes jazz tunes with R&B beats from the heart of New Orleans, crooning from the moody streets of New York City and classical influences from the grand European music halls. Vocalist Nicole Zuraitis, also a Grammy winner, will perform with the orchestra.

‘Urban Nutcracker’ celebrates 25 years
For two and a half decades, Tony Williams’ “Urban Nutcracker” has reimagined the classic holiday story to the jazzy rhythms of Duke Ellington in the beloved setting of Boston. The production has made the performance more local, more accessible and more diverse, incorporating performers of all backgrounds and dance styles into the vivid production.