THE APPARENT DEATH of Harmony Montgomery following her placement with her father in New Hampshire has fueled emotionally charged discussions regarding what happened in court, legal questions about the Interstate Compact on Children, the role of the state Department of Children and Families, and recommendations regarding systemic reform in the pursuit of preventing this kind […]
Race/Racism
Posted inOpinion
Could Supreme Court’s admissions decision affect Mass. climate law?
AT THE END of this past year’s term, the US Supreme Court issued a decision finding that affirmative action programs at Harvard and the University of North Carolina violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Reasoning that college admissions are zero-sum and consideration of race necessitates “employ[ing] race in a negative manner” as […]
Posted inEducation
Why Latino parents seem satisfied with Boston schools — but big challenges remain
WHEN LATINO AND Asian parents in Boston watch their children navigate the school hallways, fluently conversing in English, it is a moment of triumph. It’s a tangible step toward achieving the American dream: their children are assimilating, often becoming the family’s primary translator. Such achievements, though seemingly minute, are monumental in the eyes of immigrant […]
Posted inRace/Racism
Black Boston takes the convention stage
For the first time in four decades, the national NAACP convention came back to Boston with a point to prove and a long list of political priorities to hammer out. Paradoxically, the 114th convention and its 13,000 attendees represent both a commitment to shared values but also a platform for the “rich diversity that exists […]
Posted inRace/Racism
Ogletree was a peerless champion for justice
THE SUNDAY MORNING drive to Dorchester from the iHeart Radio studios just north of Boston was uneventful except for the presence of political royalty in the car. I sat slightly slumped in the back of the black SUV. The Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. sat in the front of the vehicle, riding shotgun. As we headed […]
Posted inRace/Racism
NAACP panel tackles venture capital’s role in the racial wealth gap
Bostonians are very familiar with a bracing data point: in 2015, the median net worth for White households in Greater Boston was about $250,000, but just $8 for Black households. The story behind that study was complicated, but the spirit remains unpleasantly on point. Systemic wealth gaps persist. The average household wealth of a White […]
Posted inRace/Racism
Blacks and Jews must stand together for democracy
IN THE STORY of 20th century America’s struggle for civil rights, Blacks and Jews have had success combating bigotry when standing together as allies. With the rise of white supremacy, it’s essential that we reinvigorate that alliance. Historically, the Black and Jewish communities have affirmatively reached out to one another, finding solidarity together when facing […]
Posted inEducation
Mass. scrambles after affirmative action ruling
EDUCATION, BUSINESS, AND government entities in the Bay State expressed outrage and despair at the US Supreme Court decision striking down the use of race in college admissions, which sets up an uncertain path to boosting diversity across schools and workforces. The court considered two cases challenging affirmative action – at Harvard and the University […]
Posted inRace/Racism
Could Harvard affirmative action ruling threaten Boston exam school policies?
ALL EYES IN the higher education world are on the Supreme Court, which is expected to rule any day on whether universities can use race as a factor in admissions decisions. But the case – involving Harvard and the University of North Carolina – could have ripple effects into K-12 education that land squarely in […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Time to enact new rules for use of facial recognition software
LAST NOVEMBER, on the day after Thanksgiving, yet another Black man was wrongfully arrested due to racially biased face surveillance. Randall Reid was detained on his way to dinner with his mother after Louisiana law enforcement agents got a warrant based on a false facial recognition match. He spent a week in jail. Mr. Reid […]