Grassroots activists protested through the streets of Boston Sept 30 regarding allegations that Bank of America has predatory practices towards low income customers of color. I interviewed a couple of people in the video about their foreclosure problems.
University of Massachusetts President Robert Caret spoke to Boston reporters Sep. 29 about some new initiatives he would like to undertake during his tenure. I talked to him about his thoughts on closing the achievement gap between white students and students of color. Caret also talked about his thoughts on why public higher education should remain accessible to students of all economic backgrounds. “More money is spent on prisons than on higher education,” he said.
The Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts (ULEM) hosted the “State of Black Boston” (SOBB) conference July 25 to announce its report of the same name, which showcases various social issues affecting black Bostonians. This meeting was held ahead of the National Urban League conference, which is hosting its annual meeting in the city for the first time since 1976.
Many are hoping that the national conference will help erase the belief among many African-Americans nationwide that Boston is racist, due to the infamous school busing and Charles Stuart incidents. While this hope to change racial stereotypes is in the air, others are weary that there is little change within the Urban League, specifically around issues affecting younger demographics.
Watch the video here
By Talia Whyte
The Access Strategies Fund celebrated its tenth anniversary Nov. 10 with a gala at the Villa Victoria Center for the Arts. The organization’s mandate is to “provide non-partisan funding and technical assistance to 501 (c)(3) organizations to build the civic participation and power of people of color, diverse women, low-income people, immigrant communities, and other groups that have been denied power in Massachusetts communities.”
View the video here