By Talia Whyte
The Grio
The recent arrest of the esteemed black scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. in his Cambridge home has put the Greater Boston area back in the national spotlight as a hotbed of racism.
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By Talia Whyte
The Bay State Banner
Complaints filed with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) by two black Emerson College professors have shined a spotlight on what some say is a problem that has long plagued the school — poor handling of on-campus diversity.
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By Talia Whyte
The Bay State Banner
Local health advocates and community leaders gathered at Simmons College last Saturday to address the problem of racial disparities in clinical research, discuss ways to close the gap and educate the public about how more accurate ethnic representation can lead to better health outcomes for all.
The Annual Workshops to Advance Clinical Research Education (AWARE) are held by the Center for Information & Study on Clinical Research Participation. Held in metropolitan areas, the educational programs are free, open to the public and intended to shed some light on the clinical research process.
According to the center, surveys show that many people believe the process is important, but most — including those in minority communities — don’t know much about it.
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By Talia Whyte
The Bay State Banner
Drawing on his own inspiring life as an example of how one young person can make a difference, legendary civil rights leader Hollis Watkins, 66, spoke to a group of Boston teachers at Old South Meeting House last Saturday about how to engage today’s youth in pressing social issues.
When he was 19 years old, Watkins became the first student in Mississippi to become a voting rights activist for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). He spent most of the 1960s being arrested and jailed for organizing African Americans in the South to vote.
“We must emphasize to our youth today that the civil rights movement was run by the youth,” Watkins said. “When I joined SNCC, I was among the older members at the age of 19. It is up to the young people today to keep the momentum going.”
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