Print and Digital Articles
‘Pain to purpose’: Grieving mothers, aunts organize against street violence
On Sept. 2, 2010, Monalisa Smith’s life began to shift. Her nephew Eric was shot in Dorchester. His body lay in the street for two hours just past midnight before the 18-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene.
Working through her pain, Smith found solace among other community members going through a similar experience. Grief would soon morph into nightly gatherings in the basement of the Deliverance Temple Worship Center.
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Girls’ basketball team in Worcester faces ongoing racial harassment
A Facebook video of South High Community School’s girls basketball team went viral earlier this month, amassing hundreds of racist comments. The ongoing vitriol and cyberbullying speaks to an underlying pattern of racial harassment levied at the Worcester team that extends beyond social media.
The video depicted gameplay from their Division 1 state tournament on March 6 against Andover High School. In it, a South High player appears to push an opponent after their own teammate was knocked down during an Andover play. Social media comments belittled their athleticism while calling the girls disparaging racial slurs and alluding to tropes of Black people as violent.
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From Boston to New York: Local activists take on climate crisis
On Sept. 20 at 7 a.m., while most Bostonians were still asleep in their beds enjoying the last day of the weekend, a gaggle of locals stood on the corner of Summer Street and Atlantic Avenue. Just as the sunlight began to spill onto the streets, members of Extinction Rebellion (XR) Boston stretched as they prepared to board a bus with a destination in New York City to participate in the Make Billionaires Pay protest.
Aligning with the beginning of Climate Week and the UN General Assembly, Make Billionaires Pay was planned as part of the global week of action for climate justice titled “Draw the Line.” Convened by Women’s March, 350.org, Desis Rising Up and Moving (DRUM) and Climate Defenders, the New York march is one of many that occurred across the nation.
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An Ode To Wonder
The magic of music that Stevie Wonder has brought to the world has been instilled in my mind from the day I was born.
My father often likes to attempt to ‘quiz’ me on facts about myself. For instance, he has asked on multiple occasions if I remembered what ‘birth’ songs were.
There’s the obvious “Happy Birthday,” off of Stevie’s 1980 album Hotter than July written to push for the commemoration of a holiday celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Yet, today that song is known as the more soulful part of the celebration for Black households.
The second song is “Isn’t She Lovely,” off his 18th studio album Songs in the Key of Life. This Stevie masterpiece is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. “Isn’t She Lovely” was written and dedicated to his daughter Aisha, and then subsequently done so unto me by my own parents.
Published with WERS
More than a smile: Remembering Smiler Q. Haynes and her lasting legacy
Smiler Q. Haynes, a trailblazer and leader in the Boston community, died on Jan. 6. After decades spent uplifting others throughout the city, Haynes left a lasting impact not only on her family, but on the many people she helped along the way.
Born and raised in Killarney, West Virginia, Haynes was one of seven siblings and was the second to youngest in her family. It was there she grew up and met her late husband Randolph Haynes Sr., whom she married in 1951.
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LGBTQ+ Elders of Color hosts joyful storytelling day
On Nov. 16, the Reggie Lewis Center at Roxbury Community College came alive as people of all ages gathered for “Love, Health, and Liberation,” a storytelling celebration hosted by LGBTQ+ Elders of Color.
Throughout the afternoon, with stories ranging from hardships and resilience in the face of struggle, to a humorous story of getting locked out of an apartment and having to break in, stories of resilience and self-love echoed across the room.
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Sarah Roberts Elementary School: Honoring the forgotten 5-year-old civic hero
More than one hundred years before the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision found school segregation to be unconstitutional, the issue was first challenged by a five-year-old girl in Boston by the name of Sarah Roberts.
Now, the trailblazer is being recognized for her heroic efforts with the opening of the new Sarah Roberts Elementary School in Roslindale.
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Twelfth Baptist Church celebrates 185 years of resilience
‘A story of perseverance’
For nearly two centuries, Twelfth Baptist Church has stood as a pillar of support in the community with a legacy that is deeply rooted in a rich history of liberation, resilience and service.
As the congregation celebrates 185 years this month, Rev. Willie Bodrick II, the 14th pastor of the historic church, reflected on the steadfast endurance of the institution.
“This is a story of perseverance. It’s the power of perseverance in a moment where so many institutions have been shut down. We can still say that God has sustained us,” said Bodrick.
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Scholars, activists gather to advance Bob Moses’ vision for equity and justice
Anchored in history but focused on the future, the Bob Moses Conference brought together scholars and activists to explore the intersection of education and mass incarceration in the Black community this past weekend.
The event, held at Boston University, honored the legacy of the late civil rights activist Robert P. Moses and featured a number of notable speakers, including economist William A. Darity Jr., sociologist Ruha Benjamin, and the executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, Bryan Stevenson.
“We cannot accept the narratives that are given to us that are fueling many of the problems that we continue to see. We have to change narratives that feed bigotry and violence and injustice,” said Stevenson, the keynote speaker of the conference.
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50 years of Cape Verde’s independence celebrated on Martha’s Vineyard
Martha’s Vineyard may be best known to New Englanders as a picturesque vacation spot, but it also holds deep roots for some of the region’s first Cape Verdean settlers.
Last month, more than 100 people gathered at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum to honor that heritage during “A Cape Verdean Experience — Amílcar Cabral: Freedom, Resistance, and Rhythm.” Event sponsors included the Underground Railroad Café, Cruz Companies and Sideline.
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Cape Verdeans’ declaration of independence from Portugal, the event coincided with what would have been the 100th birthday of Amílcar Cabral, known as the father of Cape Verdean independence.
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Boston’s Black Wall Street remembered: A tribute to Roxbury’s era of prosperity
Weeklong community conference captures spirit of area's center of Black commerce
As September came to a close, Roxbury celebrated the legacy of one of the Black community’s most prosperous eras in Boston.
The weeklong community conference, titled “The Way We Were: Roxbury Black Wall Street 1900-1965,” was created to honor the spirit of Black enterprise that once defined the neighborhood, bringing to life the vibrant history of Boston’s own Black Wall Street.
Marie Firmin, the founder of The Way We Were and CEO of BlackBiz Development Group, explained that she used three different methodologies to capture the entrepreneurial spirit that marked Boston’s Black Wall Street era. The first was through extensive research; the second, collecting oral histories from families whose relatives were entrepreneurs. Finally, she and her team transformed these stories into live performances featuring more than 60 local musicians, artists, singers and dancers.
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20 years after Mass. Health Care Reform, GBIO reflects on historic organizing
On the evening of April 13, members of the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization (GBIO) gathered at Bethel AME Church in celebration of the 20th anniversary of Massachusetts Health Care Reform with a panel recounting their early days.
Pushed by several grassroots organizing efforts and data collection by GBIO, the 2006 law, formally known as Chapter 58, effectively provided residents with affordable health care through creating the Massachusetts Health Connector Exchange. It marked the establishment of Commonwealth Care in 2007.
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Bay State Banner Women’s History Month forum honors the legacy of women’s leadership in conversation with Ayanna Pressley
In conversation with Banner editor and publisher Ron Mitchell on March 20, congresswoman Ayanna Pressley talked about her inspirations and hopes for the future. As part of a live taping of the “GBH Amplifies” series in partnership with The Bay State Banner and in honor of Women’s History Month, the conversation delved into Pressley’s upbringing and experiences that drive the historic work she undertakes today.
Pressley grew up in Chicago, crediting Harold Washington and Jesse Jackson as some of her heaviest influences as to how she works today. She also cherishes her parents, Sandra Pressley and Martin Terrell, as her first teachers.
“My mother raised me alone while my father was battling substance use disorder and was incarcerated during my formative years, and that was an education,” she said.
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Reggie Lewis Center welcomes new leadership
The Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center at Roxbury Community College and a mainstay of the Roxbury neighborhood welcomed two new members to its leadership team in the last quarter of 2025.
Just a few months into their tenure, Richard Ward and Lance Greene are already immersed in the mission of the center, “the Reggie,” as it is affectionately called by community members.
Having held numerous leadership positions for nonprofits in the past, working with the Reggie as its new executive director seemed like a natural next step for Ward, a Boston native who was a track athlete growing up.
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Indigenous narratives centered in DCR’s new parks library initiative
On Jan. 23 the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) announced the launch of an initiative to promote Native youth-focused literary works that celebrate the region’s Indigenous communities, preserving tribal history and stewardship.
The First Peoples First Stewards (FPFS) children’s library initiative is available at nine DCR visitor centers at parks and watersheds in the commonwealth. The program is filling a gap in representation of Indigenous people and land-based stories in DCR parks, which span 450,000 acres of land across the state.
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AKA Sorority draws thousands for first Boston conference in more than 30 years
This week, for the first time in three decades, the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority will host its North Atlantic Regional Conference in Boston. From today through Feb. 22, thousands of members from the first historically African American sorority will attend workshops, speeches and form intergenerational connections at the Thomas M. Menino Conference Center in the Seaport District.
Cultivating a space for AKAs of all generations to celebrate the sorority’s legacy, the organization’s 95th regional conference will feature a number of thought-provoking discussions, professional development sessions and many notable speakers.
Events will kick off with a public meeting on this evening with a number of elected officials in attendance, including U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley. ABC News anchor Linsey Davis will preside over ceremonies, and Rev. Otis Moss III of Chicago’s Trinity United Church will serve as the keynote speaker.
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At 105, her faith, family and friends keep her going
Born in 1921, Eva Mae Smith celebrated her birthday on Jan. 9, making her 105. Full of wisdom from having witnessed over a century of change, though there is one thing that has remained constant for many decades: her faith and connection to Morning Star Baptist Church.
Founded in 1965 when services were held in the home of Rev. James Meadows, the church’s first pastor, Morning Star became one of the fastest growing churches in Boston. Now located in Mattapan for many years, Morning Star is a place of worship that serves a number of Boston communities.
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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.”
This episode spotlights the alarming erosion of press freedom and the steep decline of Black community newsrooms.
The Banner, established in 1965, has borne witness to a pendulum swing, according to Mitchell, the co-owner of the paper. Throughout the decades the publication has marked the back-and-forth shift from progress to resistance for Boston’s Black and brown community.
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Community drives fill the gap this Thanksgiving
As the temperature in Boston drops faster than the leaves on the trees and holiday menus start taking shape, community organizations have been busy helping families facing hardship celebrate the week with a full Thanksgiving meal.
A number of families across Boston experience food insecurity. The city estimates that as many as 1 in 5 residents, or 89,000 households, are expected to suffer the effects of the SNAP benefits lapse. Organizations across the city have been working to support these families.
Mothers for Justice and Equality (MJE), a Boston-based, non-profit organization that focuses on supporting families affected by neighborhood violence, has a long-standing history of providing food assistance for families, especially during the holiday season.
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Twelve years a slave, a lifetime of legacy: Solomon Northup statue visits Boston
On the Rose Kennedy Greenway near the Boston Harbor Islands Welcome Pavillion stands a tall bronze statue of a man whose eyes bore a story. He steps forward, gazing ahead into the distance with purpose. That man is Solomon Northup, a free Black man from New York who was kidnapped and sold into slavery for 12 years before regaining his freedom, a story best known by his published memoir, “Twelve Years a Slave.”
The statue, titled “Hope Out of Darkness,” was sculpted by Wesley Wofford and is the first statue of Northup to exist, having been commissioned by the Solomon Northup Committee for Commemorative Works. Boston is only one stop on its tour throughout the states before it will reside at its permanent location in Marksville, La. It will be on display here through December in honor of Northup’s courageous journey, marking 170 years since his visit to Boston.
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Boston offers free vaccinations at clinics across city
As the days get colder and the city transitions into flu season, the Boston Public Health Commission has teamed up with community centers throughout Boston to open clinics providing free vaccinations for residents and their families without the need of insurance, or identification.
With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expecting a similar amount of hospitalizations due to RSV-related complications compared to last season, these free clinics are providing health care to communities that would otherwise face significant barriers when trying to get their families vaccinated.
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YES brings outdoor sports and activities to underserved Boston youth
Youth Enrichment Services (YES) Boston has spent nearly six decades providing thousands of Boston youth with access to outdoor sports that are often unavailable to kids from urban neighborhoods.
Its work to inspire and build confidence has changed the lives of many kids, for many generations. True to its mission, the organization aims to “inspire youth throughout outdoor experiences and leadership opportunities that build confidence and prepare them to summit life’s challenges.”
Founded in 1968 by the late Richard Williams, YES was initially called the Youth Activities Commission and began as an outdoor sports program focused on teaching kids to ski.
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Black men lead race for next Brockton mayor
When the City of Champions votes Nov. 4, for the first time in the city’s history two Black men will top the ballot: Moises Rodrigues and Jean Bradley Derenoncourt.
Both sitting city councilors are vying to succeed Robert Sullivan, Brockton’s 50th mayor. He made way in March.
Speaking to the Banner last week, Rodrigues and Derenoncourt agree on the interlocking issues Brockton must confront: preparing the next generation, addressing homelessness and restoring economic activity.
To succeed, the next mayor must mobilize a cross-cultural coalition in a city renowned for diversity. Both leading candidates bring lived experience to that task, having arrived from Angola and Haiti, respectively, as youths.
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