Category: News
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Boston Jobs Coalition Decries Economic Disparity in Boston
The Boston Jobs Coalition held a press briefing on Wednesday, May 30, to begin their Campaign for Wealth and Income Now, which seeks to help residents stay afloat in a city with an ever-rising cost of living. The campaign — lead by a score of advocacy groups such as City Life/Vida Urbana, the Black Economic…
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Supreme Court Ruling Sparks Discrimination Fears
Civil rights advocates fear the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Masterpiece Cakeshop case will encourage more attempted discrimination against LGBT people. By a 7-2 margin, the court ruled that the cake shop owner had not received an impartial hearing at the Colorado Civil Rights Commission over his refusal on religious grounds to make a wedding…
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Boston Pride talks public accommodations law and legal protections for trans people
Members of the LBGTQ community, in particular transgender people, and allies are working to protect the public accommodations law adopted by the Massachusetts legislature in 2016. The law specifically protects a person based on their gender identity, but could be repealed if voters choose ‘no’ on the ballot question in November. Freedom for All Massachusetts…
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Farmers Condemn Merger of Monsanto with Bayer
The German pharmaceutical and chemical company, Bayer, is known for aspirin, but it is also a key manufacturer of seeds and pesticides. Now it is about to sweep up Monsanto, the U.S.-based agricultural giant. This impacts New England farmers who depend on vegetable seeds. According to Roger Johnson, president of the National Farmers Union, the…
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Panel calls for system to hold bad police officers accountable
Activists and members of the legislature are looking to setup a licensure process to hold cops accountable in Massachusetts if they are found guilty of misconduct. The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice and the ACLU of Massachusetts hosted a panel on the topic on Monday, May 21, and cited reasons a Peace…
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Bad Grades Shouldn’t Bar Students From Financial Aid
There are many pathways out of poverty of which education is a prime route. But, I can think of at least two people in my neighborhood who can’t go to community college or any college for that matter. Because of the way that FAFSA is set up, an F or W (withdrawn) on a college…
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Allston-Brighton Head Start faces closure, sparks gentrification discussion
Facing pressure from developers, the Action for Boston Community Development Head Start and Early Head Start center located in Brighton faces a potential closing. A nationwide program that provides early childhood education, health, and nutrition services for low-income families, the Brighton center currently services an estimated 100 children. On May 17, Brighton parents gathered at…
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Puerto Rico: Forgotten by the United States
Since its annexation, the U.S. government has not given Puerto Rico enough support. The United States have looked the other way when Puerto Rico was governed by corrupt leaders with the support- or should I say non-support- of our country. As Stephen Kinzer noted in a recent Boston Globe piece, the history of Puerto Rico…
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Boston Resists Trump’s Domestic Gag Rule
Boston City Hall Plaza was a sea of pink on Tuesday, May 24, where protesters gathered outside the regional office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to speak out against President Trump’s proposed domestic gag rule. The rule, submitted last week, takes direct aim at Planned Parenthood and other reproductive health organizations…