Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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BON VOYAGE: Vincent Flanagan leaves Homeless Empowerment Project
“Arguing and advocating are something that are part of my being,” begins Vincent Flanagan, outgoing executive director of the Homeless Empowerment Project (HEP). Flanagan, who has held the position since May 2012, announced last month that he would be leaving. The Homeless Empowerment Project is the nonprofit which publishes Spare Change News. Flanagan, soft-spoken but…
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GAMES OVER: Boston Olympics opponents reflect on the fight
On the same day the USOC announced that they decided to pull the bid for the Boston 2024 Olympics Games, No Boston 2024, a grassroots organization sent the public a newsletter, entitled “We won! But the fight continues.” “We were fighting the Olympics because we wanted a Boston that works for all residents, a city…
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BID ADIEU: Boston 2024 loses, vulnerable communities win
Boston’s bid to host the 2024 Olympic Games is dead, which is a huge relief for the homeless, low-income communities and people of color. Opponents of the bid argued that these populations were most in danger of displacement and harassment should the Summer Olympics have come to town. While the Atlanta 1996 Olympics are often…
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SAVING KITTY AT CENTRAL SQUARE THEATER: Hilarious, must-see play
It may not be coincidence that the dominant character in Marisa Smith’s hilarious Saving Kitty is named Kate. Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner?, the 1968 Kate Hepburn movie, is not just an antecedent of Saving Kitty, it’s even mentioned in act one. The crucial difference here is that it’s the current decade, not the ‘60s,…
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VOICES FROM THE STREETS: Changes In Life
I sit at my desk looking around my office and I have to feel gratitude. It’s 2015 and just 21 years ago I was strung out on heroin and didn’t know where I was going to lay my head at night. In the last issue of Spare Change News was an article about me as…
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VOICES FROM THE STREET: A plan, a census and a fall guy
A couple of weeks ago, the 35th annual Boston homeless census was released. Those of you who know me know how I feel about the census. I have never hidden the fact that I believe it to be inaccurate in every way. And while I hoped that every effort would be made to get this…
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COMIC STANDING: Gary Gulman talks economic inequality
Comedians are famous for knowing how to work a crowd with their side-splitting and sometimes off-color commentary on everyday issues, but they also have a unique angle on social issues. Well, at least Gary Gulman does. The Peabody native and Last Comic Standing finalist has a lot to say about the effects of income inequality…
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LAST WORD: Walter Stewart
Walter Stewart was born in Gary, Indiana, a city founded by the United States Steel Corporation in 1906. Steel production ran in the blood of Garyites for over a hundred years and still, today, the city produces 7.5 million tons annually. With their combined careers, Walter’s father and grandfather worked in steelmaking for over 70…
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AIRPORT REFORM: Workers at Logan demand union rights, fair conditions
As of June 17, over 100 airport workers are on strike protesting the working conditions of two of Logan Airport’s biggest contractors, G2 Secure Staff and ReadyJet. Protesters began picketing at East Boston Memorial Park as early as early as 5 a.m., holding a press conference at 7:30 a.m., just steps away from the Logan…
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FAMILY HOMELESSNESS: Census results show rise in homeless families
The Boston Public Health Commission recently released the findings of its 35th annual homeless census, which tracks the homeless population in the city of Boston. The census found an unsettlingly large increase in the amount of homeless families: the number grew a full 25 percent, up from 1,234 households last year to 1,543 this year.…
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