Black Boston Series
In 2020, Boston University Initiative on Cities, Boston University Diversity & Inclusion, and WBUR CitySpace hosted Black Boston, a four-part virtual discussion series featuring transformative Black leaders from across Greater Boston. The series provided a forum to examine our city’s progress toward inclusive access, equity, and opportunity—and where we still fall short.
Events in the Series
Click on an event below to learn more and watch a recording.
Black Boston: Building Healthy Communities 7/30/20
Click here to watch a recording or click here to read a summary of the event from the School of Public Health.
Boston is home to some of the country’s leading community health centers and partners devoted to tackling health inequities. Yet even here race, ethnicity, and racism continue to adversely impact health, and COVID-19 has further revealed racial inequities. Where has Boston been successful? And what are the next steps to improve health outcomes, close persistent gaps, save lives, and transform the fields leading this work?
Join the Boston University Initiative on Cities, Boston University Diversity & Inclusion, and WBUR CitySpace for Black Boston: Building Healthy Communities, the first in a recurring discussion series featuring transformative Black leaders from across Greater Boston.
Speakers:
- Vivien Morris, Founder and Chairperson, Mattapan Food & Fitness Coalition; Graduate of BU School of Public Health (SPH)
- Sandra Cotterell, CEO, Codman Square Health Center
- Dr. Thea James, Vice President of Mission, Boston Medical Center
Moderated by:
- Yvette Cozier, Associate Professor of Epidemiology, Boston University
Black Boston: Telling Our Stories 8/27/20
Held on July 30, 2020.
Click here to watch a recording and read a summary of the event.
Boston is a rich media market with many award-winning journalists at both national and local media outlets. How is our media industry working on diversifying leadership, journalists, and the stories they tell? Where do gaps endure? How can Boston nurture and inspire a new generation of Black journalists?
Join the Boston University Initiative on Cities, Boston University Diversity & Inclusion, and WBUR CitySpace for Black Boston: Telling Our Stories, the second in a recurring discussion series featuring transformative Black leaders from across Greater Boston.
Speakers:
- Karen Holmes Ward, Director of Public Affairs & Community Services and Host & Executive Producer of CityLine, WCVB; Graduate of Boston University College of Communication and Recipient of an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Boston University; Chair of Boston University Black Alumni Leadership Council
- Michelle Johnson, Associate Professor of the Practice, Journalism, Boston University College of Communication; former editor at The Boston Globe
- Kimberly Atkins, Senior Opinion Writer and member of the Editorial Board, The Boston Globe; MSNBC Contributor; Graduate of Boston University School of Law and Boston University College of Communication
Moderated by:
- Paris Alston, Producer for Radio Boston, WBUR
Black Boston: Changing the Face of Politics 9/21/20
Held on September 21, 2020.
Click here to watch a recording and read a summary of the event.
In the last twenty years, Massachusetts has elected its first Black governor, first Black congresswoman, and Boston has had its first Black woman City Council President. How much progress have we made? What steps do we need to take to elevate new leaders, ensure equitable representation, and engage and enfranchise new voters?
Join the Boston University Initiative on Cities, Boston University Diversity & Inclusion, and WBUR CitySpace for Black Boston: Changing the Face of Politics, the third in a recurring discussion series featuring transformative Black leaders from across Greater Boston.
Speakers:
- Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, U.S. House of Representatives, Massachusetts 7th Congressional District; first Black woman elected to Congress from Massachusetts and the first Black woman elected to the Boston City Council (At Large, 2010–2019)
- Representative Nika Elugardo, Massachusetts House of Representatives, 15th Suffolk District; Graduate of Boston University School of Law
- Andrea Campbell, Boston City Councilor, District 4; first Black woman to serve as Boston City Council President (2018–2020)
Moderated by:
- Kimberly Atkins, Senior Opinion Writer and member of the Editorial Board, The Boston Globe; MSNBC Contributor; Graduate of Boston University School of Law and Boston University College of Communication
Black Boston: Transforming the Arts 10/13/20
Held on October 13, 2020
Click here to watch a recording and read a summary of the event.
Boston is renowned for its arts and theater institutions, which historically have made space for certain kinds of artists and conceptions of art. How is Boston elevating and amplifying new voices and new approaches to the Arts? How are we transforming who gets to make and consume art? Where does bias persist and how do we rectify it?
Join the Boston University Initiative on Cities, Boston University Diversity & Inclusion, and WBUR CitySpace for Black Boston: Transforming the Arts, the fourth in a recurring discussion series featuring transformative Black leaders from across Greater Boston.
Speakers:
- Makeeba McCreary, Patti and Jonathan Kraft Chief of Learning and Community Engagement, Museum of Fine Arts
- Catherine T. Morris, Founder & Executive Director, BAMS Fest
- Maurice Emmanuel Parent, Executive Director, Front Porch Arts Collective; Professor of the Practice, Tufts University Department of Theatre Dance and Performance Studies; and Visiting Lecturer of Music Theatre, Boston University.
Moderated by:
- Crystal Williams, Vice President and Associate Provost for Community & Inclusion, Boston University; Professor of English & award-winning poet