Basic Black

Over the last few months everyone has been gripped by COVID 19, and now we are faced with a reckoning, ripping at the heart of Black America and the world, about police-involved shootings resulting in the deaths of black people. The disturbing killing of George Floyd sparked outrage, anger and protests.  Will the death of George Floyd change how African Americans are treated and open up a serious...

It’s been a little over two months since Massachusetts’ stay at home advisory forced non-essential businesses to close their doors. As we’ve seen, minority businesses not only lost income, but most were shut out of stimulus funding. Governor Baker’s four phase plan for reopening kicked off last week. But will some minority companies never reopen? And how will the ones still standing manage a new c...

No longer up for debate communities of color have suffered the worst health and economic losses because of the coronavirus. Less understood– how that vulnerability is linked to a history of segregated policies. Cities like Pittsburgh and Milwaukee have offices that regularly evaluate racial inequities– a model Boston is discussing. Could that ensure more equity in accessing aid and resources?  And...

The Paycheck Protection Plan or PPP was supposed to be a lifeline for small businesses struggling to survive during the COVID 19 crisis. But 90 percent of small businesses of color were left on the sidelines after the multi-billion-dollar stimulus funding was quickly gobbled up. Now Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey is demanding an overhaul of the forgivable loan program. And this week C...

COVID 19 has revealed hard truths about America’s many divides --- none wider than the huge gap between those with access to technology and those without. Two decades ago, the nation’s technological revolution-- the so-called information superhighway --- bypassed most communities of color. Now those same communities are struggling to function in a world that requires technology still out of reach...

It’s an economic setback not seen since the Great Depression. Back then minority workers suffered huge job losses, and now because of COVID 19 people of color today are experiencing higher rates of unemployment.  A Pew Study reports that 49 percent—nearly half of all Latinos say someone in their household has taken a pay cut or lost a job. A Morning Consult poll this week found that 15 percent of...

Over thirty thousand Massachusetts residents are infected and more than 1000 have died from the coronavirus. But the COVID 19 pandemic continues to ravage the most vulnerable. The rising numbers confirm that African Americans and Latinos are contracting and dying of coronavirus at higher rates than other groups. Especially alarming—the high rates of infection in Chelsea and Lawrence, two cities wi...

COVID-19 has changed our daily lives. How should we balance our mental health during these uncertain times?   It’s been about 3 weeks since Governor Charlie Baker declared a state of emergency to slow the spread of the coronavirus -- urging all residents to shelter at home. But coping with the isolation and fear of this new normal has caused an uptick in depression and anxiety. Mental health issue...

More than 3 million Americans applied for unemployment insurance this week, a number that experts say is likely an undercount, particularly in communities of color. Those communities have lost massive income with small businesses and individual proprietors forced to close their doors. And while hospitals are bearing the brunt of caring for rising numbers of COVID-19 victims, it’s community health...

The number of people who have contracted the virus continues to rise in Massachusetts, around the country, and around the world. Scattered testing sites have just opened, but hospitals and medical staff are already overwhelmed. And most experts predict it will get far worse before it gets better. Everybody is hurting, but communities of color have been hit harder — With a disproportionate loss of...

South Carolina voters will finally have their say tomorrow, Saturday. African Americans are one third of the voters in the palmetto state. Their ballots will both catapult some candidates forward and end the campaign for others. South Carolina’s primary will also set the table for Super Tuesday – when voters in 14 states including mass. go to the polls. There’s a lot at stake for democratic frontr...

Two giant historical figures in African American history who rose to prominence fighting for the rights of Black Americans. Both men had sharply different visions for African Americans’ pathway to full citizenship. Booker T. Washington, born into slavery in the South, urged vocational education and accommodation within the boundaries of segregation, while the Mass. born W.E.B. Dubois pushed for le...

It’s recognized as one of the most vile slurs directed at African Americans. But the N word has a complicated legacy. Linked to America’s history of enslavement, it is also urban slang used in society and pop culture. Should it be banned or can the movement to reclaim it diminish its sting? And why does the N-word remain relevant today? WARNING: A warning to those of you watching and listening. Th...

Nubian Square is the new name of the Roxbury community formerly known as Dudley Square. The change came after a five-year community campaign, a ballot initiative, and finally, a unanimous approval from Boston’s Public Improvement Commission. So now what? Will the name change be more than a point of cultural pride?  And will the rebranded Nubian Square offer an economic future for those who live in...

Supporters of criminal justice reform have fought against policies promoting harsh sentences and mass incarceration. In recent years there has been movement toward new policies on the federal and the state level. Other states are modeling their reforms based on the Massachusetts criminal justice reform bill, passed two years ago, which includes alternatives to prison and re-entry programs. Still,...

A new decade and a new year. In 2020 America will experience a major demographic shift. Americans under 17 years old who are minorities will become the majority. What are the other indicators – economic, cultural, political — which may predict how this new decade will impact communities of color? Guest Panelists: Dr. Numa Perez, a surgical resident at mass general hospital and healthcare innovatio...

Nearly half of Americans report living without meaningful social interaction—they are lonely. Experts have declared chronic loneliness an epidemic, and social isolation a public health issue. New research reveals that loneliness shortens life, leads to higher rates of diseases like high blood pressure, and is linked to suicide and other mental health issues. For people of color already grappling w...

This week, Massachusetts state legislators approved a big boost in K-12 school funding. Now awaiting Governor Baker’s signature, the Student Opportunity Act would pump 1.5 billion dollars in schools which have been chronically underfunded.  The history of education has been ripe with controversy…from the legacy of busing and issues around disparity to opportunities to attend exam schools and repor...

Will the impeachment hearings make a difference in the mind of citizens and will it impact the upcoming election?  Panelists: Phillip Martin, Sr. Investigative Reporter, WGBH News Marcus Walker, a humanities and history teacher at Fenway High school. He also teaches at Harvard University Prof. Paul Watanabe, Professor of Political Science and Director of the Institute for Asian American studies at...

The courting of the Black Women's vote. Both Democrat and the President are looking for votes from women voters — in particular female voters of color. Will both parties take this important voting bloc serious of merely take them for granted?  Parson Hicks. She was a 2016 elected At-Large Massachusetts Delegate to the R-N-C Convention and is currently a Registrar for the City of Manchester.  Sharo...

The 400th anniversary of the first enslaved Africans to arrive to America and Harriet Tubman -- the most well-known conductor on the Underground Railroad, and her amazing story, now portrayed in a newly released film, "Harriet." Panelists: Marita Rivero, President and C-E-O of the Museum of African American History. She is also a former VP and General Manager of Radio and Television, here at WGBH...

Recent films like "Get Out," "Us," "Ma" and the upcoming remake of "Candyman" Black horror genre is on the rise. Now, with the explosion of the genre has come new opportunities for actors of color and for Black filmmakers to express their visions and for audiences of all kinds to see new and complex reflections of Black life, all through the lens of horror. Guest Panelists:  Actor, Naheem Garcia....

Massachusetts, along with 11 other states, have legalized marijuana opening up business opportunities in product production and sales. Communities of color were dis-proportionately impacted by past drug policies, and have long argued that they should benefit from the fast growing trade. Who gets a seat at the table and will more entrepreneurs of color get into the growing industry? Chauncy Spencer...

Golden State Warrior basketball player Steph Curry made a donation to Howard University to help revive their golf program. What is the history and legacy of the game? Who takes up the sport and what are the barriers to entry for both professional and novice players of color?  Keith McDermott, 3 Point Foundation  Sekou Morrison, co-producer of the Morrison Golf Classic, an annual African-American a...

In August, Golden State Warrior basketball player Steph Curry made a donation to Howard University to revive their golf program.  It got us thinking about the history of golf and the legacy of the game.  Who plays? Who takes up the sport and what are the barriers to entry for both professional and novice players of color? Panelists: Keith McDermott, Director of Development (3 Point Foundation); Se...