CityLine: Embrace Boston report shows historic inequities

I’M KAREN HOLMES WARD. AND WELCOME TO CITYLINE EMBRACE BOSTON RECENTLY RELEASED A PLAN TO ADDRESS AND REBUILD THE DAMAGES DONE TO COMMUNITIES OF COLOR IN THEIR HARM REPORT, CONNECTING THE PAST TO THE PRESENT STATE OF BLACK BOSTON. THE REPORT RECONCILES OUR HISTORY WITH SLAVERY AND SYSTEMIC RACE BASED OPPRESSION HERE IN BOSTON WITH THE PRESENT DAY STATE OF THE CITY. IT LOOKS AT SEVEN DIFFERENT INJURY AREAS OF PAST HARM TO BLACK COMMUNITIES, CULTURE AND SYMBOLS, HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION, EDUCATION, CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEMS, HEALTH AND INCOME AND WEALTH, ENTREPRENEURSHIP. THE HOPE IS THAT THE REPORT IS USED AS A GUIDE FOR CHANGE. AND JOINING US NOW IN THE STUDIO IS DOCTOR IMARI PARIS JEFFRIES. HE’S PRESIDENT AND CEO OF EMBRACE BOSTON AND SANDRA MCCRUM, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF CHILDREN’S SERVICES OF ROXBURY. I WANT TO START WITH YOU, OMARI. UM, WHY DID YOU COMMISSION THE RESEARCH FOR THE REPORT AND WHAT INFORMATION WERE YOU STARTING WITH, AND WHO DID YOU WORK WITH ON THE REPORT? SO, YEAH. SO THIS IS A REPORT THAT WAS ENTIRELY DONE BY THE EMBRACE BOSTON TEAM AND COMES ON THE HEELS OF THE MURDER OF GEORGE FLOYD AND THE PANDEMIC AND THE RACIAL RECKONING IN THIS COUNTRY. REPARATIONS DEVENS WAS A CONVERSATION WE WERE HAVING NOT ONLY IN BOSTON, BUT IT’S HAPPENING ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. YOU KNOW, WHAT DO WE DO TO AMELIORATE THE HARMS DONE TO BLACK AMERICANS AS A RESULT OF RACISM? AND WE SAW THAT DURING THE MURDER OF GEORGE FLOYD. AND SO THE HARM REPORT IS A LIT REVIEW. AND SO WE LOOKED AT PUBLICLY AVAILABLE DOCUMENTS TO UNDERSTAND THE INJURY AREAS THAT BLACK FOLKS IN BOSTON HAVE FACED AS A RESULT OF RACISM. UM, NOW, ONE OF THE CATEGORIES HIGHLIGHTED IN THE REPORT, AS WE MENTIONED, IS CALLED CULTURE AND SYMBOLS. AND ACCORDING TO YOUR REPORT, BOSTON HAS ABOUT 80 STATUES DEDICATED TO LOCAL HEROES AND NATIONAL LEGENDS. BUT JUST EIGHT ARE DEDICATED TO BLACK HISTORY. EVERYONE WILL REMEMBER IN 2020, THE EMANCIPATION MEMORIAL, WHICH FEATURED A FORMERLY ENSLAVED PERSON AND I THINK IN A LOINCLOTH. IN FACT, KNEELING AT THE FOOT OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN WAS REMOVED FROM THE PARK SQUARE AREA AFTER PUBLIC OUTCRY. ARE THERE OTHER PLACES IN BOSTON THAT SYMBOLICALLY CAUSE HARM, AND IF SO, WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE? WELL, WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH MEMORIALS AND MONUMENTS THAT REPRESENT OUR HISTORY. AND SO IF YOU REMEMBER, IN 1976, DURING THE BICENTENNIAL, LEADERS LIKE JEEP JONES AND OTHERS REALIZED THAT THIS WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ILLUMINATE THE PLACES THAT WERE IMPORTANT. AND AS A RESULT OF THEIR WORK, THE PLAQUE THAT’S OUTSIDE OF MLK’S HOME WAS ERECTED. AND SO, YOU KNOW, THE PLACE WHERE MLK LIVED AND OTHER HISTORIC SITES IN THE CITY THAT BLACK PEOPLE AND OTHER PEOPLE OF COLOR MARKED AND LIVED AND MADE SURE THAT OUR THAT HISTORY HAPPENED, WEREN’T TOLD. AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY BUILDING THE EMBRACE IN BOSTON COMMON ACROSS AROUND THE SITE OF AMERICA’S OLDEST BLACK NEIGHBORHOOD, BEACON HILL, WAS SO IMPORTANT. I KNOW EVERY TIME I DRIVE BY MALCOLM X HOME ON DALE STREET AND SEE THE PLAQUE AND THE BANNER OUT FRONT, IT KIND OF GIVES ME A LIFT. SANDRA, HOW DOES RENAMING BUILDINGS AND NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE FROM DUDLEY SQUARE TO NUBIAN SQUARE ADDRESS THIS COMMUNITY? HARM. YEAH, I THINK UM, SO CHILDREN SERVICES OF ROXBURY IS COMMITTED AND DEDICATED TO SERVING BLACK AND BROWN CHILDREN AND FAMILIES ACROSS THE CITY. AND WHEN OUR CHILDREN DON’T SEE THEMSELVES IN THE CITY, THEY LIVE IN, IT CREATES HARM. YOU KNOW, THEIR SENSE OF SELF-WORTH, THEIR SENSE OF BELONGING, THEIR SENSE OF PURPOSE HAS TO BE REFLECTED BACK TO THEM THROUGH THE SYMBOLS THAT ARE IN OUR CITY, THAT ARE NAMED FOR OUR PUBLIC SQUARES AND OUR SPACES. AND THEY HAVE TO FEEL LIKE THEY OWN THEM AS MUCH AS JUST OCCUPY AREAS AROUND THEM, AND MAKE SURE THEY DON’T INTERNALIZE THE HARM. THAT’S CORRECT. THAT IS A THAT IS EMOTED FROM THE STATUE OR THE SYMBOL. UM, THIS REPORT CITES. TRANSPORTATION AS ONE OF THE SEVEN HARMS TO THE BLACK COMMUNITY. AND OFTEN CITED STATISTIC IS THE LONG COMMUTE TIME ON BLUE HILL AVENUE FROM MATTAPAN SQUARE TO GROVE HALL. BUT ARE THERE OTHER WAYS THAT TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE DECISIONS HAVE CAUSED HARM? AMIRI YEAH, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT BOSTON’S TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM, IT IS LIKE A BICYCLE. AND THE CENTER IS DOWNTOWN BOSTON, AND THERE’S SPOKES LEADING OUT INTO COMMUNITIES. AND SO THE BIGGEST, LARGEST TRANSPORTATION DESERT IS OBVIOUSLY BETWEEN THE ORANGE LINE AND THE RED LINE. AND THAT SO HAPPENS TO BE THE THE LARGEST PORTION OF THE CITY WHERE PEOPLE OF COLOR WERE BLACK FOLKS LIVE. AND SO YOU TALK ABOUT THE ACCESS OR LACK OF ACCESS TO FOOD AND HEALTHY FOOD OPTIONS. THEY LACK OF ACCESS TO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, AN ONLY BUS SERVICES, AND NOT TRANSPORTATION SERVICES LIKE A LIGHT RAIL OR A T. AND SO THAT IS ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE SEE THAT HARM. SHOW UP. AND SO MICHELLE WU, A FEW YEARS AGO CREATED THE FREE BUS SYSTEM ON CERTAIN LINES. I THINK THAT IS ONE OF THE WAYS WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE REDRESS FOR TRANSPORTATION HARMS FREE BUS SYSTEMS, ESPECIALLY IN PARTS OF THE CITY THAT HAVE TRANSPORTATION DESERTS. AND SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE DRIVE TIME INTO WORK AND WE THINK ABOUT HOW, HOW HOUSING AND AFFORDABILITY IS NOW SOMETHING THAT’S TOP OF MIND FOR A LOT OF FOLKS, WE SEE THIS MIGRATION PATTERN FOR BLACK FOLKS. AND SO WE USED TO THINK OF BOSTON AND THE CENTER AND BEACON HILL AS AMERICA’S FIRST BLACK NEIGHBORHOOD, THEN ROXBURY. BUT THE VAST MAJORITY OF BLACK FOLKS IN BOSTON LIVE IN MATTAPAN, HYDE PARK, MILTON, STOUGHTON. AND SO THERE’S THIS MIGRATION OUT OF THE CITY OR INTO THAT PART OF THE CITY. AND SO WITHOUT A PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, IT GETS HARDER TO GET TO THE CENTER FOR FOR JOBS THAT ARE AVAILABLE. AND WE WON’T EVEN TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE HEALTH ISSUES ALONG THAT BLUE HILL AVENUE CORRIDOR THAT IMPACT PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY. RIGHT, SANDRA? THAT’S RIGHT. ABSOLUTELY. THAT BLUE HILL CORRIDOR IS PARAMOUNT. AND ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE, UM, CHILDREN’S SERVICES OF ROXBURY, WE BOUGHT THE PROPERTY THAT WE ARE IN BECAUSE ALL OF THE GENTRIFICATION THAT IS HAPPENING IN AND AROUND ROXBURY, WE NEEDED TO LET THE COMMUNITY KNOW THAT WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED, IF YOU WILL, THAT BECAUSE BECAUSE WE ARE A COMMUNITY BASED AGENCY THAT PEOPLE STILL HAVE A PLACE DIRECTLY TO GET TO. UM, GIVEN THE TRANSPORTATION SITUATION, YOU KNOW, WE HOUSE A LOT OF HOMELESS FAMILIES AND THE IDEA OF THEM MOVING OUT OF THE CITY BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF HOUSING, WHICH IS ALSO ADDRESSED IN THE REPORT, UM, IS PROBLEMATIC BECAUSE OF THE TRANSPORTATION ISSUES. AND WHEN YOU. I’M SORRY. NO, NO. HOW DOES THIS REPORT HELP TO STOP GENERATIONAL TRAUMAS FROM THE HARMS THAT ARE LISTED? SANDRA. YEAH. UM, AGAIN, ANOTHER LARGE PART OF OUR BUSINESS IS, UH, MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, CSR IS THE ONLY SPECIALIZED MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDER. AFRICAN AMERICAN MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDER IN THE COMMONWEALTH. AND WE SEE GENERATIONAL TRAUMAS IN CHILDREN ALL THE TIME. AND THERE PARENTS. AND THIS REPORT ALLOWS US FOR THE EDUCATION FOR BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY’RE DEALING WITH. UM, IS NOT THEIR FAULT. YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SYSTEMS AND INSTITUTIONS AND INSTITUTIONAL RACISM THAT HAVE BEEN BUILT INTO CITY STRUCTURES, BUILT INTO POLICIES, BUILT INTO PRACTICES THAT CONTINUE TO PEPPERELL, PERPETUATE. THANK YOU. YEAH. UM. UH, THE HARMS THAT ARE IDENTIFIED IN THE REPORT. AND SO WHEN PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY SEE IF THEY SEE IT, THAT’S RIGHT. THEN THEY KNOW IT’S NOT THEM AND IT’S NOT JUST THEM. AND THE DATA IN THE REPORT TO TO TO THE POINT OF IT IS PUBLICLY AVAILABLE DATA. AND A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE FEEL OR EXPERIENCE RACISM AND THERE’S NO WAY TO ARTICULATE IT. AND SO WE WANTED TO PUT ALL OF THESE INJURY AREAS INTO ONE PLACE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT’S NOT MENTIONED IN THE HARM REPORT, THE EIGHTH INJURY AREA, IS CLIMATE. AND SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE BLUE HILL CORRIDOR AND THE LACK OF TREE CANOPY, THE LACK OF PUBLIC LIGHT RAIL OR ACCESSIBLE TRANSPORTATION, THE THE THE NEED FOR CARS IN THIS CORRIDOR, THE LACK OF BUILDING STOCK THAT HAS THE TYPE OF HOUSING THAT DOES NOT RESONATE IN A MOAT, THE EMISSIONS AND NEIGHBORHOODS. THERE’S A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING, ENVIRONMENT. THESE HARM REPORTS DON’T STAND ALONE. THEY IMPACT US AS WHOLE HUMANS. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT’S WHAT THAT’S WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT. THERE IS SO MUCH IN THIS REPORT. SANDRA MCCRUM. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. DOCTOR IMARI PARIS JEFFERIES IS GOING TO STAY WITH US TO TALK ABOUT HOW THE RACIAL JUSTICE MOVEMENT IS EVOLVING AND COMING UP TOMORROW, A COMMUNITY CONVERSATION ON CLOSING THE GAP OF GENERATIONAL TRAUMA. JOIN CONGRESSWOMAN AYANNA PRESSLEY, ALONG WITH A PANEL OF INFLUENTIAL CHANGE MAKERS FOR ROCKS TALKS, LIVE IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE IS AT CAPACITY, BUT WE’LL HAVE A LINK FOR THE VIRTUAL EVENT ON WCVB.COM, BACKSLASH CITYLINE, AND LATER THIS MONTH, CELEBRATE ARTS AND CULTURE AT THE OPENING OF THE PORTRAIT GALLERY AT THE BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY’S ROXBURY BRANCH. DON WEST’S PORTRAITS OF PURPOSE EXHIBIT KICKS OFF AT THE WITH