Boston Racial Stigma- is it "cool" to hate on Boston? (Ashby: unemployed, to eat)

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by MrDee12345

Even 20 years ago, I don't remember DTX living up to its potential. It was always deserted after 8pm, which is a shame given the location.

I guess with less retail, they're going to have to make up for it in one way or another. I hope they can put in some bars or restaurants to liven the place up.

The entire of core of DTX is closed by 7-9pm. That's when you have to roll up the carpets so the crack and fentanyl dealers can get to work - and yes, they do arrest crack and fentanyl dealers in DTX with fair regularity.

Even the City of Boston events- they're having a drag show today in Downtown Crossing (as part of a series of lame street 'parties') to revitalize DTX...they run from 5-8pm...

As part of Pride month, the Downtown Boston Business Improvement District and Men of Melanin Magic are hosting a free drag, dance and music show with local q ueer performers, on Summer Street at Washington Street, between 5 and 8 p.m. on Friday.

Doriann Blonch and Zon Legacy Phoenix will DJ; performers include Yefri, Gia D’Witches, Carmina, Blacc Brandi and dance troupe Haus of Snap. DJ Music by Begbick.

The performances will end at 7:15 p.m. so that the drag performers can mingle with attendees and be available for photos.


Like...its Friday night in June...8 pm? Its still sunny out.

[BostonBornMassMade]

https://www.baystatebanner.com/2023/...al-convention/

Tanisha Sullivan, president of the Boston NAACP, said the nation’s oldest civil rights organization will be able make the events accessible to all because of a $2 million earmark that state Rep. Russell Holmes of Mattapan placed in the state budget.

During a community meeting at the Bolling Building in Nubian Square on June 5, Sullivan laid out plans to engage local residents, particularly the Black community, in the long-delayed convention. About 5,000 delegates, observers, students and others are expected to attend.

About 100 people attended the recent community meeting, nearly filling the second-floor meeting room of the Boston School Committee. A recurrent question was how local Black businesses would benefit from the presence of visitors.

Mukiya Baker-Gomez, a former director of the Massachusetts State Office of Minority and Women Business Assistance (SOMWBA), raised the issue in the first question from the floor.

“Where are we at in terms of promoting Black Boston, in terms of this convention? And I just want to say I’m absolutely disappointed, because when I went on the national website, I didn’t see anything flagging Black Boston,” she said. “I know we have Roxbury Heritage State Park right up the street. They could put together a wonderful tour. We have a group of Black-owned barbershops and beauty shops in our community that are willing to serve the conventioneers. We have Black restaurants that are in our community.”

(Baker-Gomez died suddenly on June 10.)

Linda Dorcena Forry, a former state senator who is directing local operations for the convention, said Black businesses could gain access to out-of-town buyers at the Saturday marketplace.

“We have a chance to showcase Boston, and we know around the country people say stuff about Boston,” Forry said. “We want to make sure our Black businesses have access.”

Ed Harris of Cambridge, a member of the NAACP’s national security team, was more explicit about how Black people around the country often view Boston.

“A lot has been said about Boston and how racist it is and that Black folks don’t exist and that Black folks aren’t here — but we’re here, putting it together, getting it together, and we’re going to let them know that we’re thriving together,” Harris said. “That’s the purpose of this convention this year.”

[Boston Shudra]

I wonder if Alex Newell’s Tony accepted speech changed any minds:

“Thank you for seeing me, Broadway. I should not be up here as a queeer, nonbinary, fat, Black, little baby from Massachusetts," they concluded. "And to anyone that thinks that they can't do it, I'm going to look you dead in your face and tell you that you can do anything you put your mind to."

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by Boston Shudra

I wonder if Alex Newell’s Tony accepted speech changed any minds:

“Thank you for seeing me, Broadway. I should not be up here as a queeer, nonbinary, fat, Black, little baby from Massachusetts," they concluded. "And to anyone that thinks that they can't do it, I'm going to look you dead in your face and tell you that you can do anything you put your mind to."

Who?

No.
and if anything that makes it sound worse.

[ParaguaneroSwag]

This was probably partially scripted. But was interesting when the Daily Show asked people in Boston if it’s a racist city

https://youtu.be/QtUgq2Q1ivA

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by ParaguaneroSwag

This was probably partially scripted. But was interesting when the Daily Show asked people in Boston if it’s a racist city

https://youtu.be/QtUgq2Q1ivA

In a way this almost perpetuates some of the problems.

Thy talk to white people at Fenway Park mainly- people who are very unlikely to live in the city.

They talk to the Black NAACP chair a journalist from out of town (Bosotn Globe has no native black boston journalists). They also cite that flawed $8 study that is being redone currently for accuracy.

They talk to one Black person on the street in Roxbury and she gives the most real and accurate answer- no what neighborhoods your in and know where you are appreciated. No THATS accurate. Not because you can't go there but just..you should know. Albeit I feel that's how I experience cities and America in general.

Boston is more pronounced in that black people and white people experience much higher levels of social segregation and less cultural overlap than in most of America. For the sake of transparency you often read in those types of comments or these types of discussions white people telling of being unwelcome or not served in black areas of Boston, or even being jumped or harassed in black areas of Boston. I've heard people on the Boston forum and on Reddit mention it- racial harassment and threats from Black Bostonians, even saw it in a basketball thread. And I do know my uncle was involved in a serious racial attack on white students at his HS by his own admission. Do I think Boston blacks are especially racist? No, but especially wary and skeptical of white people compared to blacks in some other places Ive been? yes. And to be fair- many towns I think are racist and known as racist and others that can have large white populations I feel are generally more welcoming and make an attempt to live by their progressive ideals. Like I really enjoy Brookline but some folks dont.

The two girls at Fenway Park count too but it is weird to see black people at Fenway Park. Also don't seem as if they're from Boston-- but I could be wrong. Which in and of itself is a problem. I don't want to go myself though. Bad ballpark, bad music, and expensive, boring sport.

Asking more black people would've been a lot better but not as funny. I also think asking some Latinos and Asians, would be helpful too. Some people feel all the racism comes from whites to various groups ( I agree with this). Some feel there's division and segregation amongst all groups (I generally dont agree with this).

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by 908Boi

But What is Boston doing to combat the stereotype and is it working ?

‘We’re going to wake this place up’: Three years later, NAACP convention is coming to Boston



Hundreds of journalists, public servants, and community members packed into the Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building Tuesday morning for information on the upcoming convention.

In opening remarks, Wu thanked the NAACP for trusting Boston “with the gift of your energy, your presence, and your power.” Present-day Boston isn’t the same city that hosted the convention 41 years ago, nor the one that was ravaged by the pandemic three years ago, she said.

“I want to be clear that Black leadership, Black excellence, Black resilience, and Black joy are not new here in Boston,” she said.

Leon W. Russell, chair of the NAACP’s national board of directors, came to Tuesday’s convention from Florida, “where woke goes to die,” he said.




“We’re dealing with a bunch of people who don’t really want to thrive together, don’t want to work together, and really don’t want to live together,” Russell said.

But “when we come to Boston in July, we’re going to wake this place up,” he said to applause.

Boston is home to one of the nation’s oldest, more storied NAACP chapters. The NAACP hosted its second annual convention in 1911 at Park Street Church near Boston Common, and the local branch was chartered that following year.

The last time Boston hosted the annual convention was in 1982, at a time when instances of anti-Black violence in Boston dominated local and national headlines. And 41 years later, Boston still struggles to shake itself free from that image.

Despite the history of racial segregation here, local leaders see next month’s convention as an opportunity to forge a fresh, more positive reputation for Boston as a city welcome to all.

Sullivan said the convention gives Boston a chance to change its reputation as a “racist city.”

“This is an opportunity for us to reintroduce ourselves to the nation as a community that is doing the work necessary to challenge racism and all of its structures,” she said. b


The NAACP originally planned on holding the 2020 convention in Nashville, Tenn., but the costs were too high, Turner said. So when then-mayor Walsh offered Boston as the 2020 host, he worried it would cost even more.

But the Walsh administration worked with the organization to make the convention a reality, he said.

“‘We’re going to create a fund so nobody loses,” Turner recalls Walsh telling him.

Michael Curry, the NAACP’s New England area conference administrator, said the journey to bring the annual convention to Boston this year precedes the Walsh administration. Countless Boston NAACP officers and local Black leaders have worked to host the annual gathering for years, he said.

The first comment on the article:


kewcam
6/27/23 - 12:00PM
"This can be a great way to help tidy up Boston’s terrible reputation with black peoples around the world. I do not believe our reputation is deserved, but it is easily the first thing most black people across North America say when you mention Boston. Also bad for local sports teams as top free agents too often stipulate they won’t go to Boston—how does that carry over to all the other fields that don’t get their opinions broadcast?


It is clear both mayors, countless Boston officials, and random commentators alike have all been working to get the conference in Boston for many years and are generally dismayed at the reputation Boston carries among Black people. I really don't think that political posturing either as it is hurtful when people down your hometown And anyone with enough drive to be mayor of a city or elected official is going to take some real level of pride in where they are from. As you can see, the commentator views it beyond sports and I think Micahel Curry alludes to it, what else has been lost due to the stigma?

From the canceled 2020 Convention promo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MtG98y33pI

[ParaguaneroSwag]

Article is titled “Boston: America’s most racist college town”. Sure let’s ignore Waco, Texas

https://www.thebubuzz.com/single-pos...t-college-town

[AshbyQuin]

Originally Posted by ParaguaneroSwag

Article is titled “Boston: America’s most racist college town”. Sure let’s ignore Waco, Texas

https://www.thebubuzz.com/single-pos...t-college-town

Lol, that's wild. I really think these types of articles use Boston for clicks. I doubt the author(s) actually believe this, although I wouldn't be surprised if they do.


I went to college for 2 years in Lock Haven and drove past tons of confederate and 'don't tread on me' flags. You would've thought it was Mississippi. I haven't seen any place in the Boston Metro as racist as parts of rural PA lol.

[Ne999]

Originally Posted by ParaguaneroSwag

Article is titled “Boston: America’s most racist college town”. Sure let’s ignore Waco, Texas

https://www.thebubuzz.com/single-pos...t-college-town

The author is entitled to their opinion. Boston can certainly work on economic opportunities and integration.
I will say if the author calls out Boston leadership and then only references Massachusetts numbers this seems incomplete. Boston city council is 50% not white and the mayor is not white.
If you don’t want to engage with revolutionary war history you certainly can’t expect the city to just forget about the American revolution. Maybe spend time on the black heritage trail and check out bostons involvement in civil rights and the Underground Railroad https://www.boston.gov/news/black-hi...heritage-trail or look into the lives of Malcolm x who lived in Boston or Martin Luther king who went to your college…