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Tax prep centers help residents with tax credit Sandra Larson
Public defenders, bar advocates, attorneys, interpreters, investigators, social service advocates, law students and allies gathered in front of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court last week for a Black Lives Matter protest. (Banner photo)
Race and racism stayed in national spotlight in 2015 Yawu Miller At the dawn of 2015, issues of race and racism are front and center in the national conversation. Demonstrators are taking to the streets and taking over shopping malls with Black Lives Matter protests that echo the Civil Rights Movement, whose urgency has been revived by a black director in the film, Selma. A December Gallup poll found that 13 percent of Americans say racism and race relations are the most important challenge facing the United States, up from 2 percent a year ago — progress in a nation that has long downplayed its own legacy of racist policies from slavery, to segregation, to redlining and unequal schools. Black resentment at unequal
treatment by the law was still simmering from the 2012 murder of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin and the Florida criminal justice system’s unwillingness or inability to secure a conviction in his case, when demonstrations boiled over in August following a Ferguson, Missouri cop’s killing of an unarmed 18-year-old. Images of police wearing riot gear while training assault rifles at protesters and reporters and parading military vehicles through the predominantly black suburban St. Louis community made national and international news, the nation’s broken criminal justice system under the spotlight. Solidarity rallies were held in cities across the United States and around the world. Those rallies became more frequent and more widespread in December, when a
St. Louis County grand jury refused to indict Darren Wilson, the officer who shot Brown. “Black lives matter” became a mantra, asserting the value of black life in a national climate where many see it devalued. Athletes and entertainers spoke out against police shootings of blacks and perceived acts of racism in various facets of American life. Earlier in the year, longtime Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling was banned from the NBA, after his secretly recorded pleas to his girlfriend to stop being seen in public with blacks, including former Laker Magic Johnson, were leaked to the press. Actor and comedian Chris Rock penned a scathing essay, criticizing Hollywood studios for their failure to hire blacks and Mexican race continued to page 13
EITC Coalition. The coalition offers finanIt’s a new year, and that means cial education and free tax it’s almost time to settle up last preparation assistance at volyear’s income taxes with the In- unteer-staffed partner sites ternal Revenue Service. Few throughout Boston. It operates as people enjoy filling out tax re- a public/private collaboration beturns, but it’s a necessary evil tween the City of Boston’s Office for most, and the labor pays off of Jobs and Community Services quickly for those expecting a and local nonprofits, businesses refund. and community organizations. Yet every year, many lower- One of the coalition’s aims is to and moderate-income Bosto- help connect eligible Bostonians nians miss out on what could be to EITC money. a substantial benefit: the Earned A variety of circumstances Income Tax Credit. may make people less aware of The EITC is a benefit for the credit or their eligibility for working people who have low to it, Turchinetz said, such as earnmoderate earned income. The ing so little that a tax return is IRS income not required limits for by the IRS; EITC depend transitionon marital ing off public s t a t u s a n d “Basically the coalition’s assistance n u m b e r o f focus in the next couple and earning children, but income for for eligible in- of months is making the first time; dividuals and and dropping sure low income folks couples, the from full-time credit reduces know about free tax prep to part-time the amount of and suddenly tax owed and and understand EITC.” having a lower may also pro— Mimi Turchinetz income than vide a refund. previous years. The EITC Approxibegan in the mately 60,000 1970s under Bostonians are President Gerald Ford with eligible for the EITC, according the aim to encourage work and to Boston Tax Help Coalition esreduce the tax burden on work- timates, but some 15,000 may not ing people with lower incomes. apply for the money they are due. Since then, the refundable credit The coalition wants to change amount has increased several that. times, and for the 2014 tax year, “Basically the coalition’s focus the maximum benefit ranges in the next couple of months is from $496 for individuals or cou- making sure low-income folks ples with no children to more know about free tax prep and than $6,000 for a family with understand EITC,” said Turchthree or more children. inetz, who also is the City of Bos“It’s one of the most signifi- ton’s living wage administrator. cant anti-poverty pieces of the She noted that while private tax tax code,” said Mimi Turchinetz, preparation services would also director of the Boston Tax Help alert people to EITC eligibility, EITC continued to page 8 Coalition, formerly known as the
Boston saw significant changes over last year Yawu Miller Red-hot Roxbury real estate, neighborhood innovation districts, and racial disparities in education and criminal justice dominated the Banner’s headlines in 2014. It was a year of profound changes, with new faces on the 5th floor in City Hall and statewide elections that saw a high level of campaign activity in Boston’s black community. Throughout the year, there was frank discussion of race and racism, ranging from the 40th anniversary of court-ordered desegregation
to allegations of police profiling and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Political changes
The 20-year reign of former Mayor Thomas Menino came to an end as the new year dawned. A definitive end to the Menino era came in October, with his death after a fight with cancer. Much of the city shut down for the funeral procession, which led from Faneuil Hall, past City Hall, through Dudley Square, Grove Hall, Bowdoin Street, Mattapan Square and Hyde Park. 2014 changes continued to page 6
State Sen. Linda Dorcena Forry joins South Boston politicians in song at the annual St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast. (l-r) at-large City Councilor Michael Flaherty, state Sen. Michael Rush (seated), Forry, state Rep. Nick Collins and U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch. (Don West photo)
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
2 • Thursday, January 1, 2015 • BAY STATE BANNER
Henry Louis Gates Jr. finds rich history in genetic code Kam Williams Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., is the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and Director of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard University. Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, literary scholar, journalist, cultural critic and institution builder, Professor Gates has authored 17 books and created 14 documentary films, including Finding Your Roots, season two, now airing on PBS. His 6-part PBS documentary series, The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross (2013), which he wrote, executive produced, and hosted, earned the Emmy Award for Outstanding Historical Program — Long Form, as well as the Peabody and NAACP Image Awards. Having written for such leading publications as The New Yorker, The New York Times and Time, Dr. Gates now serves as editor-in-chief of TheRoot.com, while overseeing the Oxford African American Studies Center, the first comprehensive scholarly online resource in the field. Professor Gates’s latest book is Finding Your Roots: The Official Companion to the PBS Series, released by the University of North Carolina Press in 2014. Here, he talks about Finding Your Roots: Season Two, now available on
DVD.
Kam Williams: Congrats on another fascinating season of Finding Your Roots. How did you pick which luminaries to invite to participate in the project? Did you already have an idea that they might have an interesting genealogy?
Henry Louis Gates: No, we picked them cold. I have a wonderful team of producers. To tell you the truth, first, we just fantasize. Then, we sit down in my house with a big peg board with the names of all the people who said “Yes.” So, we never know whom we are going to get in advance.
KW: How do you settle on the theme of each episode? For instance, you did the one on athletes with Derek Jeter, Billie Jean King and Rebecca Lobo, and the one on chefs with Tom Colicchio, Aaron Sanchez and Ming Tsai.
HLG: Usually, we first do the research and film everybody, and then organize the episodes internally. For instance, Episode One was called, “In Search of Our Fathers.” You might wonder, what does Stephen King have in common with Courtney B. Vance? Well, Stephen King’s father left when he was 2, and Courtney never knew his father. He was put up for adoption. And frankly, that’s my favorite kind of story, when it’s counter-intuitive. That’s why we’ve organized the episodes
around those two principles.
KW: The subject of our roots is fascinating, as shown in your television program on PBS. I’m wondering what you found to be the singularly, most-interesting discovery in your research for Finding Your Roots 2?
HLG: That’s tough to say, because each story has something dramatic and interesting. Take when Ming Tsai’s grandfather fled China after the revolution, all he took besides the clothes on his back was one book, the book containing his family’s genealogy. Isn’t that amazing? He was willing to flee to a whole new world, learn a new language, and start over in a new culture only if he had his family tree with him. That’s heavy, man! It’s like he was saying, “I can do anything, as long as I have my ancestors with me.” I really admire that. And consequently, we were able to trace Ming’s ancestry back to his 116th great-grandfather.
KW: Whose roots were you able to trace back the farthest?
HLG: Ming Tsai’s, without a doubt. We’ve traced several people back to Charlemagne, but Ming’s goes back to B.C., because of the Chinese penchant for keeping fantastic genealogical records.
KW: It seems that your guests have a variety of reactions as each story and new facts are revealed. Whose
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Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
reaction to an uncovered story surprised you the most?
HLG: Anderson Cooper, without a doubt. I told him that his 3rd great-grandfather, Burwell Boykin, was a slave owner. First of all, Anderson was very saddened and disappointed that he descended from a slave owner. But his ancestors were from Alabama, so I told him that was very common. I don’t think you inherit the guilt of your ancestors. We merely reveal whatever we find, without making any sort of judgment. What your ancestors did is what they did. That’s not on you. Anyway, Burwell Boykin had a dozen slaves, according to the 1860 Census. And one of them kept running away. To punish him, he locked him in a hot and humid cotton house. Can you imagine? When Burwell let Sandy “Sham” Boykin out the next morning, the slave grabbed a hoe out of his master’s hands before beating him to death. We found the story in a
diary kept by one of Anderson’s ancestors, and then we verified it in the court records which showed that, sure enough, a slave named Sandy Boykin had been hanged in 1860.
KW: Are you aware of the research work of Professor/Researcher Roberta Estes and her research into accurate testing for Native American genetics?
HLG: No, I’m not. I would love to learn about what she’s doing. We’re always fascinated with Native American ancestry, and we’ve found two surprising things about our guests. First, that very few have any significant amount of Native American ancestry, black or white, although Valerie Jarrett did have 5 percent, and we found her 6th great-grandmother, by name, and the Native American tribe that she was part of. But rarely do we find an African American with even 1 percent Native American ancestry. Gates continued to page 12
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Black Native Americans beginning to assert identity Kenneth J. Cooper Morgan James Peters wears dreadlocks and directs the African and African-American Studies program at the UMass Dartmouth. The single name he prefers to use, Mwalim, is similar to the Swahili word for teacher. But Mwalim traces his ancestry not only to Africa, but also to North America — the Mashpee Wampanoag. He says he embraces both parts of his racial-ethnic identity. “My primary identity is I’m a black Wampanoag,” Mwalim said. “It’s having a foot in both communities, being part of the Wampanoag community, being part of the black community and recognizing that they’re not mutually exclusive.” Many African Americans claim some Native ancestry, often based on family oral history passed through the generations but undocumented. Mwalim’s Native heritage is certain as a member of the Mashpee’s prominent Peters family. His lineage represents a major source of Native ancestry in African-Americans — the Eastern tribes, according to J. Cedric Woods, director of the Institute for New England Native American Studies at the UMass Boston. “Most of the tribes have some degree or another of African intermixture,” said Woods, a member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. “It may be a single family line. It may be multiple lines. It may be most of the lines in the tribe. It can run the entire spectrum.” Like Mwalim, people with that ancestral mix have begun to assert their identity more openly. In July, more than 400 attended the inaugural meeting of the National Congress of Black American Indians in Washington. The new organization does not require participants to prove their
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Native lineage. Other Native Americans accuse people who say they are Indian without documentation, like Senator Elizabeth Warren, of “ethnic identity fraud.” Tribes have various eligibility requirements, including the degree of Indian blood, to become a member or citizen of that Native nation. “Tribes have all kinds of … ways to determine whether somebody meets particular criteria to be a citizen of a particular government,” Woods said. “You have some tribes who use blood quantum...How much of that blood quantum is required is all across the map.” The rights and benefits that come with tribal citizenship also vary, Woods said, but generally include the right to vote in the tribe’s elections, hold office in its government, and receive social benefits, such as health care and education. Some tribes that own casinos distribute equal payments to members; others do not. Some African-Americans have been recognized as citizens of Native nations without necessarily having any Indian blood. They are descendants of the slaves of five tribes originally from the Southeast — the Cherokee, Seminole, Creek, Choctaw and Chickasaw. Those tribes were called “civilized” after settling down to farm, with more prosperous members copying the Southern plantation model. They were nonetheless forced out of the South in the 1830s on the Trail of Tears, taking their slaves on the deadly trek to Oklahoma. During the Civil War, those tribes supported the Confederacy. Afterwards, the federal government drafted similar treaties in 1866 requiring the tribes to free slaves and make them and their descendants tribal citizens. Those black people became
known as the freedmen of each tribe. Despite the treaties, their citizenship rights have been repeatedly contested in the courts. Few people know that unusual piece of history, even in Oklahoma, said Hannibal Johnson, a Tulsa lawyer and author of the 2012 book, Apartheid in Indian Country?: Seeing Red over Black Disenfranchisement. “They are still largely unaware of the present controversy over the status of the freedmen in the context of the five tribes,” Johnson said. “I would describe that status in all five tribes as tenuous at best.” A small percentage of Cherokee Freedmen are tribal members, and a decision on the citizenship issue is pending from a federal judge in Washington. Seminole Freedmen have limited citizenship. Creek, Choctaw and Chickasaw Freedmen do not have tribal rights. Johnson said people misunderstand the controversy. He and Woods noted that being a member of a Native tribe, as far as the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs is concerned, is a matter of political affiliation. Of the Cherokee Freedmen, Johnson said he hears people say: “‘They’re black. They’re not Indian.’ That conversation is really about biology and culture, not really about politics. The freedmen debate is essentially about politics.” The Cherokee Nation has tried
Mwalim, (Morgan James Peters) directs the African and African-American Studies program at the UMass Dartmouth. to limit membership to people who have an ancestor with Cherokee blood on a census that a federal commission compiled a century ago. The commission followed the one-drop rule, so a blood quantum is generally not listed for freedmen. That process “masks the fact that they have Indian blood coursing through their veins,” Johnson said, referring to some freedmen of the five tribes. Tribes that have remained in the Southeast, Woods said, have members of African descent because black people have lived nearby for so long — starting with the first slaves in the 1600s. “Most of the African people were in the South, but there were also large concentrations in southern
New England. I’d say those tribes that are in those areas have the highest probability of having African ancestry,” explained Woods, who has Native and African ancestry. In New England and other parts of the Northeast, Woods said, ports, maritime trade and whaling brought Natives and Africans together. Free or escaped slaves from the South who went north, he says, had “the shared experience of working on ships with Native men, and finding their way back to those Native communities and intermarrying.” Northeastern tribes that Woods identified as having members with African ancestry include the Wampanoag communities and identity continued to page 12
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4 • Thursday, January 1, 2015 • BAY STATE BANNER
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The death of courtesy At the end of December it’s time to develop New Year’s resolutions to correct the foibles of the prior year. In order to do this, there has to be an objective assessment of one’s flaws. However, the capacity to perceive personal shortcomings may be greatly diminished in this age of egocentricity. A significant symbol of the age is the selfie. To those of the older generation the notion of taking a picture of yourself is unacceptably egotistical. Perhaps if the technology had been available, octogenarians would also have taken selfies in their youth. However, sometimes innovations create their own discourtesy. A good example is the automobile directional signals. Before they were automated it was necessary for the driver to open the window and give hand signals. Now that it is much easier to signal others electronically about your intentions, drivers are often surprised by the sudden turns of others on the road, as their signals are not utilized. Discourtesy is rampant. Officials of the New York subway system have begun a campaign to require men to sit up rather than sprawl over two seats when the car is crowded. And some women with packages will use another seat to store their
possessions while other riders stand. There has been a major deterioration in the standards of courtesy. People are often no longer concerned about the impact on their neighbors of loud music that they play. The standard now seems to be “whatever.” Consequently it is difficult to develop personal New Year’s resolutions to comply with a nonexistent standard. The next best thing is to focus on ideas to improve the quality of the national leadership to raise the status of African Americans. The battle for civil rights was so intense and time consuming that too little attention was devoted to strategies designed for blacks to benefit from the changes. The changes in the laws did not create a desire among whites to bestow upon blacks special benefits in employment and education. Rather, the changes created opportunities that did not formerly exist, and they also created the right to sue if racial discrimination terminated those opportunities. The most effective New Year’s resolution is to improve those skills and talents that make you more competitive in the marketplace. That is the way to make sure that some of those opportunities come your way.
Rage: the product of a violent culture Violence is an expected reprisal for the sustained violent oppression of blacks in America. One of the major contributions of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to humanity is that he was able to inspire those protesting for equal rights to reject violent retribution against the attacks of the bigots. As the assassination of the New York police officers indicates, non-violence is not an infallible effort. Support for the policy of non-violence should not be taken for granted. Numerous groups did assert the right of self-defense. Most prominent of those is the Black Panther Party of Oakland, Calif. There are also other smaller groups such as the one in Monroe, N.C. which was led by
Robert Williams, a former U.S. Marine. And there has always been the Nation of Islam that vigorously supports the right of self-defense. When violence occurs it is disheartening to most sensitive people. The assassination of two police officers in Brooklyn is a tragedy, as are the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner. The nation has to face up to the fact that injustice in the criminal justice system, together with substantial economic disparity, has created profound anger among blacks. Those unable to control their temper are likely to resort to violence. Public officials must develop effective strategies to abate the conflict between the police and black and Latino citizens.
LETTERSto the Editor Lauds police reform proposals The Massachusetts Black and Latino Caucus is to be congratulated for taking the lead on legislative fixes to our state’s broken criminal justice system. Getting data on what police departments in Massachusetts are doing is a critical first step to obtaining the reforms we need in Massachusetts to make police practices truly effective and fair. The way things are in Boston, police often stop youths, particularly black youths, with little or no explanation, and no one to make sure they’re working within the restrictions the Founding Fathers envisioned when they drafted the Fourth Amendment protections against illegal search and seizure. The provision that would require police to write out a receipt for pedestrian stops would also be a most welcome reform. There are many teens in Boston who complain of being stopped multiple times a
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month, despite having no criminal record or involvement in criminal activity. Were a youth able to produce a stack of receipts to substantiate this, it might help inform the debate over stop-and-frisk in Massachusetts. In light of the events of the last few months that have sparked the “Black Lives Matter” movement, it’s all the more critical that people in the black community have reason to trust the
police. Right now in Boston, it’s clear many people, particularly black people, do not feel they have reason to trust them. Adding transparency and accountability to police work — forcing cops to document who they’re stopping and why they’re being stopped — will go a long way to build that trust. P. D. Jean Hyde Park
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OPINION Elizabeth Warren is good and bad news for the Democrats Earl Ofari Hutchinson For the record, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren has repeatedly said she’s not running for president. She has not encouraged any of the burgeoning draft movements for her to run. But she’s coy enough to let the legions that implore her to run to keep imploring her to do just that. But it really doesn’t make a difference whether she tosses her hat in the presidential rink in 2016 or not. She will loom large in the 2016 presidential hunt anyway. That’s good and bad news for Democrats, more specifically for presumptive Democratic presidential contender, Hillary Clinton. It’s true that Warren can energize frustrated liberals and progressives whose numbers are still big and it’s much-needed for Democrats to rebound from its November mid-term shellacking. Warren’s relentless pounding of Wall Street for greed and manipulation, as well as its cozy ties with Clinton, are flashpoints of rage and disgust for many Democratic voters. Polls consistently show that a majority of Americans agree that the financial system is rigged for the rich, and that Wall Street and major corporations play and massage the system with impunity. Warren has firmly staked out her position as the one politician who is willing to confront Wall Street. Without Warren in the race, there’s the real possibility that many Democrats could do exactly what many in the GOP’s ultra-conservative base did in 2008, and to an extent in 2012, and that’s stay home on Election Day in silent protest against GOP presidential candidates John McCain and Mitt Romney. As it was with them, this would be a disaster for Democrats. Warren, though, is no Obama. She can’t match him in charisma, political skill and a mountainous financial campaign kitty that he brought to the political table. Yet, she would still send thousands of doubting Democrats in a crusade to the polls in a Democratic primary joust with Clinton. But what then when she doesn’t win the nomination? Clinton is mindful of the loathing that legions of Democrats have for her Wall Street connection. In the general election, big bankers, financial executives and top corporate donors are expected to be Warren’s relentless generous bankrollers of her cam- pounding of Wall paign. This was the reason that Street for greed and Clinton at a Democratic gubernatorial campaign rally in Massa- manipulation, as well as chusetts in November was effusive its cozy ties with Clinton, in her praise of Warren and in the are flashpoints of rage process took a big shot at Wall Street and the corporations min- and disgust for many imizing their role in job creation. Democratic voters. Later she walked it back claiming she had “short-handed” her comments. In the run-up to the 2016 presidential campaign, she will be continually challenged to tell which Clinton Democrats are to believe: the Wall Street or the populist Clinton. It will take deft political footwork on her part to try to be both and neither at the same time. This will reinforce the notion among Clinton detractors that she will say whatever it takes to try and please two polar-opposite political constituencies. All the while, non-candidate Warren will be repeatedly hailed as the one Democrat not afraid to speak her mind and take action to reign in Wall Street and not continue the corporate and Wall Street giveaways that, at times, have been co-signed under GOP duress by President Obama. The only real winner in an irreconcilable split among the Democrats is the GOP. GOP strategists will not mention Warren in their attacks on Clinton. Instead they will use her as their foil to paint Clinton as anti-business, and another tax-and-spend Democrat. And worse, a Democratic president who would be politically beholden, even hostage to Warren backers, and would impose more crippling restraints on corporations and the financial industry. If Warren did choose to enter Democratic primary contests, her backers would cheer wildly. And this would force Clinton to spell out her position on the issues and tell how a Clinton administration would differ from Obama’s and husband Bill’s. She would also have to spend time making assurances that she is not the unreconstructed hawk on foreign policy issues that progressive Democratic critics lambaste her as. This would pose fresh problems for Clinton. She’d have to talk even more boldly about tough financial regulations and reforms, and that would make her appear as even further to the left. That would feed Fox News and the Republican National Committee with a bonanza of roundthe-clock hit points against Clinton. They would tar her as a Ralph Nader-style Democrat who as president would war perennially with a GOP controlled Congress. The result, they’d loudly claim, would be even deeper gridlock that many Americans dread. The saving grace for now is that Democrats, by a lop-sided margin, are solidly behind Clinton. That’s the good news for Clinton. The bad news is those numbers mask the weak enthusiasm or outright opposition that many Democrats have to a Clinton presidential bid. Warren almost certainly will continue to remain their alternative. Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. The Banner welcomes your opinion. Email Op-Ed submissions to:
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What would you like to see happen in 2015?
An end to racism.
I’d like to see more jobs and programs for the youth. They need better education and better opportunities.
I’d like to see people getting better jobs. I’m glad they’re increasing the minimum wage.
Alvin Sealey
Damion Vaughn Gillings
Howard Thompson
We need more peace. Boston is a dangerous city. People need to be more friendly and we need better-paying jobs.
More programs for low-income families and better housing opportunities. Even for moderate-income people, we need better housing opportunities.
I’d like to see more peace. There’s so much killing going on.
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INthe news
Joel Barrera
Joel Barrera was named last week by Governor Elect Charlie Baker as Deputy Chief of Staff for Cabinet Relations. Barrera has served as deputy director for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council since 2008. He has been instrumental in all of the agency’s accomplishments during that time, including MAPC’s recent strategic planning process, the agency’s expansion into new fields such as Public Health and Clean Energy, and expansion of its technical assistance to cities and towns. Barrera staffed the Metro Mayors Coalition for many years, and saw its development into a vital forum and advocate for the cities and towns in the urban core. Barrera also conceived the plan to open miles of trails along MWRA aqueducts in MetroWest for public recreational use, and successfully advocated to make it happen. One of Barrera’s signal achievements was his leadership on statewide municipal health insurance reform. Working with local officials, labor
leaders, the Legislature and other stakeholders, Barrera was an influential collaborator during two waves of action, first in 2007 and then in 2011. This work led to 47 cities and towns joining the state’s Group Insurance Commission (GIC) or designing their own cost-saving insurance plans. These reforms saved more than $250 million, while preserving services and jobs. Ot her prev ious experience
includes six years as the Director of the Massachusetts Senate Post Audit and Oversight Committee, where he focused on making state government more accountable and responsive. After graduating from Princeton University and Oxford University (Worcester College), Barrera worked as a community organizer along the Texas-Mexico border, working to bring public infrastructure to under-served areas.
6 • Thursday, January 1, 2015 • BAY STATE BANNER
2014 changes continued from page 1
Above, Boston Caribbean Carnival participants start the day with the J’Ouvert celebration at sunrise. During the celebration, at the corner of Morton Street and Blue Hill Avenue, participants are covered in paint. (Leo March photo) Below, Striking Boston fast food workers and supporters block traffic in front of the Old State House in the intersection of Congress and State streets as part of the Fight for $15 campaign. (Banner photo)
The procession highlighted Menino’s focus on investing in the city’s neighborhood business districts, long neglected by the downtown business establishment. Nearly overshadowed by his predecessor’s exit, newly-elected Mayor Martin Walsh pledged to continue and deepen investment in the city’s neighborhoods with a promise to create new innovation districts. The first such district is taking shape in Dudley Square, with the new Roxbury Innovation Center, sited in the soon-to-open Bruce Bolling Municipal Building. Walsh earned plaudits from blacks early on with changes in the police brass that elevated people of color to half of the department’s leadership positions — a first in department history. As the 2014 political season heated up over the summer months, Boston’s black community became a key battleground between the Democratic and Republican candidates for constitutional offices, with gubernatorial candidates Charlie Baker and Martha Coakley making frequent appearances. Baker won plaudits from political observers for campaigning in Roxbury and opening an office in Dorchester in what was widely seen as a part of a largely successful strategy to win over Democratic voters. While Baker secured just 6 percent of the vote in the wards at the heart of the city’s black community, across the state swing voters gave Baker enough of a boost to nudge him nearly two
percentage points ahead of Coakley in the Nov. 6 election.
Housing, development
New development projects that took shape in 2014 promise to change the face of Roxbury, Dorchester and Mattapan — the communities where most blacks, Latinos and Asians live in Boston. But with rents rising far faster than Bostonians’ wages, many fear a wave of gentrification could displace long-term Hub residents as well-heeled newcomers discover the city’s neighborhoods. Nowhere is the transformation more abrupt than in Roxbury, where the new Bruce Bolling Municipal Building — set to open in just weeks — promises to bring in more than 600 workers and transform thousands of square feet of long-vacant storefronts. This summer saw prices in Roxbury’s long-undervalued real estate market rapidly ramp up, with single-family homes selling for more than $500,000 and multi-families selling for more than $700,000. New train stops in Roxbury, Dorchester and Mattapan on the Fairmount Commuter Rail line, and the MBTA’s promise to convert it into a rapid transit line with new train cars and weekend service, have similarly sparked interest in commercial and residential properties along the Fairmount corridor. The whitening complexion of homebuyers in Roxbury and the increased activity of speculators throughout the city’s predominantly black neighborhoods have many in the city concerned that a new wave 2014 changes continued to page 7
T:5.933”
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Gubernatorial candidates Martha Coakley and Charlie Baker pause for a moment of prayer before a Greater Boston Interfaith Organization forum at the Fourth Presbyterian Church in South Boston. (Banner photo)
BOSTON COLLEGIATE CHARTER SCHOOL IS NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR GRADES 5-8. Apply online and learn more about our school at
www.bostoncollegiate.org.
DISCOVER WHAT AARP CHAPTER MEMBERS ARE DOING IN ROXBURY.
From health fairs to food drives, taking trips to giving back, what we do right here in your neighborhood might surprise you. We’re bringing people together while doing good in our community. Get involved with AARP Franklin Park Area/Grove Hall Chapter 4685. It’s a great way for you to meet new people, give back and just have fun. Learn more and get to know us by calling 617-413-3747.
Join us on January 15th or February 5th at an Information Session at 6:00 pm at 215 Sydney Street in Dorchester.
Thursday, January 1, 2015 • BAY STATE BANNER • 7
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of gentrification could displace many of the city’s long-time residents. A January study by the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland concluded that Boston is the most rapidly-gentrifying city in the U.S. The specter of more bearded hipsters bicycling through Boston’s neighborhoods loomed as community activists packed into Hibernian Hall in June for a forum on gentrification, hosted by the National Association of Black Journalists, which held its annual convention here this year. Walsh gave affordable housing advocates a ray of hope with the Oct. release of his housing plan, calling for the construction of 53,000 new housing units by 2030, and calling on colleges and universities to build 16,000 new units to house their students.
Race matters
Like most major U.S. cities, Boston has seen its share of Black Lives Matter protest marches, which began in reaction to a series of police shootings of unarmed black suspects and the seeming unwillingness of the nation’s criminal justice system to hold police accountable for black deaths. The protests have become a weekly occurrence in Boston. Last week there was a student walk-out and a protest by attorneys and court workers. Inequality was a theme that surfaced often in 2014, with studies substantiating disparate treatment of people of color in the Massachusetts criminal justice system, in school discipline cases and in Greater Boston municipal leadership. An analysis of police data, released by the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, established that blacks are more likely to be stopped, searched or questioned. For most blacks, that conclusion was not surprising. While Boston police disputed the significance of the findings, noting that a disproportionate share of the city’s crime occurs in black communities, civil rights advocates pointed out that the stops were just stops, not arrests. And in the overwhelming majority of those stops, the reason given by police, “investigate a person,” doesn’t in itself denote genuinely suspicious behavior. Outside of the criminal justice system, black children face disparate treatment in school discipline, with blacks more than three times
as likely as whites to face suspensions in Massachusetts schools, according to a review of Department of Elementary and Secondary Education data analyzed by the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice. One in eight black students and one in ten Latino students are suspended in Massachusetts. While Boston’s suspension rate of 6.2 percent was lower than the national rate of 6.8 percent, charter schools in the city suspend a jaw-dropping 17 percent of their students. While people of color make up a majority of the city’s population, whites still dominate high-paying positions in city government, with 88 percent of the 250 top-paying jobs, according to an analysis of city payroll records by Councilor Charles Yancey. Just 7 percent of those top-paying jobs were held by African Americans, 4 percent by Latinos and 2 percent by Asians. Another report stated that Latinos are under-represented in city government. Despite making up 17 percent of the city’s population, Latinos hold just 7 percent of the top jobs and positions on city boards and commissions, according to a study commissioned by The Greater Boston Latino Network. The city’s discussion of race reached back a few decades with forums and public reflection on the 40th anniversary of court-ordered school desegregation in Boston. While whites and blacks still view the events through different lenses — as evidenced by the fact that many whites still refer to desegregation as “forced busing.” But this year’s observance included frank discussions between whites and blacks, ranging from community conversations held by the Union of Minority Neighborhoods to a public discussion in Boston’s City Council chamber.
2015
As 2015 dawns, blacks in Boston face a crossroads of challenges and opportunities. Fifty percent of Mayor Walsh’s cabinet positions are occupied by people of color. Roxbury’s home values are poised to climb even higher, as housing prices in the Greater Boston market continue to rise. And public officials are discussing race and racism openly, rolling up their sleeves to tackle thorny issues of inequality with initiatives like Mayor Walsh’s local My Brother’s Keeper effort. If Boston’s black community remains as engaged in the city’s civic life as they were in 2014, there’s little doubt more constructive changes will come in 2015.
Above, Gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker breaks into a dance routine along with Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts President Darnell Williams (2nd from left) and The BASE President Robert Lewis Jr. (right) during a cookout hosted by the Urban Legue’s Young Professionals Network. (Banner photo) Below, Nezzie Taylor (left) and Antonio Dewolf (with baseball cap) pause for a moment by a memorial for Mayor Thomas Menino at Downtown Crossing. (Banner photo)
Historic TWELFTH BAPTIST CHURCH DOUBLE HEADER Open to the Public Wednesday, December 31, 2014 10:30 P.M. Watch Night Service Praise, Prayer, Preaching Be in the House of the Lord as we cross over into 2015 Sunday, January 11, 2015 4:00 P.M. Annual MLK Convocation Prominent Guest Speaker Choirs Student Commentary Twelfth Baptist Church One Sixty Warren Street Two Block South of Dudley Square Roxbury, Massacusetts 02119
Hundreds turned out to A Celebration of Summer: The Donna Summer Memorial Roller Disco Tribute Party on City Hall Plaza in Boston. (Mayor’s Office photo)
Dr. Arthur T. Gerald, Jr. Senior Pastor
Dr. Michael E. Haynes Pastor Emeritus
8 • Thursday, January 1, 2015 • BAY STATE BANNER
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using the city’s free assistance saves taxpayers fees and also offers other assistance and information to promote economic stability and asset-building for the long-run. What’s more, for people who have been eligible for EITC in previous years but didn’t take advantage of it, it is not too late to file tax returns for 2011, 2012 and 2013 and claim the EITC. Staff at tax preparation sites can help people understand if they should file for prior-year credits. The free tax assistance is offered at 27 sites throughout the city, including five in Dorchester, three in Roxbury and one in Mattapan. Some sites are open year-round, such as the Roxbury Center for Financial Empowerment in Dudley Square,
while others operate only during tax preparation time, starting in late January. Services are offered in seven languages, Turchinetz noted, and plans are in the works for offering accommodations for deaf and hard of hearing. For more information, call the Boston Tax Help Coalition’s general information hotline at 617-918-5275 or e-mail FreeTaxHelp@boston.gov. For a full list of all neighborhood sites and hours, see www.bostontaxhelp. org/2015-tax-sites. The Boston Tax Help Coalition still is seeking volunteers for the upcoming 2015 season. Positions include tax preparers, financial guides and greeters. Interested people who can commit four hours per week should go to bostontaxhelp.org for more information and to sign up for training. Training sessions will take place throughout this month.
Governor Patrick answers questions from reporters after offering featured remarks at a reentry conference at UMass Boston. (Governor’s Office by Eric Haynes)
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Ironworkers Local #7 Joint Apprentice Committee is prepared to accept applicants interested in our
Happy New You
IRONWORKERS APPRENTICE
TRAINING PROGRAM In order to be eligible as an applicant these basic qualifications must be met at the time the application is assigned:
Cheers to your success in 2015! Classes begin January 20, 2015 It's never too late!
1. be 18 years of age or older; 2. have a high school diploma or GED; (GED will only be accepted if you completed and passed the 10th grade) 3. must meet the requirements of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 and any other applicable immigration law; 4. have a Driver’s License/Photo ID and Social Security card in your possession; 5. capable of performing essential function of the work.
APPLICATION FEE IS $20.00 PAYABLE AT TIME OF APPLICATION AND YOU MUST APPLY IN PERSON AT: 195 Old Colony Avenue, South Boston, MA 02127 Monday thru Friday, January 12th thru 16th, 2015
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Learn more at our next Information Session: January 8th, 6:00 pm
There will be no registration after the above dates. The Ironworkers Training Center is an Equal Opportunity Training Recruiting Program.
Thursday, January 1, 2015 • BAY STATE BANNER • 9
BusinessNews U.S. small businesses got a boost from rising economy Martin Desmarais Small businesses had much to celebrate in 2014 as all indicators continued to point to the steady rise of the U.S. economy out of the shadow of the Great Recession — led by growth in hiring and the increasingly effective use of technology to compete. “On a macro level 2014 overall has been a good year economically for Boston and businesses in Boston,” said Jim Klocke, executive vice president of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. “Growth was accelerated in the second half of the year and that is going to have a great effect across the economy.” Third quarter 2014 numbers showed the U.S. economy up 5 percent, which is the highest growth in a long time, and has all anticipating strong numbers again for the fourth quarter of the year. Klocke pointed to the rise in startups in Massachusetts over the past year as a strong suggestion of the growing economic strength of the state. “It is a sign of confidence in
the economy. You don’t step out on your own and start a business unless you think the economy will grow,” he said. In Boston, Klocke singles out real estate development and technology as sectors that are driving the state’s economy. Nationwide, 2014 can certainly be credited as a year in which the country’s small businesses solidified their place in the spotlight as a main fuel for economic growth. The most recent ADP National Employment Report said companies in the U.S. added 208,000 workers in November — the seventh time in eight months job growth topped 200,000 — and small businesses led the way adding 101,000 jobs. Companies over 500 workers added 42,000 jobs, while medium-sized businesses with 50 to 499 employees, added 65,000 workers. Massachusetts added 13,500 jobs in November and has seen nearly 60,000 jobs added in the year. Nationally, the November unemployment rate was 5.8 percent, the same as in Massachusetts. Overall,
the state dropped its rate from 7.1 percent in November 2013. These numbers only reflect what Robert Nelson, director of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Massachusetts District Office, has been stressing for a long time — namely that two-thirds of the new jobs are consistently being created by small businesses. He called small businesses “drivers” of economic recovery both in Massachusetts and throughout the country. The use of technology was a key trend that allowed small businesses, regardless of industry, to have such high job-growth and overall success. At the forefront of this is more and more small businesses adopting cloud computing as a way to reduce IT infrastructure costs, but also as a way to improve business operations from increased efficiency to improved employee mobility. On the back of 2014 gains, the global market for cloud services for small- and mid-size business is expect to top $95 billion. The past year was also a time that big data analytics solidified as
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10 • Thursday, January 1, 2015 • BAY STATE BANNER
BILL BELLAMY
OPENS UP ABOUT KEYS TO CAREER SUCCESS BY COLETTE GREENSTEIN
T
(Photo courtesy of Bill Bellamy)
alented, stylish, and undoubtedly funny, Bill Bellamy has been making audiences laugh since he hit the national stage in the mid-
1990s on HBO’s Def Comedy Jam, where he coined the phrase “Booty Call.” Following the success of that special, Bellamy became a staple on MTV as one of the network’s first “VJs” hosting several of their programs including MTV Jamz and MTV Beach House.
Since his MTV days, Bellamy has crafted and honed his stand-up comedy by performing all around the country. He brings his act to The Wilbur on January 10. Bellamy also has transitioned into television and film with starring roles in the FOX action television series Fastlane and as playboy ‘Drayton Jackson’ in the Def Jam film, How to Be a Player. For three seasons, he voiced the puppet ‘Skeeter’ on the Nickelodeon series, Cousin Skeeter. One of the keys to Bellamy’s career success has been the ability to reinvent himself by tackling new and interesting projects. Earlier this year, he became
the official brand ambassador for a new vodka line, Regalia Vodka. “I’m just trying to continue branding myself in different directions,” Bellamy said of his new role in a phone interview. “So far, it’s been working out pretty cool. I think it’s about cultivating your brand. I think people are familiar with me. It’s been a fun sort of brand and people know I’m synonymous with MTV, with growing up, all that is good about a certain part of their life. Basically how I keep it moving is just to continue to do things that give out that feeling for those people, and create an even younger audience and Bellamy continued to page 11
Russell Simmons reflects on Black Lives Matter, activism Kam Williams
Russell Simmons
Russell Simmons has been very active as of late in the Black Lives Matter movement, and not merely as a participant on the picket lines. Whether extracting a promise from N.Y. Governor Cuomo to appoint special prosecutors in cases of police brutality, or defending NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio after NYPD President Pat Lynch suggested the mayor has “blood on his hands,” Simmons has been an outspoken advocate lobbying for an overhaul of how the criminal justice system handles the prosecution of cops accused of police brutality.
Kam Williams: Let me start by asking how you feel about the cowardly ambush assassination of NYPD officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos in their patrol car?
Russell Simmons: It breaks my heart that those two innocent police officers were killed. I am really very, very brokenhearted about it. But the best way to protect both the policemen and the community going forward is by creating a system that’s just, where everyone feels safe. Of course everyone feels terrible about what happened to the policemen, but it’s terrible what happened to Eric Garner, too.
KW: Why do you spend so much time on the streets marching nowadays and previously in the park with the Occupy Movement, when you have money?
RS: Why not? Why can’t I occupy? Why can’t the rich help the poor? Why can’t I pay attention to systematic problems that disenfranchise my people?
KW: You’ve been working with the Justice League NYC, a progressive group that has gained a lot of traction as of late, and which issued a specific list of demands.
RS: I’m a little concerned about the group’s demands, all of which are legitimate, because as
thoughtful as the list is, it’s still been easy for the New York Post and others to find ways to cherry pick and disparage it.
KW: Well, what would you say is your most important goal?
RS: There’s one overriding issue, namely, that we live in a police state so long as the police get to police themselves. And that is why cops go unindicted.
KW: Does it all boil down to whether or not black lives matter?
RS: I don’t like to racialize it, but it is a question of whether black lives
Simmons continued to page 11
Thursday, January 1, 2015 • BAY STATE BANNER • 11
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being in different places.” Another key to his success is his ability to be versatile in any project he takes on. Bellamy showed his comedic and serious sides in the films Love Jones opposite Larenz Tate and Nia Long and The Brothers starring Shemar Moore, D.L. Hughley and Morris Chestnut. In the Oliver Stone-directed football drama, Any Given Sunday, Bellamy toughened it up as football player Jimmy Jackson. From 2006 to 2008, the actor and comedian hosted not one but two comedy reality competitions for
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television. The first was TV One’s Who’s Got Jokes? and the second was NBC’s Last Comic Standing. All the while, Bellamy continued performing his first love — stand-up comedy — and bringing it to the masses. In May of 2012, he starred and executive produced his second Showtime special, Crazy Sexy Dirty. He followed that up with Bill Bellamy’s Ladies Night Out Comedy Tour, featuring fellow comics Ali Siddiq, J. Reid and D’Lai, which also aired on Showtime in 2013. He hopes to have a fourth onehour special out soon. “I’m working on that whole theme of what my perspective is on this next run. I think Crazy Sexy
Dirty was one style of comedy which I thought was fun,” Bellamy said. In 2014, he headlined The Standing Ovation Tour with Tommy Davidson, Sommore, Marc Curry and Tony Rock. In between comedy tours, Bellamy appeared frequently as a “roundtable” guest on E! Entertainment’s late-night talk show, Chelsea Lately, and had a recurring role as Councilman Powell on TV Land’s, Hot in Cleveland. He also starred in and executive produced the syndicated series, Mr. Box Office, created by Byron Allen. Up next for the performer is a new role as host of a game show, Let’s Ask America, debuting on the Game Show Network. Bellamy is excited
who filmed the tragic incident.
I’ll send you the footage shot from a helicopter. It was a peaceful march, and if we don’t adjust the system, we will march again. Last time, I had everybody from Khloe Kardashian to Miley Cyrus to Kanye to Puffy to Nas out there. They all Instagrammed and Tweeted and used other social media to let folks know that they were going to be there. Tyrese has 20 million followers on Facebook alone. These people are all waiting for word of when we launch. So, the issue is not going away, until the state is no longer a police state where the policemen police themselves.
KW: I didn’t know that, but I can’t say I’m surprised.
matter. They do matter less. We know that from the news, when one little white girl missing in Brooklyn is considered more newsworthy than the fifty black kids who got shot in Chicago the same weekend. So, yes black lives matter less, but Global Grind did follow the recent incident involving an African-American policeman who shot a white boy and didn’t get indicted. We’ll never know whether he’s guilty, because there won’t be a trial. So long as the local district attorney [D.A.] is responsible for indicting a cop, we live in a police state. I will not rest until that one flaw in the system is changed.
RS: I’ve spent a lot of time with Eric Garner’s son recently, and it breaks my heart to see his family grieving and to know that unless U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder steps in and brings some civil rights charges, they will never get justice. So, when I march, I’m thinking about that one issue everybody has to agree with. The Police Association is the only one that doesn’t. It’s been horrible, between all the attacks on the mayor and the peaceful protestors.
KW: What happened in that meeting you and Jay-Z had with Governor Cuomo a couple of weeks ago? Afterwards, you held a press conference saying that the governor had pledged to employ special prosecutors in the future, but he seemed to simply say that the system needs to be reformed.
RS: It’s the job of the head of the police union to create a dialogue and a comfort level with the community. Mayor de Blasio’s doing his best to understand the dynamic and to work out a fair plan, but it’s like Lynch doesn’t want to give an inch. It’s in his power to determine whether a cop is indicted. If a local D.A. indicts a cop, he may as well kiss his ass goodbye. That conflict of interest can’t exist anymore. If Lynch doesn’t change, then blood could be on his hands, because he has the power to support the appointment of special prosecutors, so that any inappropriate behavior and excessive force can be investigated in a reasonable way.
RS: Maybe I misunderstood him about an executive order, but he did promise to change the law. He said something to the effect of, “I promise you, I’m going to get a bill passed establishing a separate office and a separate prosecutor for the state that looks into police abuse.”
KW: You have your differences with NYPD Union President Pat Lynch, too.
RS: The police union can point all the fingers they want at everybody else, but they’re fighting to retain control. They know it’s the number one issue. But people are avoiding it, and pushing it to the side. I don’t think anybody’s going to rest until we get a separation of the local D.A. in these cases. I’ve been in all of the meetings with [state Attorney General] Eric Schneiderman. The governor would have to issue an executive order that would land on Schneiderman‘s desk, or he’d have to introduce a bill in Albany to make that change. New York may be the first state to enact such an initiative, and then it could roll over all across the country. Regardless, we’re going to fix New York State. No one’s going to rest until New York has an independent prosecutor to look into these cases.
KW: As a lawyer, it’s painfully obvious to me that these cases are being thrown, since any prosecutor could, as they say, indict a ham sandwich if he or she wants to.
RS: All of these prosecutors have thrown the cases. Normally, everybody gets indicted and is put on trial. In the Eric Garner case, the only person the Staten Island grand jury did indict was the guy
KW: What needs to be done to reduce the tension between the rank-and-file police officers and the community?
KW: How well attended were the marches? Did the police play down the head count?
RS: When we marched down Fifth Avenue, there weren’t just 30,000 people out there, but at least 150,000 people out there. It stretched for 35 crowded blocks full of people.
about the prospect of the new show. “It’s a fun project,” he said. “I’ve never hosted a game show before but it will be interesting to see — it starts in January – what that does with my crowd.” Bellamy also recently wrapped the feature The Bounce Back, which reunited him with Shemar Moore. It was “instant chemistry” working with Moore again, says the actor. “We play best friends in the movie. We’re really tight anyway but in the movie we just really ramped it up.” When asked about the possibility of changing the late-night landscape on television by hosting a talk-show and the idea of
approaching Netflix, the comic mentions that it is something that has been on his mind. “I’m just trying to figure, ‘Do I want to jump in there, and what is the space going to be?’ Is it Netflix? Is it network television? There’s only so many slots. “The good thing about Netflix is that you could do whatever you want on Netflix. I’m having some meetings with them very shortly as well, and I’m going to see how far we could push the envelope on that side of things.” The Wilbur presents Bill Bellamy on Saturday, January 10 at 9:45 p.m. Tickets: $22.50-$32; www.ticketmaster.com.
INVITES YOU AND A GUEST TO SEE
KW: New York sure looked like a police state when a long gauntlet of cops turned their backs on the mayor as he walked down the hall of the hospital after paying his respects to the two officers who had just been assassinated. I realized, if they don’t feel that they have to show any respect to the mayor, just think of the contempt they must have for the average Joe.
RS: I would blame [Police Commissioner] Bratton. I’m not sure he’s the right person to bridge the gap. Bratton says, “It’ll go away.” He’s wrong. If he thinks it’s going away, he’s crazy. We’re not going anywhere. We’re just getting started. If we don’t get a special prosecutor in New York State, we’re going to march.
KW: What about the possibility of it inciting violence?
RS: I’ve never seen so many smart and thoughtful kids as at that 150,000+ march. The only incident involved a white City College professor. Black people are used to the injustice, but this white professor probably got riled up because he’s white and wasn’t used to it. That was the only incident at a very diverse march.
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Gates
continued from page 2
KW: Has anybody ever tried to disagree with their DNA analysis?
HLG: No, but some people were shocked, particularly African Americans who believed they had Native American ancestry. They’re always disappointed. [Chuckles]
KW: Did any of your subjects ask you not to reveal something you found out about their family?
HLG: No, although I’m sure a few people would like to do so, if they could. But we’re PBS. We’re independent.
KW: Do you ever answer queries from everyday people who need help with genealogical puzzles and other obstacles to fleshing out their family trees?
HLG: Yes I do, in two forms. At TheRoot.com, we answer a question a week for African Americans who have a genealogical quandary. That’s co-written with the New England Genealogical Society. And at Ancestry. com, the genealogist there and I write a weekly column that’s on the Huffington Post.
KW: What would you say carved out this path for you?
HLG: The fact that when I was 9-years old, on the day that we buried my grandfather, Edward St. Lawrence Gates, my father showed my brother and me a picture of Jane Gates, the oldest Gates we’ve ever traced, then or now. It blew my mind! She was born in 1819 and she died in 1888. I’m looking at her
picture right now. She was a slave and a midwife. I was just so amazed. Between looking at my grandfather in the casket, which was very traumatic, and seeing my father cry for the first time, which was also very traumatic, and trying to figure out how in the world someone who looked like me could have descended from someone who could have passed for white, and then finding out that my great-great grandmother was a slave, intrigued me. So, the next day I interviewed my parents about my family tree. And I’ve been hooked ever since. [Laughs] And that’s a true story.
KW: What surprised you the most about your own genealogy?
HLG: The fact that I was 50.1% white and 48.6% black.
KW: Do you go about gathering genealogical information about African Americans very differently from the way you do for other ethnicities? How do you get past the obstacle of slavery?
(above) Black public safety officials gathered at Darryl’s Corner Bar and Kitchen (l-r): Suffolk County Sheriff Steve Tompkins, Police Superintendent-In-Chief William Gross, Mayor Martin Walsh, Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts President and CEO Darnell Williams, Deputy Fire Chief Andre Stallworth, Darryl’s Corner Bar Manager Mitch Mitchell, NAACP Boston Branch President Michael Curry and restaurateur Darryl Settles. (Banner photo); (below) Demonstrators march down Harrison Avenue as part of a wave of Black Lives Matter protests that erupted in November. (Banner photo)
HLG: Yes, we do, because African Americans generally weren’t identified by name in the census prior to the abolition of slavery. So, we start with the 1870 census, which is the first in which blacks appear with two names. Then you go back to 1860, and see whether there were any slave owners with the same surname, since, more often than not, most emancipated slaves kept the surname of their former owners. Ironically, the key to finding one’s black ancestry during slavery often involves finding the identity of the white man or woman who owned your ancestors. That’s quite a fascinating paradox.
Whittier Street Health Center 1290 Tremont Street, Roxbury, MA 02120 www.wshc.org
Now Enrolling New Patients! To schedule an appointment with Primary Care, Specialty Care and Dental for a same-day visit, please call:
Martin J. Walsh (r) is sworn in by Chief Justice Roderick Ireland, as the first new mayor of Boston in 20 years succeeding former mayor Tom Menino. Looking on are Walsh’s family and Boston City Councilors. Holding the Bible is the new mayor’s mother. (Don West photo)
Adult Medicine: (617) 989-3026
continued from page 3
Family Medicine: (617) 989-3202 Pediatrics: (617) 989-3112 OB/GYN: (617) 989-3123 Dental: (617) 989-3181 Eye Care: (617) 989-3154 Behavioral Health: (617) 989-3127
Walk in for your Urgent Care needs. The Urgent Care hours are Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m.-8:00 p.m. and Saturday from 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. For more information, please call (617) 427-1000.
identity
Nipmuc of Massachusetts, and the Pequot of Connecticut. Some Black families have oral histories about ancestors escaping slavery and finding refuge among Native Americans. “It did happen occasionally, but it was fairly rare,” Woods said. “Probably the best known situation where that occurred was with the Seminole of Florida.”
business continued from page 9
business for small companies. All the growth numbers and the trends that propelled business in 2014 are giving small businesses the confidence to expand their businesses.
Runaway slaves from the American South fled to Florida when it was Spanish territory and blended into the Seminole. The African-descended members joined blood Seminole in an ultimately unsuccessful defense against American soldiers. Like the Seminole, many tribes historically adopted as members individuals from other tribes and people who were not Native, be they of European or African descent. White settlers introduced the concepts of race and blood quantum. “If you were of those people and
you lived among that tribe long enough, you were eventually part of that tribe. And that’s how it was,” Mwalim said. “Then what happened was that Western concepts of lineage and line and pedigree and so forth were imposed. If you think about it, the only beings that are asked about blood quantum are Indians, dogs, horses or cats.” But it is by blood from eastern tribes that African Americans are most likely to be eligible for tribal membership, or by descent from the slaves of the Seminole or Cherokee.
A recent report, the CAN Capital Small Business Health Index, found that 58 percent of small business owners expect growth in 2015. Klocke says Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce members — of which there are 1,500 — are optimistic but cautious. They are thrilled with the growth of 2014 but are not about to get complacent
about what needs to be done to keep the economy moving forward. “There is widespread agreement that we need this growth to continue but if anything we need even faster growth,” he said. “What we want in the long term is the unemployment rate to come way down. We want an abundance of opportunities for all those in the job market.”
Thursday, January 1, 2015 • BAY STATE BANNER • 13 Thursday, January 1, 2015 • BAY STATE BANNER • 13
race
continued from page 1
Americans. “You’re in L.A, you’ve got to try not to hire Mexicans,” Rock wrote, describing Los Angeles as a “slave state” where people of color are relegated to the lowest-paying jobs. Black actors are getting top roles in the handful of movies directed by blacks. Selma, a movie about the Selma-to-Montgomery, Alabama march of 1965, is drawing accolades not only for its portrayal of pivotal moments in the U.S. Civil Rights Movement, but also for casting black actors in the lead roles. The casting is not surprising, given that the film’s director, Ana DuVernay, is African American. But it marks progress in light of Hollywood’s ongoing fixation with casting white men in lead roles. Look no further than Mississippi Burning, a 1988 Hollywood film on the Civil Rights Movement that cast the FBI in a heroic light and Gene Hackman and Willem DaFoe as lead actors. Hollywood’s racial revisionism went back a few thousand years with the December release of Exodus: Gods and Kings, a film portraying Moses, Ramses II and the nobility of Egypt as European, and relegating black actors to roles as servants and thieves. Hacked emails from the Sony Corporation shed some light on Hollywood’s unfortunate casting choices. In one email, screenwriter Alan Soorkin casts doubt on the commercial viability of a story about an Asian American Wall Street trader: “The protagonist is Asian American... and there aren’t any Asian movie stars.” In another email, a producer advised against using Denzel Washington as a leading man in films distributed internationally, arguing that viewers in other countries are racist. The whitewashed reality coming out of media giants like Sony, where 89 percent of all lead roles go to whites and all 17 of the
top-earning executives are white, was cited as a factor in a study released in March in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology concluding that whites are more likely to pre-judge black children as guilty of committing crimes. “Children in most societies are considered to be in a distinct group with characteristics such as innocence and the need for protection,” one of the study’s authors, Phillip Atiba Goff of UCLA, told the American Psychological Association. “Our research found that black boys can be seen as responsible for their actions at an age when white boys still benefit from the assumption that children are essentially innocent.” Stanford University social scientist Jenifer Eberhardt, who this year received a McArthur genius grant for her study of Americans’ attitudes toward race, called blacks’ association with crime in white America’s imagination, “one of the strongest stereotypes of blacks in American society.” In addition to being 21-times more likely than whites to be shot by police — not in a study, but in real life, according to an analysis of police data by ProPublica — blacks are also three times more likely than whites to be suspended from pre-school through high school, according to data released in March by the U.S. Department of Education. And for girls, the suspension rate (16 percent) is eight times that for white girls (2 percent). While social scientists have been studying race for years, there’s nothing like video recordings of police violence to demonstrate the real-life consequences of race bias. Whether it was the police violence against non-violent protests in Ferguson or the heart-breaking cellphone footage of NYPD officers killing Staten Island resident Eric Garner by chokehold, those images have been in abundance in the latter half of 2014. And with the Black Lives Matter movements across the United States keeping up the pressure with sit-ins, die-ins and marches, it’s likely the national conversation on race will continue into 2015.
Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department SUFFOLK Division
Docket No. SU14P2841EA Estate of Leonid Petrovich Grishchuk Date of Death September 13, 2012
INFORMAL PROBATE PUBLICATION NOTICE To all persons interested in the above captioned estate, by Petition of Petitioner Ekaterina L. Grishchuk of Wynnewood, PA. Ekaterina L. Grishchuk of Wynnewood, PA has been informally appointed as the Personal Representative of the estate to serve without surety on the bond. The estate is being administered under informal procedure by the Personal Representative under the Massachusetts Uniform Probate Code without supervision by the Court. Inventory and accounts are not required to be filed with the Court, but interested parties are entitled to notice regarding the administration from the Personal Representative and can petition the Court in any matter relating to the estate, including distribution of assets and expenses of administration. Interested parties are entitled to petition the Court to institute formal proceedings and to obtain orders terminating or restricting the powers of Personal Representatives appointed under informal procedure. A copy of the Petition and Will, if any, can be obtained from the Petitioner. Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department SUFFOLK Division
Docket No. SU14D2410DR
Divorce Summons by Publication and Mailing Lidia Ysabel Cruz Arias
vs.
Juan Antonio Fernandez Mancebo
To the Defendant: The Plaintiff has filed a Complaint for Divorce requesting that the Court grant a divorce for irretrievable breakdown of the marriage pursuant to G.L. c. 208, Section 1 B. The Complaint is on file at the Court. An Automatic Restraining Order has been entered in this matter preventing you from taking any action which would negatively impact the current financial status of either party. SEE Supplemental Probate Court Rule 411. You are hereby summoned and required to serve upon: Lidia Ysabel Cruz
Above, Boston activists staged a die-in on Congress Street as part of a demonstration following a New York grand jury’s refusal to indict a police officer in the chokehold death of Eric Garner. (Banner photo) Below, More than 12,000 worshipers took part in the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center’s observance of Eid al Fitr, the holiday that marks the end of Ramadan. (Banner photo)
Arias, 180 Ruggles Street, #113, Roxbury Crossing, MA 02120 your answer, if any, on or before 02/05/2015. If you fail to do so, the court will proceed to the hearing and adjudication of this action. You are also required to file a copy of your answer, if any, in the office of the Register of this Court.
WITNESS, Hon. Joan P. Armstrong, First Justice of this Court. Date: December 15, 2014 Ann Marie Passanisi Register of Probate
Witness, Hon. Joan P. Armstrong, First Justice of this Court. Date: November 25, 2014 Ann Marie Passanisi Register of Probate
Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department SUFFOLK Division
Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department SUFFOLK Division Docket No. SU14P2945GD Citation Giving Notice of Petition for Appointment of Guardian for Incapacitated Person Pursuant to G.L. c. 190B, §5-304 In the matter of Joel John Of Roxbury, MA RESPONDENT Alleged Incapacitated Person To the named Respondent and all other interested persons, a petition has been filed by Denise Deguerre of Roxbury, MA in the above captioned matter alleging that Joel John is in need of a Guardian and requesting that Denise Deguerre of Roxbury, MA (or some other suitable person) be appointed as Guardian to serve on the bond. The petition asks the court to determine that the Respondant is incapacitated, that the appointment of a Guardian is necessary, that the proposed Guardian is appropriate. The petition is on file with this court and may contain a request for certain specific authority. You have the right to object to this proceeding. If you wish to do so, you or your attorney must file a written appearance at this court on or before 10:00 A.M. on the return date of 01/15/2015. This day is NOT a hearing date, but a deadline date by which you have to file the written appearance if you object to the petition. If you fail to file the written appearance by the return date, action may be taken in this matter without further notice to you. In addition to filing the written appearance, you or your attorney must file a written affidavit stating the specific facts and grounds of your objection within 30 days after the return date. IMPORTANT NOTICE The outcome of this proceeding may limit or completely take away the above-named person’s right to make decisions about personal affairs or financial affairs or both. The above-named person has the right to ask for a lawyer. Anyone may make this request on behalf of the above-named person. If the above-named person cannot afford a lawyer, one may be appointed at State expense.
Docket No. SU92P0670
Citation Giving Notice of Petition to Expand the Powers of a Guardian In the Interests of Kenneth James Of Boston, MA RESPONDENT Incapacitated Person/Protected Person To the named Respondent and all other interested persons, a petition has been filed by the Department of Developmental Service of Boston, MA in the above captioned matter requesting that the court: Expand the powers of a Guardian of the Respondent. The petition asks the court to make a determination that the powers of a Guardian and/or Conservator should be expanded, modified, or limited since the time of the appointment. The original petition is on file with the court. You have the right to object to this proceeding. If you wish to do so, you or your attorney must file a written appearance and objection at this Court on or before 10:00 A.M. on the return date of 01/15/2015. This day is NOT a hearing date, but a deadline date by which you have to file the written appearance if you object to the petition. If you fail to file the written appearance by the return date, action may be taken in this matter without further notice to you. In addition to filing the written appearance, you or your attorney must file a written affidavit stating the specific facts and grounds of your objection within 30 days after the return date. IMPORTANT NOTICE The outcome of this proceeding may limit or completely take away the above-named person’s right to make decisions about personal affairs or financial affairs or both. The above-named person has the right to ask for a lawyer. Anyone may make this request on behalf of the above-named person cannot afford a lawyer, one may be appointed at State expense. WITNESS, HON. Joan P. Armstrong, First Justice of this Court. Date: November 21, 2014 Ann Marie Passanisi Register of Probate
14 • Thursday, January 1, 2015 • BAY STATE BANNER
CHURCH OF THE COVENANT NORTH TRANSEPT PRESERVATION Church of the Covenant of Boston, the Awarding Authority, request bids for masonry and roofing preservation and replacement at Church of the Covenant, 67 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts, which is listed in the State and National Register of Historic Places. The project is being partially funded with a grant from the Massachusetts Preservation Projects Fund through the Massachusetts Historical Commission. All work must be performed in accordance with the documents prepared by and available from Spencer & Vogt Group Inc., 1 Thompson Square Suite 504, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129 (617-227-2675) and meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. State law prohibits discrimination. Awarding of this contract is subject to Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity guidelines. Prebid Meeting: A MANDATORY Prebid meeting for all bidders will be held at the Project Site on Thursday, January 8, 2015 at 8:00 AM, local time. Prospective bidders must attend. Bids shall be evaluated on the basis of price, previous experience with similar types of construction projects, ability to perform the work in a timely manner, and references. All bids must be delivered to the architect’s office at the above address no later than 12:00 noon, Thursday, January 22, 2015, to be
eligible for consideration. All of the grant-funded work must be completed by June 26, 2015. ZONING HEARING The Zoning Commission of the City of Boston hereby gives notice, in accordance with Chapter 665 of the Acts of 1956, as amended, that a public hearing will be held on, January 14, 2015, at 9:15 AM, in Room 900, Boston City Hall, in connection with a Map Amendment Application No. 663 filed by the Boston Redevelopment Authority. Said application would amend Map 6A/6B/6C, Roxbury Neighborhood District by adding the designation “U”, indicating an Urban Renewal overlay district to Parcels X-30A, X-30B, X-30C, X-31, X-32, X-33, X-35, X-36, X-37, AND X-38, in the Campus High School and South End Urban Renewal Areas. A copy of the petition and a map of the area involved may be obtained at the office of the Zoning Commission, Room 952, Boston City Hall, between 9 AM and 5 PM any day except Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays. For the Commission, Jeffrey M. Hampton Executive Secretary
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Affordable Housing Opportunity Reopening Wait List*
1, 2, 3, 4 bedroom apartments Applications for wait list available on: Monday - January 12, 2015 9AM-12PM; 1:30-4:30PM
Sec 8 OK
Tuesday - January 13, 2015 9AM-12PM; 1:30-4:30PM
at Mishawum Park Community Room 95 Dunstable St., Charlestown, MA
SUBSCRIBE
If you are eligible, your application will be placed on the wait list and will be decided by lottery. The lottery will be held on February 11, 2015 at 2 PM at Mishawum Park Community Room. You are not required to attend.
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*Minimum household size of at least 1 person per bedroom required. Use and occupancy restrictions apply. Please inquire in advance by calling 617-242-4016 regarding reasonable accommodations. Info contained herein subject to change w/o notice. 12.09.14
617-261- 4600
Make a CORCORAN Community Your New Home
MASSACHUSETTS
NORTH SHORE
Saugus
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Saugus Commons Stevens Corner Andover Commons Rivers Edge (978)794-1800 (978)470-2611 (978)373-4800 (781)233-8477 30 Railroad Street 1 Water Street 63 Newhall Avenue 75 Park Street
Lynnfield
Parkside Commons (617)884-2400 100 Stockton Street
Lowell
Woburn
Lynnfield Commons Kimball Court Massachusetts Mills (781)592-6800 (781)933-9900 (978)970-2200 375 Broadway 7 Kimball Court 150 Mass Mills Drive
Visit us online! www.corcoranapts.com
SOUTH SHORE Weymouth
The Ledges (781)335-2626 1 Avalon Drive The Commons at SouthField (781)340-0200 200 Trotter Road
Taunton
Mill Pond Apartments (508)824-1407 30 Washington Street School Street Apts (508)823-1299 31 School Street
Hanover
Hingham
Brockton
Hanover Legion Lincoln School Apts Brockton Commons (781)871-3049 (781)749-8677 (508)584-2373 Legion Drive 86 Central Street 55 City Hall Plaza
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The Academy Kent Village (508)674-1111 (781)545-2233 102 South Main Street 65 North River Road
Holliston
Pelham Apartments Cutler Heights (508)872-6393 (508)429-0099 75 Second Street 79 Hollis Street
NEW HAMPSHIRE RHODE ISLAND
Nashua Amherst Park (603)882-0331 525 Amherst Street
Stainless Steel Appliances New Kitchen Cabinets Hardwood Floors Updated Bathroom Custom Accent Wall Painting Free Parking Free Wi-Fi in lobby Modern Laundry Facilities
Two Bedrooms Starting at $2200
Resident Services Coordinator Property Management Company is seeking an experienced Resident Services Coordinator for busy Boston Section 8 apartment complex to coordinate and implement services for resident population. Qualifications: BA in human services field. Two plus years’ experience working with elder/youth populations in resident services, social work or case management in a culturally diverse environment. Proven experience in grant writing. Working knowledge of Fair Housing and Section 8 Housing regulations. Excellent organizational, communication (both oral and written), planning and creative thinking skills. Must possess good telephone/exceptional customer service skills. Self-starter who works well with little supervision and has strong follow-up skills. Bilingual in Spanish a plus.
Send resume with salary requirements to: jwall@cornerstonecorporation.net and roxseunite@gmail.com
91 Clay Street Quincy, MA 02170
Groundskeeper/Janitor
Senior Living At It’s Best
The Authority is is seeking seekinganan TheNorwood Norwood Housing Housing Authority individual totoassume role ininourour Maintenance individual assume aa role Maintenance Departmentas asaaGroundskeeper/Janitor. Groundskeeper/Janitor. Department
A senior/disabled/ handicapped community 0 BR units = $1,027/mo 1 BR units = $1,101/mo All utilities included.
Call Sandy Miller, Property Manager
METRO WEST Framingham
Brand New Renovated Apartment Homes
Wollaston Manor
50 West Broadway (617)269-9300 50 West Broadway
Haverhill
Andover
Call today to schedule an Information Session: 617-542-1800
Equal Opportunity Employer
South Boston
McNamara House (617)783-5490 210 Everett Street
Parker Hill Apartments
888-842-7945
BOSTON Allston
Work in hospitals, colleges, insurance agencies, banks, businesses, government offices, health insurance call centers, and more! YMCA Training, Inc. is recruiting training candidates now! We will help you apply for free training. Job placement assistance provided. No prior experience necessary, but must have HS diploma or GED. Free YMCA membership for you and your family while enrolled in YMCA Training, Inc.
617-283-2081
Wednesday - January 14, 2015 9AM-12PM; 4-7PM
Managed by:
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W. Warwick Westcott Terrace (401)828-1490 319 Providence Street
CENTRAL MASS. Worcester
Canterbury Towers Stratton Hill Park (508)757-1133 (508)852-0060 6 Wachusett Street 161 W. Mountain Street For more information or reasonable accommodation, please call the property that interests you. We provide free language assistance by phone, just state your language and hold for an interpreter
#888-691-4301
Program Restrictions Apply.
OFFICE SPACE DORCHESTER/ MILTON 1st Class Office Space Corner of Gallivan Blvd and Washington St ample parking.
$650/mo. $695/mo. $1500/mo.
This position requires the performance of a variety of basic grounds maintenance duties including but not limited to: landscape maintenance, pick-up and removal of debris, sweeping, raking and snow removal. Janitorial duties will include cleaning and sanitizing restrooms, windows, floors, etc. This position will also include duties associated with apartment turnover, such as heavy cleaning, mechanical repairs, and cleaning of light and plumbing fixtures. The ability to lift items up to 75lbs is required. A valid Massachusetts driver’s license is also required. An application and full job description is available in our office or on the NHA website. (www.norwoodha.org) Resume and cover letter is also acceptable. This is a 40-hour position with benefits. The salary for this position is set by the Mass. Executive Office of Workforce Development. Applications for Employment should be submitted before 4:00pm on Thursday January 22, 2015 via email at smerritt@norwoodha.org or by mail or in person to: Norwood Housing Authority Attn: Stephen Merritt – Executive Director 40 William Shyne Circle Norwood, MA 02062 Satisfactory Criminal Offender Record Information report, (CORI), and pre-employment physical are conditions of employment. EEO/AAE
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617-835-6373 Brokers Welcome
ADVERTISE YOUR CLASSIFIEDS (617) 261-4600 x 7799 • ads@bannerpub.com Find rate information at www.baystatebanner.com/advertise
Thursday, January 1, 2015 • BAY STATE BANNER • 15
Join Our Team of Early Childhood Professionals! Helping young children be prepared for school and success in life
Action for Boston Community Development, Inc. (ABCD) Head Start and Children’s Services programs serve low-income children and their families, offering a variety of early childhood education, health, and case management services at sites throughout Boston and now serving Malden, Everett, Medford and surrounding towns.
WE ARE CURRENTLY HIRING FOR: TEACHERS Provides preschool children at Head Start with a joyful, nurturing and safe environment and the varied experiences which help them develop age-appropriate social, intellectual, physical and emotional skills. Develops opportunities and activities for children to learn about health, safety, nutrition, dental health and families. Develops activities to engage parents in the educational aspects of the program. All Teachers must be EEC Preschool Teacher qualified. Schoolyear and full-year positions available.
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Family Advocate I – High school diploma or GED, and 21 credits towards a relevant degree. Starting salary of $14.08/hour.
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Family Advocate II – Associate’s degree or 60 credits towards a Bachelor’s in Human Services or related field. Starting salary of $14.94/hour.
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Family Advocate III – Bachelor’s degree in Human Services or related field. Starting salary of $15.85/hour.
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EDUCATION SUPERVISOR Plans, develops and manages the education services at the local Head Start program. Provides supervision of all program teaching staff, and ensures that all education component activities are compliant with applicable laws, regulations, standards and policies. Must have at least one year of experience teaching preschool children and be EEC Director I or II qualified. Full-year position available.
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Teacher I – Associates degree in Early Childhood Education or related field, with nine months of relevant experience required. Starting salary of $14.94/hour for school-year positions and $15.85/ hour for full-year positions. Teacher II – Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education or related field, with at least a year of relevant experience required. Starting salary of $15.85/hour for school-year positions and $16.81/ hour for full-year positions.
TEACHER ASSISTANTS Assists Teachers with the care and education of preschool children at Head Start. Assists in development and implementation of opportunities and activities for children, while recording classroom activities and engaging in ongoing staff development trainings. High school diploma/GED required. Must have active preschool Child Development Associate (CDA) credential, be enrolled in a CDA credential program that will be completed in two years, or be matriculated in a degree program and have earned fifteen college course credits (including Child Growth & Development). EEC Preschool Teacher qualified preferred. School-year and full-year positions available. Starting salary of $14.08/hour for school-year positions and $14.94/hour for full-year positions. ERSEA SPECIALIST Responsible for the complete and accurate collection, entry, reporting and maintenance of data, records and reports related to the application and ERSEA (eligibility, recruitment, selection, enrollment and attendance) policies and procedures for children and families within the Head Start program. At least one year of relevant experience required. Full-year position available. •
ERSEA Specialist I – High school diploma or GED, and 21 credits towards a relevant degree. Starting salary of $14.08/hour.
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ERSEA Specialist II – Associate’s degree or 60 credits towards a Bachelor’s in Human Services or related field. Starting salary of $14.94/hour.
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Education Supervisor I – Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education or related field required. Starting salary of $19.49/hour.
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Education Supervisor II – Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education or related field required. Starting salary of $22.59/hour.
FAMILY & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SUPERVISOR Provides internal services, training and compliance monitoring to the family and community partnership programs. Ensures adequate monitoring of component activities, while providing training and support to parents and staff. Must have at least two years of experience working with children and families in a human service or related setting. Full-year position available. •
Family & Community Engagement Supervisor I – Bachelor’s degree in Social Services, Human Services, Early Childhood or related field required. Starting salary of $18.37/hour.
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Family & Community Engagement Supervisor II – MSW or Master’s degree in Counseling, Social Services or related field required. Starting salary of $21.29/hour.
LOCAL DISABILITIES SPECIALIST Provides training, support and guidance to staff and parents on the mainstreaming and provision of services to children with disabilities. Ensures that the disabilities component of the program is compliant with applicable laws, regulations, standards and policies. Full-year position available. •
ERSEA Specialist III – Bachelor’s degree in Human Services or related field. Starting salary of $15.85/hour.
FAMILY ADVOCATES Promotes family wellness and parent engagement programs to ensure the successful implementation of the family partnership process, while providing support, referrals, advocacy and up-to-date record maintenance for families. At least one year of relevant experience required. Full-year positions available.
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Local Disabilities Specialist I – Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education or related field, with at least one course in Child Growth & Development and one course in special education. Two years experience caring for/teaching children with special needs or disabilities may be counted for special education coursework. At least 9 months of relevant experience. Starting salary of $16.81/hour. Local Disabilities Specialist II – Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education, Special Education or related field including one course in special education. At least 9 months of relevant experience. Starting salary of $17.83/hour.
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Local Disabilities Specialist III – Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education, Special Education or related field. Certification as Teacher of Children with Moderate or Severe Special Needs. At least one year relevant experience. Starting salary of $18.37/hour.
HEALTH SERVICES MANAGER Coordinates and evaluates comprehensive preventive health services according to prioritized needs for each program in his/her caseload. Ensures that the health services of each program are compliant with applicable laws, regulations, standards and policies. At least three years of experience in health services or related field required. Full-year position available. •
Health Services Manager I – Bachelor’s degree in Nursing or related health field, or a Medical Doctor Degree from a medical school listed in the International Medical School Directory required. Starting salary of $20.67/hour.
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Health Services Manager II – Bachelor’s degree in Nursing or related health field, plus a current RN license in the State of Massachusetts or higher academic or licensing credential required. Starting salary of $23.27/hour.
HEALTH AIDE Serves as the program liaison for health services to Head Start families. Maintains up-to-date and accurate records for each family and collaborates with other health staff to support health needs of children and families. High school diploma or GED, and up to 12 months of relevant experience required. Starting salary of $14.08/hour. Full-year position available. NUTRITIONIST Provides counseling and referral services to families to help them meet the nutritional needs of infants, toddlers, preschool aged children and pregnant mothers. Designs, monitors and evaluates the quality controls of the nutrition component of the program. Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition, Dietetics or related field and at least one year of experience required. Starting salary of $20.67/hour. NUTRITION CASE MANAGER Assists with the overall citywide implementation of Head Start Nutritional Services. Responsibilities include maintaining up-to-date nutrition records of children and families, classrooms, and food preparation facilities for Head Start program to ensure compliance with regulations, policies and procedures. Associate’s degree or 60+ credits toward a degree in Early Education, Human Services or related field, and at least one year of professional experience required. Starting salary of $14.08/hour. Full-year position available. ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Provides clerical and general office support for the program, including greeting visitors, answering phones and providing any necessary assistance to all staff. Ensures that established procedures are followed, and maintains administrative records for program. High school diploma or GED and at least one year of related experience required. Starting salary of $14.08/hour. Full-year position available.
TO APPLY: Email resume and cover letter to: hr@bostonabcd.org, fax: 617-423-7693 or mail: ABCD, Inc., Human Resources Department, 178 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02111 ABCD, Inc is an equal opportunity employer, and offers a competitive benefits package.
one day sale
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one day sale
deals oF THe day
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available all day, boTH days
doorbusTers 1oam-2pm Friday & 9am-2pm saTurday geT Here early, wHile THey lasT!
or, extra savings friday or saturday until 2pm
macy’s savings pass discounT doesn’T apply To doorbusTers or deals oF THe day. $1O Off
$2O Off
ALL SALE & CLEARANCE APPAREL & SELECT HOME ITEMS (ExCEPT dOORbuSTERS & dEALS Of THE dAy)
ALL SALE & CLEARANCE APPAREL & SELECT HOME ITEMS (ExCEPT dOORbuSTERS & dEALS Of THE dAy)
YOUR PURCHASE OF $25 OR MORE.
YOUR PURCHASE OF $5O OR MORE.
ALSO excLudeS: everyday Values (edV), specials, super buys, furniture, mattresses, floor coverings, rugs, electrics/electronics, cosmetics/fragrances, athletic apparel, shoes and accessories; dallas cowboys merchandise, gift cards, jewelry trunk shows, New era, Nike on Field, previous purchases, special orders, selected licensed depts., special purchases, services, macys. com. cannot be combined with any savings pass/coupon, extra discount or credit offer, except opening a new Macy’s account. dollar savings are allocated as discounts off each eligible item, as shown on receipt. When you return an item, you forfeit the savings allocated to that item. This coupon has no cash value and may not be redeemed for cash, used to purchase gift cards or applied as payment or credit to your account. Purchase must be $25 or more, exclusive of tax and delivery fees.
ALSO excLudeS: everyday Values (edV), specials, super buys, furniture, mattresses, floor coverings, rugs, electrics/electronics, cosmetics/fragrances, athletic apparel, shoes and accessories; dallas cowboys merchandise, gift cards, jewelry trunk shows, New era, Nike on Field, previous purchases, special orders, selected licensed depts., special purchases, services, macys. com. cannot be combined with any savings pass/coupon, extra discount or credit offer, except opening a new Macy’s account. dollar savings are allocated as discounts off each eligible item, as shown on receipt. When you return an item, you forfeit the savings allocated to that item. This coupon has no cash value and may not be redeemed for cash, used to purchase gift cards or applied as payment or credit to your account. Purchase must be $50 or more, exclusive of tax and delivery fees.
1O Off
$
valid 1/2 ’til 2pm or 1/3/15 ’til 2pm. limit one per customer.
2O Off
$
valid 1/2 ’til 2pm or 1/3/15 ’til 2pm. limit one per customer.
One day Sale priceS in effecT 1/2 & 1/3/2015. N4110536B.indd 1
12/23/14 1:26 PM
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