INSIDE THIS ISSUE THE BUZZ ............... 1 HAPPENINGS .......... 2 CURRENT EVENTS .................. 6 THE ARTS ............. 12 Films ......................... 12

HEALTH AND FITNESS ................ 13

THE WORD P.O. Box 170847

Boston, MA 02117 (617) 775-4273

pat@thewordboston.com www.thewordboston.com

THE BUZZ “The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them.”

~ Ida B. Wells

COURAGE UNDER FIRE: A PROFILE OF IDA B. WELLS by Pat Williams

Ida B. Wells (pictured at left) was born on July 16, 1862 in Holly Spring, Mississippi, several months before President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. Both parents were slaves and after the Civil War, her father worked for the advancement of black people. In 1878 after her parents and brother died at a young age, Wells was left to raise six siblings rather than have them split up and sent to foster homes. To help support her siblings, she found work as a teacher in a Mississippi elementary school.

In 1883, Wells moved to Memphis, Tennessee and continued to teach. She took courses at Fisk University and Lemoyne Institute. In May of 1884 while traveling by train, Wells was asked to give up her seat to a white woman. When she refused, she was forcibly removed by the conductor and two other men. She sued the railroad, won the case and was awarded a $500 settlement. The railroad appealed the verdict and it was reversed by the lower court, “I felt so disappointed because I had hoped such great things from my suit for my people…O God, is there no…justice in this land for us?,” Wells said after the court’s decision.

After her friend Thomas Moss and two other men were lynched by a white mob, Wells became an investigative journalist and started researching and documenting lynchings in the South. Her anti-lynching crusade brought death threats and Wells was forced to leave Memphis and move to Chicago. She became a journalist at the Chicago Conservator which, at the time, was the oldest African American paper in the city.

In 1893, Wells went to Great Britain to expose accounts of lynchings in the United States. Before her second visit to England, she was asked to write for the Daily Inter-Ocean, a Republican newspaper in Chicago that denounced lynchings. She continued to write about the horrors of African Americans being murdered and in 1895 published the Red Record which detailed the high rate of lynchings in the United States.

Wells was also a passionate suffragist who helped form the Republican Women’s Club in Illinois. During her public career, Wells collaborated with many prominent civil rights leaders including Frederick Douglass and W.E.B. DuBois. Wells died of renal failure on March 25, 1931 at the age of 68. Her legacy lives on. Last year, at the their 35th Anniversary Celebration and Ida B. Wells Afternoon Tea, the Massachusetts Black Women Attorneys presented the Ida B. Wells Award to my co-worker and Mintz Levin attorney Yalonda Howze and to Tracey L. McCain of Sanofi Genzyme.

Friday, March 17, 2017 Volume 13, Number 6

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HAPPENINGS BOSTON HAS A NEW DEFAULT SPEED LIMIT The City of Boston has a new default speed limit. If you don’t see a sign, the speed limit is 25 mph. Driving at or below the 25 mph speed limit can save lives. If you crash, you’re less likely to cause serious injury or death. For more information, Click HERE.

SUCCESSLINK SUMMER JOBS

The City of Boston's Division of Youth Engagement and Employment is busy getting ready for the 2017 launch of SuccessLink, an online tool that enables Boston youth to register for summer jobs. Last year nearly 4,000 youth received job placement through SuccessLink. The SuccessLink application will be available until Friday, March 31, 2017 at 11:59 p.m. Teens can apply 24-hours a day by Clicking HERE. This is a FREE event.

BELLE OF THE BALL Belle of the Ball distributes cleaned prom dresses at no charge to high school junior and senior girls who could not otherwise afford to attend their school’s prom. Unlike other prom gown collection drives, this program culminates with a day-long boutique where deserving girls are invited for a day of personal shopping and pampering. Donated gowns are cleaned by Anton’s Cleaners. Once cleaned, students are referred by social service agencies and gowns are given to those in need without charge. If you have a good quality, trendy gown consider donating it. Gowns will be collected through Saturday, April 1, 2017. For more information, Click HERE.

COMMUNITY HOUSING CLINIC A Community Housing Clinic will be held every Thursday from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Department of Neighborhood Development, 26 Court St., Boston, MA. The Community Housing Clinic is a tremendous resource for residents as well as tenants and landlords, to talk one-on-one with a housing professional about landlord-tenant laws, learn how to access affordable housing opportunities and discover housing resources available to landlords and tenants. Tenants can learn about their rights if their building is sold, their rents are rising or they’re facing eviction. Landlords can get information on enforcing lease provisions, cost-effective resources to resolve disputes and programs to support home repairs and maintenance. For more information, call (617) 635-4200. This is a FREE event.

COLLEGE FINANCIAL AID: FSA ID WORKSHOP The College Financial AID: FSA ID Workshop will be held every Saturday from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. at the Central Library in Copley Square (ASA College Planning Center), 700 Boylston St., Boston, MA. Need help with the college financial aid process? Get assistance by creating a FSA ID, which is the first step in filing your application for Federal Student Aid. For more information, call (617) 536-5400. This is a FREE event.

DINE OUT BOSTON Dine Out Boston (formerly known as Restaurant Week Boston) will be held through Friday, March 17, 2017. This bi-annual event provides locals and visitors with an opportunity to sample area restaurants at special prices. Participating restaurants design prix fixe menus for lunch and dinner. Each participating restaurant selects one of the three price options (Lunch $15/$20/$25 or Dinner $28/$33/$38 (prices are per person and exclude beverages, tax and gratuities). Diners can choose from old favorites to the latest culinary hot spots, from nationally known chain restaurants to local chef owned bistros, from Asian or Argentinean fare to French, Italian, tapas and sushi, from the award-winning restaurants of Boston and Cambridge to the gourmet gems in the suburbs north, west and south of the city. Prices vary by restaurant. For more information, Click HERE.

WINTER FAMILY FUN Winter Family Fun will be held Saturday, March 18 and 25, 2017 at 1:30 p.m. Bring the kids for healthy, active winter programs at Franklin Park, snowshoeing, nature walks, animal tracking, winter play parties and more. Meet in front of Franklin Park Golf Clubhouse, 1 Circuit Dr., Dorchester, MA. This is a FREE event.

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HAPPENINGS (cont’d) BOSTON PRAYS FOR THE CHILDREN: A BLACK CELEBRATION OF OUR CHILDREN Boston Prays for the Children: A Black Celebration of Our Children will be held Sunday, March 19, 2017 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Twelfth Baptist Church, 150 Warren St., Roxbury, MA. The City of Boston is expected to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding. Now, more than ever, the community must unite to protect our most vulnerable citizens, especially our children. For more information, email umnunity@gmail.com. This is a FREE event.

GEN2GEN VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION EVENT The Gen2Gen Volunteer Recognition Event will be held Monday, March 20, 2017 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Grove Hall Senior Center, 51 Geneva Ave., Dorchester, MA. Gen2Gen is a national campaign to help children by connecting older people with the young. The goal is to help young people in the Boston area thrive by engaging an untapped resource of older adults in volunteer and paid roles. Join Gen2Gen to recognize community volunteers and to learn about paid, stipend and volunteer opportunities with partner organizations who are youth serving non-profits in the community. For more information, Click HERE. This is a FREE event.

TOWN HALL FORUM ON BODY CAMERA PILOT A Town Hall Forum on Body Camera Pilot will be held Monday, March 20, 2017 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Central Library in Copley Square (Commonwealth Salon), 700 Boylston St., Boston, MA. Attendees are invited to share their thoughts on body cameras at this community conversation on the Boston Police Department’s pilot program. For more information, call (617) 536-5400. This is a FREE event.

LOWELL LECTURE: REGINALD DWAYNE BETTS – AN EVENING OF POETRY

Reginald Dwayne Betts: An Evening of Poetry will be held Wednesday, March 22, 2017 from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Central Library in Copley Square, 700 Boylston St., Boston, MA. Betts transformed himself from a sixteen-year old teen sentenced to nine years in prison to a critically acclaimed writer and student at Yale Law School. His memoir, A Question of Freedom: A Memoir of Learning, Survival, and Coming of Age in Prison, is the story of a young man confined in the worst prisons in the state of Virginia, where solitary confinement, horrific conditions and the constant violence threatened to break his humanity. Instead, Betts used the time to turn himself into a poet, a scholar and an advocate for the reform of the criminal justice system. Betts will read from his two critically-acclaimed collections of poetry. For more information, call (617) 536-5400. This is a FREE event.

TAKE PART IN THE CONVERSATION SPEAKER SERIES Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) will host the Take Part in the Conversation Speaker Series. In honor of Black History Month, BHCC presents events focused on criminal justice and policing in urban neighborhoods. Each event begins at 1:00 p.m. and will be held at BHCC (Charlestown Campus, C202 Lecture Hall), 250 New Rutherford Ave., Boston, MA. Registration is required. For more information on this event or to register for other Black History Month events being hosted by BHCC, Click HERE. This is a FREE event.

Thursday, March 23 – Ed Davis, Policing in America: The Changing Landscape of Our Cities & Law Enforcement’s Role in Protecting Our CommunitiesFormer Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis, who was at the forefront of the emergency response to the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing and the arrests that followed, talks about the need for fundamental reforms to policing and the criminal justice system in America.

GENERAL INFORMATION SESSION ON VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES AT JFK PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM The JFK Presidential Library and Museum will host a General Information Session on Volunteer Opportunities on Saturday, March 25, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. The Library and Museum is seeking a diverse group of volunteer museum guides. Come enjoy refreshments and learn more about how to volunteer. The Library and Museum is located at Columbia Point, Dorchester, MA. This is a FREE event.

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HAPPENINGS (cont’d) VOICES OF SNCC WOMEN: A COMMUNAL READING AND DIALOGUE Voices of SNCC Women: A Communal Reading and Dialogue will be held Saturday, March 25, 2017 from 12:00 Noon to 2:00 p.m. at the Grove Hall Branch Library, 41 Geneva Ave., Dorchester, MA. Tina-Marie Johnson will lead a discussion with former SNCC Women and passages written by the women involved in the SNCC will be read aloud. For more information, Click HERE. This is a FREE event.

MINORITY BUSINESS EXPO The Minority Business Expo will be held Saturday, March 25, 2017 from 12:00 Noon to 5:00 p.m. at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center, 1350 Tremont St., Roxbury, MA. The Minority Business Expo was created to increase opportunities for small businesses and entrepreneurs; to raise awareness on the importance of community building and outreach in Greater Boston; and to help businesses increase their revenue. For more information, Click HERE. This is a FREE event.

ARTS MATTER ADVOCACY DAY Arts Matter Advocacy Day will be held Tuesday, March 28, 2017 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Paramount Center, 559 Washington St., Boston, MA and at the State House, 24 Beacon St., Boston, MA. Join us for a morning at the Paramount Center and an early afternoon at the State House. After a morning of mingling, celebrating arts and culture and sharpening our advocacy skills, we will travel together in an Arts Matter March to the State House. When we arrive, we will meet with our legislators about arts and cultural issues, including the state budget. Together, let’s send the message that arts matter in Massachusetts. There will be speakers and performers. For more information, Click HERE. This is a FREE event.

CITY OF BOSTON WILL HOST WORKSHOPS TO SUPPORT BOSTON SMALL BUSINESS The City of Boston will host a series of Workshops to Support Boston Small Business. The workshops will assist entrepreneurs and small business owners of all types and development stage. They will also address challenges and provide guidance ranging from developing a sustainable business plan to assistance with financial management. For more information, Click HERE. This is a FREE event.

Tuesday, March 28 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Roxbury Innovation Center, 2300 Washington St., Roxbury, MA. The topic is Tactics for Scaling Your Business for Female Entrepreneurs.

KENNEDY LIBRARY FORUMS The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Columbia Point, Dorchester, MA is pleased to present the Kennedy Library Forums, a series of public affairs programs on a diverse range of historical, political and cultural topics reflecting the legacy of President and Mrs. John F. Kennedy. Doors open an hour before each forum begins. For more information or to make a reservation, call (617) 514–1643 or Click HERE. Reservations guarantee a seat in the building, but not in the main hall. Once the main hall is full, audience members will be seated in an overflow theater where the forum will be streamed live. This is a FREE event.

Tuesday, March 28 from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. – American Experience: The Great War. Mark Samels, Amanda Pollak, Chris Capozzola and Chad Williams discuss the legacy of America’s entry into World War I.

Sunday, April 2 from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. – Patrick Hemingway will present the PEN/Hemingway Award for best first published work of fiction by an American author. Novelist and biographer Roxana Robinson will deliver the keynote address.

WHY PEACE IS POSSIBLE: EXPLORING THE ANATOMY OF WAR AND VIOLENCE Why Peace is Possible: Exploring the Anatomy of War and Violence will be held Wednesday, March 29, 2017 at 3:00 p.m. at UMass Boston (Campus Center, Ballroom B), 100 Morrissey Blvd., Dorchester, MA. West Point graduate and Iraq war veteran turned devoted peace activist Paul K. Chappell presents a thoughtful alternative to violence and warfare and offers a peaceful way forward in a world that can seem fractured, divided, and violent. For more information, Click HERE. This is a FREE event.

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HAPPENINGS (cont’d) MAHA HOMEBUYER CLASSES MAHA HomeBuyer Classes are held monthly at a variety of locations. Graduates from the MAHA classes will receive a certificate which will allow the participant access to a number of programs that assist first–time homebuyers. The certificate is also a requirement for acquiring lottery property and certain mortgage products in Boston and other cities and towns. Graduates are eligible for free one–on–one credit and homebuying counseling. The classes are 12 hours by either attending four evenings or two Saturdays or the cost is $50 per person and $75 per couple. For more information, email hfernandez@mahahome.org or Click HERE. The class schedule is as follows:

Saturday, April 1 and 8 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at MAHA, 1803 Dorchester Ave., Dorchester, MA

Saturday, May 13 and 20 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Boston Medical Center, 88 E. Newton St., Boston, MA

Tuesday, June 6 and Thursday, June 8 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. and Saturday, June 10 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

BABY DIAPER BANK A Baby Diaper Bank will be held Saturday, April 1, 2017 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at the Grove Hall Branch Library, 41 Geneva Ave., Dorchester, MA. If you are a parent of a baby and cannot afford diapers, the Baby Diaper Bank may be for you. The Baby Diaper Bank seeks to meet the needs of income-challenged parents to make sure that they have clean diapers for their babies. For more information, call (617) 427-3337 or Click HERE. This is a FREE event.

WOMEN SURVIVORS OF HOMICIDE MOVEMENT UNSOLVED HOMICIDES AWARENESS DAY AND FLAG RAISING The Women Survivors of Homicide Movement Unsolved Homicides Awareness Day and Flag Raising will be held Saturday, April 8, 2017 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at the Boston Police Department, 2400 Washington St., Roxbury, MA. Together, family and friends impacted by an unsolved murder of a loved one will raise the flag of awareness to bring attention to unsolved homicides. There will be food and fellowship and a gospel choir. Please wear something purple and bring a photo of a loved one. For more information, call (857) 600-1623 or email wsohmovement14@gmail.com. This is a FREE event.

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FRIDAY, MARCH 17

TO PURCHASE TICKETS, CLICK HERE.

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SATURDAY, MARCH 18

7:30 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. Roomful of Blues at the Regattabar Jazz Club in the Charles Hotel, One Bennett St., Cambridge, MA. For tickets, call (617) 395–7757 or Click HERE.

8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. Somi appears at Scullers Jazz Club in the DoubleTree Guest Suites Hotel, 400 Soldiers Field Rd., Boston, MA. For more information, call (617) 562-4111 or Click HERE.

MONDAY, MARCH 20

TO RSVP, CLICK HERE.

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THURDAY, MARCH 23

TO PURCHASE TICKETS, CLICK HERE.

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FRIDAY, MARCH 24

7:30 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. Alex Alvear and Mango Blue at the Regattabar Jazz Club in the Charles Hotel, One Bennett St., Cambridge, MA. For tickets, call (617) 395–7757 or Click HERE.

8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. Buster Williams “Something More” Quartet at Scullers Jazz Club in the DoubleTree Guest Suites Hotel, 400 Soldiers Field Rd., Boston, MA. For more information, call (617) 562-4111 or Click HERE. Buster Williams also appears on Saturday, March 25 at the times listed.

SATURDAY, MARCH 25

7:30 p.m. Stanley Sagov: Remembering the Future at the Regattabar Jazz Club in the Charles Hotel, One Bennett St., Cambridge, MA. For tickets, call (617) 395–7757 or Click HERE.

THURDAY, MARCH 30

TO PURCHASE TICKETS, CLICK HERE.

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FRIDAY, APRIL 7

TO PURCHASE TICKETS, CLICK HERE.

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SATURDAY, MAY 6

TO PURCHASE TICKETS, CLICK HERE.

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THE ARTS FILMS (Screenings)

THEORY OF CONFLICT FILM SCREENING AND DISCUSSION

A Film Screening and Discussion of Theory of Conflict will be held Wednesday, March 22, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.) at the Coolidge Corner Theater, 290 Harvard St., Brookline, MA. Set on an American college campus, Theory of Conflict follows the friendship of two students, Sudanese “Lost Boy” Mohammed (Mo) Deng and wealthy Bostonian Edward Dudley. While a broken heart forces Mo to grapple with his complicated past, Edward's life is disrupted by his newfound romance with Yafit Haddad, a former Israel Defense Forces soldier. When ethnic-political tensions begin to erupt on their campus, Mo and Edward's friendship is put to the test and both men are forced to reconsider their values and priorities. Following the film, filmmaker Rahman Oladigbolu and members of the cast and crew will participate in a Q&A. For more information, email oraclefilms@yahoo.com. This is a FREE event.

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HEALTH AND FITNESS FRANKLIN PARK TENNIS ASSOCIATION FREE TENNIS LESSONS Franklin Park Tennis Association will offer Tennis for Everyone every Saturday from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. at Melnea Cass Recreational Complex, 120 Malcolm X Blvd., Roxbury, MA. Lessons for beginner/intermediate players, children (ages 5 and older) and adults at the same time, but on different courts. This is a drop-in program designed to introduce and reinforce the fundamental skills. Registration is required. For more information or to register, Click HERE. This is a FREE event.

BOSTON REACH COALITION MEETING The mission of Boston REACH Coalition is to promote health equity and eliminate racial and ethnic health disparities in Boston. The Boston REACH Coalition is led by the Boston Public Health Commission in partnership with community residents. The Coalition partners with community groups, health care providers, health experts, businesses and faith-based leaders to improve the conditions in neighborhoods that shape the health and well-being of community residents. The Coalition meets on the first Monday of the month. In the case of a holiday, the meeting is held the following Monday. Dinner is served at 5:30 p.m. and the meeting starts at 6:00 p.m. The Coalition membership is open to all and children and youth are welcome. The next meeting will be held April 3, 2017 at the Grove Hall Community Center, 51 Geneva Ave., Dorchester, MA. Refreshments will be served. For more information, call (617) 534-2291 or Click HERE. This is a FREE event.

PROSTATE CANCER SUPPORT GROUP MEETING Dana Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center offers a Prostate Cancer Support Group Meeting every second Wednesday of the month. The next meeting will be held April 12, 2017 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Dana–Farber Cancer Institute (Smith Building, Room 308–309), 44 Binney St., Boston, MA. This support group focuses on the needs of Black men. Meet with prostate cancer survivors, talk with leading medical specialists and understand your treatment options. Everyone is invited, food will be served and parking is free. For more information, call Mark Kennedy at (617) 632–6694 or Click HERE. This is a FREE event.