Social Justice
Allan Rohan Crite, dean of Black artists in New England, painted the ordinary and the divine
Allan Rohan Crite painted the scenes around his home in the South End and neighboring Roxbury. He captured life and faith for Black people in the city and mentored up-and-coming artists.
Metro
John J. Smith, state representative, abolitionist who rescued Black people from slavery
As a barber, Smith prided himself on serving any customer, regardless of the man’s race or nationality. But Smith’s belief in justice was not confined inside the walls of his shop.
Social Justice
How Roberts v. City of Boston set a precedent to uphold racial segregation in schools
Five-year-old Sarah Roberts was denied enrollment from every public school in Boston, except for the all-Black Smith School, located far from where she lived. Her father, Benjamin Roberts, decided to sue the city, and the Supreme Court case went on to define the century-long struggle to desegregate schools.
Travel
Exploring and celebrating the uplifting Black stories from Richmond’s painful past
Like many cities around the country, Richmond is experiencing a racial reckoning, although here that reckoning feels like a renaissance.
Social Justice
Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller, sculptor who depicted the Black experience
Fuller is renowned for sculptures that depicted the Black experience and anticipated themes of the Harlem Renaissance.
Social Justice
As first popularly elected Black senator, Edward Brooke defied political odds
His historic win, the first African American popularly elected to US Senate and the first elected since Reconstruction, resonated across the world. Brooke, a Republican, established himself as a civil rights champion and pioneer.
Social Justice
William Monroe Trotter, editor of the Boston Guardian
William Monroe Trotter graduated from Hyde Park High School and Harvard before he began publishing the Boston Guardian, a weekly African American newspaper, in November of 1901.
Social Justice
Hubie Jones exposed Boston Public Schools for its exclusion of thousands of students with special needs
Hubie Jones, a social worker, was behind the task force that examined problems facing Boston public school students. His work led to many permanent changes.