work.that.city.

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Once, long long ago, a small but courageous group of Harvard students and incoming first years went on a walk. A long walk. An 8-hour walk. And they called it "Boston Adventure Day." They perused the neighborhoods of Boston, from the South End to the North End. They showed off the glory of the Emerald Necklace, they gesticulated wildly while ranting about the painful process of gentrification, they strolled respectfully past neighborhood businesses and rows of houses. Today, we continue this fine fine tradition through what is known simply as... Work that City.

We now invite you to work that city, or first check out the background information below on recent happenings in Boston.


Boston Snapshot: September 2003 - August 2004

Marriage Equality: On November 18, 2003, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court rules in Goodridge v. Dept. of Public Health that same-sex couples in Massachusetts must be allowed to marry and requires that the State Legislature comply within 180 days. In February, the Court clarifies that same-sex couples must be granted the right to civil marriage -and not just civil unions. On May 17, 2004, the 50-year anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education ruling, the first gay marriages allowed by the Legislature took place. In the mean time, the ruling had inspired officials across the country to perform same-sex marriages against the law, as well as attempts to pass constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage. An effort to pass a federal constitutional amendment failed in the national Senate, but after repeated efforts the Massachusetts Legislature voted for a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. If further votes by the Legislature and by Massachusetts voters succeed, this amendment would take effect in 2006.

Where? Although it's not technically on the routes, swing by Cambridge City Hall in Central Square, or take a gander at the Statehouse, where protests drew national media attention.

Summer Violence and Response: On July 11, 2004, a small fistfight turns into a brawl between white and Asian teens in the Mary Ellen McCormack housing development (South Boston); 16-year old Bang Mai dies after being stabbed. On July 25, basketball coach William Gaines is shot to death in Ramsey Park (South End / Lower Roxbury) in front of his team. Between August 1 and August 4, 11-year old Jerry Gonzalez is critically injured by a stray bullet in Carter Playground (Roxbury), "one man [is] shot and another stabbed on Boston Common," and high school student Jaime Owens is shot in a Dorchester park while waiting for pizza. These were some of the more visible examples of violence in Boston over the summer. In response, communities held vigils, youth gatherings, and services; the annual National Night Out community events against violence were held on August 3. Boston Police Commissioner Kathleen M. O'Toole announced Operation Neighborhood Shield, a collaboration between federal, state, and city agents and police to identify and arrest key players in the recent violence. As of August 29, there had been 46 homicides in Boston during 2004.

Where? Stop either at Roxbury Crossing and point out the Boston Police headquarters towards Ruggles, or stop at Tobin Community Center (big tannish brown building) on Tremont in Mission Hill (South of the Basilica), where several youth events and speakouts ("Silence the Violence") have taken place.

Catholic Church Closings: The Boston Archdiocese (Catholic) announced in May that it would close 60 of its 357 parishes in Boston. The reasons for closure included low attendance of Mass, a shortage of priests and shrinking funds for supporting some small churches. Structurally, Archbishop O'Malley also pointed out a connection with "the movement of people from cities to the suburbs." One of our FUP sites, St. Mary's of the Angels in Roxbury, is also slated for closure in October. Although many parishioners at St. Mary's had moved away from the neighborhood, the parish actively worked in the community to help organize local residents around issues of education, health care, and housing.

Where? While walking up Hanover Street in the North End, stop at Prince Street (just past Mike's Pastries) at St Leonard's church (not closing) and look right at the Sacred Heart Church, which has closed, despite its unique Italian Mass for immigrants.

University Expansions: Harvard and Northeastern: This past year both Harvard and Northeastern announced major expansions into local neighborhoods to allow for an increase in the size of the student body. Harvard is moving into Allston, Northeastern into Mission Hill. These expansions raise a challenging question of gentrification, a process often tied to residential habits of students. For example, housing in Mission Hill is scarcer and more expensive because of the number of Harvard Med, Northeastern, and Wentworth students living in the area. Also, Northeastern is building dorms, not to give housing to students already enrolled, but rather to allow more students to move to the area and attend the school. As a simple (mostly apolitical) definition, gentrification is: "The restoration and upgrading of deteriorated urban property by middle-class or affluent people, often resulting in displacement of lower-income people." (www.dictionary.com) These college expansions certainly play into these definitions.

While Harvard's intentions for Allston expansion have yet to be fully revealed (though much already has), it's interesting to note that last summer, before the announcement of the major move, Harvard sponsored a number of summertime internships in the Allston area. (President Summers openly admitted to students last year that the University sends students to do public service in areas of interest for it. While the longterm effects of Harvard-in-Allston are unclear, its presence in Cambridge suggests a future much like its past: buying land (tax-exempt), holding it for a few years, then building on it, thus commercializing (gentrifying) the area.

Where? - Talk about this in Cambridge (near Dunster), in Central Square, where many recent grads traditionally live, as well as in front of Northeastern and their open-glass gymnasium and health facilities.

DNC and Boston Social Forum: The Democratic National Convention was held in late July in the Fleet Center. Aside from the actual convention itself ("Reporting for duty!"), other major issues surrounding events included bag checks on the T, a fenced-off "Free Speech" zone near the Fleet Center, and 75 new federal surveillance cameras placed in the city to monitor protests and the like. And these cameras still have a long, happy life in front of them: as the police superintendent said, "We own them now. We're certainly not going to put them in a closet." Instead they're being distributed to different neighborhoods in Boston to help "prevent crime." And gather Candid Camera footage. (Not really.) Also, for 3 days before the convention, local and national activists (including a bunch of FUP leaders, past and present) joined forces for workshops and trainings on all sorts of social issues at the Boston Social Forum, held at UMass in Southie. The tab for security exceeded $40 mil. And led to 5 arrests at the convention. Also, Bill Clinton bought a watch at Alpha Omega in Harvard Square, which was perhaps the only fulfillment of the city government's promise for a boon to local businesses. In fact, since much of downtown was closed (as were major highways), business slumped.

Where? While walking through the Haymarket, look to your left and point out the Fleet Center. If you have 10 minutes and feel political, walk over there. Beyonce had a concert there, too.

Boston Bruins: They almost made it to the NHL finals this year.

Where? Everywhere. Forget the Sox, the Bruins are Boston.

Bioterror Research Lab: Boston University (BU) intends to build a bioterrorism research laboratory in the South End/Roxbury where research would be performed on organisms such as anthrax, smallpox, plague, botulism, tularemia, and viral hemorrhagic fevers (e.g., Ebola) that cause deadly diseases for which there is no known cure, that can be transmitted through the air, and that can be used in biowarfare. This would include construction of a BioSafety Level 4 (BSL4) laboratory, the level required for research on the most dangerous and exotic categories of disease causing agents. The federal government will provide $127 million toward construction of the laboratory under its Biodefense Research Agenda with matching funds of about $42.3 million to be paid by BU and BU Medical Center. Community groups in South End, Roxbury and Chinatown are mounting serious opposition to the placement of the BioLab in their communities.

There are three other BS Level 4 Labs in the country; the BU proposed lab would sit in the middle of a poor community of color with 16,721 residents per square mile - the other three labs are located in sparsely populated areas with at most 3,500 people in the equivalent square mile. Residents have voiced concerns over the danger of researching and storing biological weapons in their neighborhood. Indeed, according to ACE (Alternatives to Community Environment), biotechnology research and development laboratories provide mostly employment to highly educated scientists and very few jobs to persons without college degrees. The lab will further intensify gentrification, with its increasing real estate prices. This portends the displacement of local community based businesses that provide blue-collar jobs (despite claims that the lab will bring jobs to the community, since most residents lack training to work in such a lab). Ultimately, the residents were never involved in BU's decision to build a BioLab in their neighborhood. (Tanaka asks, Do you think this would ever be an issue in Wellesley?)

Where? A few good choices here: at any of the hospitals we pass (Harvard Med/Longwood, Tufts/New England, or even point down Mass Ave to Boston Medical Ctr); or consider talking about it in Dudley near Councilor Turner's office is (across from the post office), as he is very involved in the campaign.

The New Majority Coalition and City Council Elections: Defying expectations that he would lose office, Felix Arroyo won second place in the November 2003 City Council election. (The four councilor-at-large candidates with the most votes win seats on the Council.) He was the first Latino to be elected to City Council. Progressives hailed the results - Arroyo's strong showing, combined with the defeat of Patricia White (daughter of former mayor Kevin White) - as a sign of the increasing power of communities of color and progressives in Boston. Since then, a group of community organizers have joined with Councilors Arroyo, Chuck Turner, and Charles Yancey, to form a political and cultural coalition to mobilize across different neighborhoods and ethnic groups in Boston. As of the 2000 census, Boston was a majority-minority city, meaning that whites no longer made up the majority racial background. This coalition is working toward the 2005 elections in hopes of strengthening its representation on the city council. This task is made more difficult with the recent changes in voter precincts.

Where? Chuck Turner's office in Dudley is a good option, or in Chinatown near CPA (corner of Beech and Harrison streets), as their director Lydia Lowe also sits on the Steering Committee for the New Majority.

New Buses and the Silver Line: During the past year, MBTA has introduced a number of new buses that are more fuel-efficient (some using alternative energy sources). Although many buses are parked in lots in Roxbury (Dudley, Ruggles), MBTA's plan originally intended to bring many of these buses into suburbs rather than those neighborhoods with the most bus traffic. (This is intensified by the fact that many Roxbury residents must take a bus to get to the T to get into town.) A group of Roxbury residents, the T-riders Union (TRU), organized against the placement of the new buses by bringing the directors of the MBTA to ride buses in Roxbury. Seeing all the crowding first-hand, the placement decision was reconsidered and bus distribution shifted much more equitably. Also, MBTA reneged on a commitment to extend the Silver Line deeper into Roxbury, instead extending the line from Downtown Crossing to the airport. Different claims have circulated as to the reasons for this decision, but in any case, travel from Upper Roxbury still requires a bus ride before any downtown connections (T or Silver Line).

Where? Dudley Station in Roxbury, or on the bus itself if you happen to ride a new one during your tour.

Big Dig and Parcel 24: Although the Big Dig was slated for completion by this year, it looks unlikely that it will be done until next year. The city already has plans for extensive green space, which is displayed prominently on placards between Faneuil Hall and the North End. Take a look and you'll notice a woman in a magenta dress�she appears over and over. Also, as you walk down Hudson Street in Chinatown, look to your left at the on-ramp. This is Parcel 24, explained elsewhere in the Goldenrod, but this offers a good example of the connections between civic planning (roads, highways, etc.) and housing/neighborhood issues.

Where? Hudson Street in Chinatown as well as the maps heading into the North End.

Budget Cuts: Over the past two years, the Massachusetts Legislature has underfunded state programs by more than $3 billion per year. Last spring and summer, thousands of residents across the state mobilized to rally, protest, lobby and organize against these budget cuts. These cuts most profoundly impact poor communities of color but affect everyone in this state. Public school budgets were cut by over $400 million, over 3000 teachers have been lost across the state and 920 teachers have been laid off in Boston alone, support for MCAS tutoring for low-scoring students was cut by 80%. Sports programs, libraries and after-school programs have been shutdown. Thousands of youth jobs in the City of Boston have also been cut. Meanwhile, the policing and prison budget have remained at an all time high (only supplemented by recent DNC "security" funding and intensified by summer violence) and for the first time, spending for the prison system has exceeded state spending on higher education. State funding for rape crisis centers were cut by 75%, about 10,000 legally present immigrants lost MassHealth coverage, AIDS/HIV programs have been cut by $7.3 million, numerous homeless shelters have been forced to close (it is estimated that about 100 homeless people died in Boston over the winter).

Where? - The Statehouse is a good place, though if you know of any centers that have been closed as a result, that's swell as well.

Boston History Sites
-Boston: DNC 2004
-Boston Historical Society and Museum
-Boston Women's Heritage Trail
-Museum of Afro-American History

Boston: The Built Environment
-Greater Boston Interfaith Organization
-Action for Boston Community Development
-Association of Boston Neighborhoods
-Boston Society of Architects
-PhotoWalks