In the long relay race of oppressed communities and the global working class, Chuck Turner picked up the baton in the 1960s as a young activist in the Northern Student Movement (a wing of the civil rights movement). By Christmas Day 2019 when he walked on, that beginning had been eclipsed by a series of powerful base-building projects—many that at once challenged the ruling class while creatively empowering the excluded and the exploited.
A LOCAL VOTING PRIMER FOR WORKING PEOPLE
Democracy is for everybody, not just the rich. So get to the polls! Local elections are far more important than Mass voters seem to think, given the historically low turnouts for most of them in recent decades. Especially during off-year contests like this year’s. So, for starters, I just want to encourage everyone […]
MARCHING SEASON: JOIN THE RALLY FOR RENT CONTROL
Mass State House, Oct 29, noon-1:30 pm Twenty-five years after the real estate industry destroyed rent control in Massachusetts, marching season is upon us. A call to arms has been raised by tenant organizations across the land and real estate interests are being pushed back for the first time in decades. So, it’s […]
UMASS BOSTON DISPATCH
The mayor, the music, and a mission under threat At this year’s UMass Boston Convocation ceremony, special guest Mayor Marty Walsh was greeted by a multimedia musical performance that captured both what is so precious about UMB and what is now under threat. First came the music: The UMB Chamber Singers, led […]
LAST CALL FOR JUSTICE AT THE EAST CAMBRIDGE COURTHOUSE
City council must resist bogus privatization scheme Everyone agrees the state-owned Sullivan Courthouse site in East Cambridge needs to be remediated of asbestos and prepared for redevelopment. The current proposal, backed by the Baker administration and Cambridge’s city manager, would accomplish this goal by transferring ownership of the courthouse to commercial real […]
TOO MANY COPS
Some thoughts about last Saturday’s counterprotest It’s Labor Day as I start this column and I don’t want to labor too much on it, but I think it’s important to reflect upon a particular aspect of Saturday’s counterprotest against an ultra right-wing “parade” that hasn’t gotten nearly as much press attention as it […]
LANDLORDS’ VIEWS ON RENT CONTROL… REFUTED
Or: fun with Boston Globe comments Most everyone has had the experience of reading something particularly enraging in the comment area below many online newspaper articles. I think it’s quite normal to feel frustrated and helpless in that situation. Because the nastiest opinions often appear to be the most popular ones. And there […]
PIZZA BARONS LAY OFF 1,100: PAPA GINO’S & D’ANGELO WORKERS NEED TO ORGANIZE FOR JUSTICE
Mainstream press coverage of mass layoffs like Sunday’s shutdown of almost 100 Papa Gino’s and D’Angelo fast food restaurants generally looks upon such tragic events through a glass, darkly. Because journalism in the service of the rich and powerful is a poor reflection of reality when it comes to all things labor. Which is […]
TOWNIE EXTRA: YASER MURTAJA, PRESENTE!
The killers of the Palestinian journalist must be brought to justice Typically, I mainly focus on Bay State issues in this column. But I’ll make an exception this time and stand with my colleagues at the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and their affiliate the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate (PJS) to protest the killing of […]
UPDATE: DIGBOSTON DISPATCH
News from behind the editorial curtain plus support for Saul Levine Seeking next group of working-class journalists In November, I put out the word that DigBoston was looking for working-class Boston natives to write for us. Specifically, I called for locals with three of the four qualities we look for in good […]
