--------- FOR THE RECORD MY NAME IS BRIAN. WE'RE OUR CITY COUNCIL FOR DISTRICT FOUR AND THE CHAIR OF THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE HAS DESIGNATED ME TO BEGIN THIS HEARING.
TODAY IS AUGUST 26, 2025. THE EXACT TIME IS 4:14 P.M. THIS HEARING IS BEING RECORDED IS ALSO BEING LIVESTREAMED AT BOSTON ARCHIVE BACKSLASH CITY
DAS COUNCILOR DAS TV AND BROADCAST UNEXPENDED DE CHANNEL EIGHT RCN CHANNEL 82 AND FILES CHANNEL 964 WRITTEN COMMENTS MAY BE SENT TO THE COMMITTEE
EMAIL AT TCC THAT EDUCATION AT BOSTON.COM AND WE MEAN IT WOULD BE MADE PART OF THE RECORD AND AVAILABLE TO ALL COUNCILORS. PUBLIC TESTIMONY WILL BE TAKEN AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS HEARING INDIVIDUALS WILL BE
CALLED ON IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY SIGNED UP AND WILL HAVE 2 MINUTES TO TESTIFY. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN TESTIFYING IN PERSON PLEASE ADD YOUR NAME TO THE SIGN UP SHEET NEAR THE ENTRANCE OF THE CHAMBER RIGHT OVER HERE TO MY
LEFT. IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO TESTIFY VIRTUALLY PLEASE EMAIL OUR CENTRAL STAFF MEGHAN AT M A M E
A G A AND THAT'S C0RUGEDO BOSTON DOT GOV AGAIN THAT M E A G A AND THAT IT C0RU GEDO AB
BOSTON.COM FOR THE LINK AND YOUR NAME WOULD BE ADDED TO THE LIST. TODAY'S HEARING IS FOR PUBLIC TESTIMONY ON DOCKET NUMBER 1283 ORDER FOR A HEARING TO BRING AN
HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY SATELLITE CAMPUS TO BOSTON. THIS MATTER WAS SPONSORED BY COUNCIL'S BRIAN WORRELL AND COUNCIL PRESIDENT RUTHIE LOUIJEUNE AND REFERRED TO THE
COMMITTEE ON JUNE 23RD, 2025. TODAY I'M JOINED BY MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES AND ORDER ARRIVAL COUNCIL FLYNN WE ALSO HAVE RECEIVED A LETTER OF ABSENCE FROM COUNCILOR MURPHY I'D LIKE TO
NOW TURN IT OVER TO COUNCILOR FLYNN FOR ANY OPENING REMARKS. THANK YOU, MR CHAIR AND THANK
YOU FOR YOUR IMPORTANT WORK. MR CHAIR, ON THIS ISSUE. IT'S SOMETHING I KNOW IT'S ALWAYS BEEN VERY IMPORTANT TO YOU AND I LEARNED A LOT ABOUT
THIS SUBJECT FROM YOU. I DO BELIEVE HAVING A HISTORIC BLACK COLLEGE IN BOSTON WOULD BE IMPORTANT WOULD BE AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE IMPORTANT
MESSAGE FOR THE ENTIRE NATION. I ALSO THINK THERE WOULD BE A LOT OF STUDENTS THAT WOULD LOVE TO STAY HERE IN BOSTON AT PARTICULAR COLLEGE AND STUDENTS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS WELL.
THAT WOULD BE IN MY OPINION WELCOMED INTO BOSTON. BUT I'M HERE TO LISTEN. I'M HERE TO LEARN. I'M HERE TO SUPPORT THE PROPOSAL TO HAVE A HISTORIC BLACK COLLEGE IN THE CITY
OF BOSTON. I THINK THERE'S A NEED FOR IT AND I'LL DO WHATEVER I POSSIBLY CAN, MR CHAIR, TO WORK WITH YOU AND COLLEAGUES AND GOVERNMENT TO SUPPORT THAT IDEA.
THANK YOU, MR CHAIRMAN. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR FLYNN AND I WOULD JUST PROVIDE A BRIEF OPENING REMARKS WHEN WE INTRODUCED THIS HERE IN ORDER THE RESPONSE WAS OVER WHELMING IN THE BEST WAY PEOPLE FROM
BOSTON AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY REACHED OUT WITH EXCITEMENT AND A DEEP SENSE OF BELONGING AND WE HAVEN'T EVEN BROKEN GROUND YET. THIS IDEA IS IN NEW BOSTON. IT PLAYED A ROLE IN BLACK
EDUCATION AND EXCELLENT. WE ARE HOME TO THE ABO SMITH SCHOOL THE FIRST PUBLIC SCHOOL FOR BLACK CHILDREN IN THE COUNTRY. BUT FAST FORWARD TO TODAY AND WE'RE AT A CRITICAL CROSSROADS. OUR BLACK STUDENTS ARE
GRADUATING AT LOWER RATES UNDERPERFORMING ON STANDARDIZED TESTS AND NOW BOSTON EXAM SCHOOL ADMISSIONS JUST DROPPED FROM 22% TO 15%. THESE TREND LINES REPRESENT OUR
KIDS FACING BARRIERS TO LONG TERM SUCCESS. AT THE SAME TIME OUR CITY CONTINUES TO FACE SERIOUS REPRESENTATION GAPS AND THE VERY FIELD THAT DRIVES BOSTON'S
ECONOMY TECH, HEALTHCARE, EDUCATION, ENGINEERING AND PUBLIC SERVICE THESE INDUSTRY INDUSTRIES DETERMINE WHO'S BUILDING AND DESIGNING OUR HOMES, WHOSE TEACHING OUR CHILDREN WHO PROVIDED MEDICAL
CARE TO OUR FAMILIES AND WHO'S SHAPING PUBLIC POLICY. AND IN EVERY ONE OF THESE SECTORS WE SEE UNDERREPRESENTATION IN AT EVERY LEVEL FROM INTERNSHIP SLOTS TO CORNER OFFICES AND THESE GAPS
BEGIN IN OUR CLASSROOMS. THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO CHANGE AND THAT'S WHAT HBCU PRESENCE IN BOSTON CAN HELP US ADDRESS. HBCU MAY REPRESENT JUST 3%
OF COLLEGES BUT THEY PRODUCE 40% OF BLACK ENGINEERS, 50% OF BLACK DOCTORS AND LAWYERS 70% ARE BLACK DENTISTS. THAT'S NOT JUST IMPRESSIVE. THAT'S A DIRECT RESPONSE TO THE
CHALLENGES WE'RE FACING RIGHT NOW IN BOSTON. WE GIVE CREDIT WHERE AS DO INSTITUTIONS LIKE RCC, UMASS BOSTON, BUNKER HILL, URBAN COLLEGE AND BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
INSTITUTE ARE DOING VITAL WORKS AS MINORITY SERVING INSTITUTIONS IN PREDOMINANTLY BLACK INSTITUTIONS. PEABODY'S BLACK INSTITUTIONS REFLECT WHO THEY SERVE TODAY
HBCU ARE ROOTED IN HISTORIC MISSIONS TO SERVE BLACK STUDENTS. THIS IS NOT ABOUT CHOOSING ONE OVER THE OTHER. IT'S ABOUT BUILDING A CREATIVE TO CREATE ECOSYSTEM THAT EMPOWERS STUDENTS AT EVERY
STAGE. SOME PEOPLE ACT HOW CAN WE TALK ABOUT A HBCU WHEN OUR STUDENTS ARE STRUGGLING? BUT I ARGUE WE NEED THIS PRECISELY BECAUSE OUR STUDENTS
ARE STRUGGLING. THIS THIS MIGHT ONLY BE ONE TOO BUT WE SHOULD BE USING EVERY RESOURCE AT OUR DISPOSAL TO BRING NEW PARTNERSHIPS, NEW MENTORS AND A NEW SENSE OF URGENCY AROUND OUTCOMES
ACCORDING TO THE MASSACHUSETTS TAXPAYER FOUNDATION, BLACK AND LATINO STUDENTS IN MASSACHUSETTS GRADUATED AT THE SAME RATE AS THEIR WHITE PEERS. THE COMMONWEALTH CAN GAIN $20
BILLION IN INCREASED TAX REVENUE AND REDUCE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE COSTS OVER THE NEXT DECADE AND IF WE CLOSED THE BROADER RACIAL DISPARITIES IN EDUCATION, HOUSING, INCOME AND
WEALTH, WE CAN GROW THE STATE'S ECONOMY BY 25 BILLION IN JUST FIVE YEARS. THAT'S NOT JUST A RETURN ON INVESTMENT IT'S A TRANSFORMATION OF WHAT'S POSSIBLE FOR OUR STATE AND OUR CITY.
BOSTON CAN LEAD THE NATION IN CLOSING RACIAL DISPARITIES THROUGH TARGETED INVESTMENTS IN PEOPLE. WE INVEST IN SYSTEMS THAT EMPOWER RATHER THAN JUST ASSESS. WE ADDRESS ROOT CAUSES NOT JUST
SYMPTOMS. AN HBCU PRESENCE IS ONE OF THOSE SYSTEMS THAT CAN BE POWERFUL, THAT CAN BE A POWERFUL DRIVER OF EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE AND CAREER OPPORTUNITY AND WE CAN'T TALK ABOUT BUILDING A STRONGER
FUTURE WITHOUT ADDRESSING THE REALITY OF WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. IN 2023, THE U.S. SUPREME COURT STRUCK DOWN RACE CONSCIOUS ADMISSIONS POLICIES AT HIGHER EDUCATION A DECISION THAT HAS
ALREADY HAD DEVASTATING RIPPLE EFFECTS ACROSS OUR REGION. SINCE THAT RULING WE'VE SEEN BLACK STUDENT ENROLLMENT DROPPED SHARPLY AT BOSTON LEADING UNIVERSITIES BOSTON
UNIVERSITY FROM 9% TO JUST 3% NORTHEASTERN FROM FROM NEARLY 8% TO 5%, HARVARD FROM 8% TO 14% AND MIT FROM 15% TO JUST
5%. THESE NUMBERS REPRESENT YOUNG PEOPLE LOSING PATHWAYS TO HIGHER LEARNING AND THEY SHOW HOW QUICKLY PROGRESS CAN UNRAVEL WHEN WE'RE NOT INTENTIONAL. BOSTON IS KNOWN AS THE MECCA
OF EDUCATION INNOVATION. BUT IF WE'RE SERIOUS ABOUT LIVING UP TO THAT NAME THEN WE NEED TO MAKE SPACE FOR INSTITUTIONS THAT REFLECT THE FULL BRILLIANT AND DIVERSITY OF OUR STUDENTS STARTING WITH A PRESENCE FROM ONE OF THE MOST
POWERFUL EDUCATIONAL TRADITIONS IN THIS COUNTRY HBCU TRADITION. THAT'S WHY TODAY'S PUBLIC TESTIMONY MATTERS BECAUSE THIS FUTURE HAS TO BE SHAPED WITH COMMUNITY NOT JUST FOR
COMMUNITY. LET'S BUILD SOMETHING LASTING AND LET'S WORK TOGETHER. I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT COUNCIL PRESIDENT LOUIJEUNE HAS ALSO JOINED US THE CO-SPONSOR ON THIS HERE IN ORDER COUNCIL PRESIDENT LOUIJEUNE.
WOULD YOU LIKE ANY OPENING REMARKS? THANK YOU SO MUCH COUNCIL FOR HOLDING THIS HEARING. I THINK WE ARE IN A SPECIAL
WEEK HERE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON WHERE WE ARE HOSTING OUR HBCU CLASSIC AND THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT WE HAVE TO DO AS WAS SAID BY THE CHAIR AND ENSURING EDUCATIONAL EQUITY AND
ACCESS FOR OUR BLACK STUDENTS. AND WE KNOW THAT THE HISTORY OF HBCUS AND HOW THEY STARTED REALLY CREATING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR AFRICAN-AMERICANS HERE IN
THE COUNTRY TO PURSUE THEIR EDUCATION WHEN EXCLUDED FROM OTHER INSTITUTIONS. AND AND SO I THINK IT'S WORTHY OF A CONVERSATION. I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALSO THERE.
WE HAVE MINORITY SERVING INSTITUTIONS LIKE AND YOU KNOW, LIKE ROXBURY COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND OTHER ACADEMY IN OTHER SCHOOLS THAT ARE DOING THE WORK
OF SERVING A LOT OF OUR UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. AND SO MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE SUPPORTING THAT. I WOULD LIKE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, I DID GO TO HARVARD TODAY. I ATTENDED THE HOWARD OF THE NORTH AND SO I KNOW AND I LIVED
IN D.C. AND SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON HOWARD UNIVERSITY'S CAMPUS AND THE WORK THE RESEARCH THAT A SCHOOL LIKE HOWARD, LIKE MOREHOUSE, LIKE CSU, LIKE WILBERFORCE, LIKE SO MANY
OF OUR HBCUS DO IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT IN THINKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN BRING THAT AND THINK ABOUT HOW WE BRING THAT A PARTNER TO DO MORE OF THAT WORK IN THE CITY OF BOSTON I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
SO I'M HERE TO LISTEN AND REALLY THINK EVERYONE FOR COMING OUT TODAY TO THIS CONVERSATION. THANK YOU COUNSELOR PRESIDENT WE WILL NOW START WITH IN-PERSON TESTIMONY AND THEN TRANSITION TO ONLINE AGAIN IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO TESTIFY IN
PERSON. THE SIGN UP SHEET IS RIGHT OVER THERE TO THE LEFT. WE WILL START UP START WITH
CURTIS ROLLINS AND THAT EDWIN AND THEN RUSSELL BECAUSE I WANT
THE SYSTEM. GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCILOR AND ATTENDEES. MY NAME IS CURTIS ROLLINS.
I COME HERE AS A ALUMNI OF TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS AS WELL AS A NOT
A RESIDENT BUT A HOMETOWN BOSTONIAN GREW UP IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF DORCHESTER,
HBCU. THOSE ARE TO ME SOMETHING THAT IS VERY FOUNDATIONAL AS A BLACK
AMERICAN I WAS ABLE TO GET FURTHER MY EDUCATION BY ATTENDING TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY AFTER I GRADUATED
HIGH SCHOOL IN BOSTON AND UNDERSTANDABLY ATTENDING AN HBCU IS MORE THAN JUST THE ACADEMICS.
IT'S CULTURAL CULTURALLY DIFFERENT THAN IN BOSTON AND EVEN HBCU'S ARE CULTURAL IN
THEIR RESPECTIVE CITIES AND REGIONS. AS I WAS ABLE TO VISIT OTHER CAMPUSES IN THE SOUTH DURING MY
UNDERGRADUATE WOULD EXPERIENCE I'M NOT SURE OR I BELIEVE THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO MIMIC THAT IN
BOSTON AND I UNDERSTAND WITH TRYING TO ATTRACT A HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION TO COME
TO BOSTON SUCH AS ANY ONE OF THE NUMBER OF HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES OR UNIVERSITIES BECAUSE THEY ARE WORTHY OF IT BUT YOU CANNOT JUST TAKE IT FOR
ITS ACADEMIC PURPOSES EVEN THOUGH IS ACCURATE EXCUSE ME AS ACADEMIC PURPOSES ARE GOLD STANDARD IT'S STILL THAT
CULTURAL ASPECT THAT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO TRANSFER IF THERE IS IF THERE IS A WAY
OF BRINGING BOTH I WOULD HIGHLY BE WILLING TO ASSIST IN THE VOYAGE OF DOING SO BUT RIGHT
NOW AS HBCU ALUMNI I AM VERY SKEPTICAL THAT THE EXPERIENCE WOULD BE THE SAME AND I DON'T
WANT IT TO BE JUST A THING TO RESIDENTS OF BOSTON THAT THEY COULD CHOOSE FROM BUT TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A CULTURAL EXPERIENCE. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. EDWIN SUMTER AND THEN RUSSELL GLOVER AND THEN FOLLOWED BY AYANNA WARFIELD.
SHE MEANS SO MUCH. GOOD AFTERNOON. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS EDWIN SUMTER A LITTLE BACKSTORY I'M 65 YEARS
OLD. I'VE LIVED EVERY DAY OF MY LIFE IN BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS EXCEPT FOR THE TWO YEARS I ATTENDED JOHNSON C SMITH UNIVERSITY IN
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA WHO IRONICALLY ARE PLAYING UP HERE IN BOSTON THIS WEEKEND CALLED GOLDEN BULLS. LET'S BEAT MOREHOUSE THOSE TWO YEARS I SPENT A CHA IN
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA AT JOHNSON C SMITH UNIVERSITY AS YOU CAN IMAGINE WAS LIKE DAY AND NIGHT. IT'S MY FIRST PLANE RIDE, FIRST TIME GOING DOWN SOUTH AFTER
SPENDING ALL MY LIFE IN BOSTON AND NO, THAT WOULD BE A CULTURE SHOCK BUT I HAD NO IDEA HOW THOSE TWO YEARS WOULD REALLY SHAPE ME AS AN INDIVIDUAL, AS AN AFRICAN AMERICAN AND INSTILL
A PRIDE IN ME AND SHOW ME A SIDE OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN LIFE THAT I ONLY READ ABOUT OCCASIONALLY ON TV. I HAD TO PUT MY SUPPORT AROUND THIS IDEA AND I HAVE TO BE
PERFECTLY HONEST I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT IN ALL THE YEARS I'VE LIVED IN BOSTON AND I THE IDEA OF A HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE OR SATELLITE IN BOSTON NEVER EVEN DAWNED ON ME IT JUST SEEMED BORING.
BUT THE RICH HISTORY WE DO HAVE IN THE CITY AROUND THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION THE NEEDS THAT I DO FEEL WE DO HAVE ESPECIALLY IN
MY NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE I'VE GROWN UP IN TERMS OF IMPACTING OUR YOUNG FOLKS IT MAKES MORE AND MORE SENSE. I'M ALSO A FORMER CO-DIRECTOR OF THE BOSTON PEOPLES
REPARATIONS COMMISSION SO I'M VERY TUNED IN, IF YOU WILL, TO THE NEEDS AND SOME OF THE HISTORY OF HOW WE GOT WHERE WE
ARE IN MY BELOVED COMMUNITY AND I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT TO THE BUILDING OR CREATION OF A HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE OR SATELLITE HERE IN BOSTON BE
PART OF THE REPARATIONS PLAN IF YOU WILL. I SUPPORT BUT AT THE SAME TIME I DO SEE IT AS A WAY TO A MEANS TO IMPROVING AND IN SOME WAY
REPAIRING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN THE CITY IN THE PAST RIGHT DOWN TO DESEGREGATION. WE COULDN'T LIVE WHERE WE WANTED THE IMBALANCE IN THE
SCHOOLS BUT ALSO MAKING POSSIBLE A NEW CHOICE FOR WHERE THE FIRST YEAR OF EDUCATION AFTER HIGH SCHOOL AND DOING IT WITH WHAT CULTURE A
HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY BRINGS AND YOU GET TO DO IT RIGHT HERE IN BOSTON. YOU DON'T HAVE TO GET ON A PLANE AND TRAVEL THOUSAND MILES TO GO TO SCHOOL AND GET THAT EXPERIENCE AND I THINK THAT
WOULD BE INVALUABLE TO OUR YOUNG FOLKS. SO I'M HERE JUST TO SUPPORT IT. I'M VERY PLEASED THAT YOU BROUGHT THIS TO THE TABLE. AS I MENTIONED, I NEVER EVEN DAWNED ON ME AND I THINK THIS
IS WHERE CITY GOVERNMENT REALLY WORKS BY DIVING THINGS OUT AND SEEING WHAT KIND OF RESPONSE YOU GAUGE AND I HOPE I'M AROUND LONG ENOUGH TO SEE SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPEN WHETHER IT'S
SOMETHING BUILT FROM THE GROUND UP OR WE ESTABLISH A SATELLITE FROM AN EXISTING SCHOOL. I THINK IT'S A VERY EXCITING PROSPECT AND I'D LIKE TO THROW MY SUPPORT BEHIND IT AND BE AVAILABLE AS MUCH AS I CAN
ABOUT WHAT IT'S LIKE TO GO TO ONE OF THOSE SCHOOLS NOW OR WHAT IT WAS 40 YEARS AGO. BUT AGAIN IT MAY HAVE BEEN 40 YEARS AGO BUT IT LINGERS AND IT STAYS WITH ME AND I COULDN'T DO
ANYTHING BUT SMILE WHEN I THOUGHT IT THROUGH AND THOUGHT WOW, THAT WOULD BE A GREAT ADDITION TO A CITY THAT HAS SO MANY RESOURCES RICH AND SO MANY WAYS AND I ONLY SEE HOW A SCHOOL LIKE THIS WITH THE
CULTURE IT BRINGS COULD ONLY ENHANCE THE YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE CITY. SO THANK YOU EVERYBODY AND LET'S GO GOLDEN BULLS THIS WEEKEND. THANK YOU RUSSELL GLOVER
FOLLOWED BY AYANNA WARFIELD. THANK YOU. YEAH. YES. HI THERE RUSSELL GLOVER
LIFELONG BOSTON NIAN WENT THROUGH THE SCHOOLING SYSTEM AND THE HIGH SCHOOLS AND THE COLLEGE. IT'S NICE MEETING YOU AGAIN OUT AT FLYNN.
I'VE HAD BREAKFAST WITH YOU AND I'M NO KING'S HOUSE BUT I HAVING TO STATE THAT I'VE GONE
THROUGH THE BUSSING AND THE THE HISTORICAL ISSUES THAT BOSTON CONTINUES TO PRESENT PERSIST IS THE RACISM.
SO WHEN YOU COMPARE A SOIL THAT IS UNACCEPTING TO THE ROOTS OF A HBCU COLLEGE THAT'S NOT YOU KNOW, IT'S ARID AND DRY HOW ARE YOU GOING TO BE ABLE TO
PLACE THAT IN CITY OF BOSTON WITH THE PROGRESS THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE? THE SCHOOLS THAT MY KIDS WENT TO IN THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL
SYSTEM I SEE A GAP WHERE IT WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO REACH TO YOU KNOW, WITH THE STATISTICS THAT WAS STATED 15% IS A GAP THERE. HOW ARE WE GOING TO BENEFIT FROM THIS HBCU COMING TO
BOSTON? IS IT GOING TO BE FOR OUTSIDERS BECAUSE HOW IS THAT GOING TO SERVE OUR PURPOSE AND WHAT WITH
THE AMOUNT OF THE REDUCTIONS IN CIVIL RIGHTS AND SO FORTH WITH IT ALREADY BEING AN ISSUE, THIS IS GOING BACKWARDS.
I HAD BROUGHT MY KIDS INTO FROM THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO THE TO THE METCO SCHOOL AND RACISM AT THE END AND BROUGHT THEM BACK IN TO THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM.
ME BEING A SINGLE PARENT OF THREE KIDS, A VETERAN AND I THEN I TOOK THEM IN TO TRY TO MAKE A BUSINESS AT THE ROXBURY
INNOVATION CENTER THE CAMBRIDGE INNOVATION CENTER AND I HAVE A PATENT THAT I'M DESIGNING AND PATENTING AND WHEN I IT THERE WE RAN INTO RACISM EVEN THERE
TRYING TO EDUCATE THEM, GETTING IT TO ENGINEERING AND STUFF LIKE THAT AND MYSELF WE RAN INTO DISCRIMINATION, RETALIATE
ASIAN DEFAMATION. I FILED A LAWSUIT AT SUPERIOR COURT. IT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A FEW YEARS AND IT'S JUST STRUCTURAL
RACISM THAT PREVENTED US FROM TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE EDUCATIONAL SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT THE PROGRAMS THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE HELPING US. SO HOW IS BRING US SOMETHING ELSE IN HERE WHEN WE ARE REALLY
STRUGGLING TO UTILIZE WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE HERE? SO THEREFORE THAT HAS TO BE DEALT WITH THE SOIL HAS TO BE MAINTAINED ENOUGH FOR ANYONE TO COME IN HERE AND TRY TO BENEFIT
FROM THAT TYPE OF SCHOOLING SYSTEM. WE'RE ALREADY THAT THE BUSING SCHOOL SYSTEM STILL IS IN EFFECT TO THE STATE WHERE THE
DRAINED THE MAJORITY OF THE WHITE STUDENTS OUT OF THE SYSTEM. SO NOW BEING A MAJORITY MINORITY IT'S NOT GETTING THE ASSISTANCE FROM HARVARD OR NORTHEASTERN OR ANY OF THESE
OTHER MEDICAL SCHOOLS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT THAT THE SCHOOLS SHOULD NOT BE LIKE THAT. SO THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AS THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER THINGS THAT NEED TO BE
ADDRESSED PRIOR TO BRINGING IN THIS HBCU AND IT'S NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO CONNECT. YES. WELL I SEE.
THANK YOU. AYANNA WARFIELD. HOW Y'ALL DOING TODAY? OKAY. AND SCARED.
GIVE ME ONE SEC. I'M TRYING TO MAKE SURE I KEEP TRACK OF ALL OF THIS. UM, SO MY NAME IS AYANNA WARFIELD. I AM A FAMILY MEMBER.
I AM A FIFTH GENERATION BLACK BOTH BOSTON NATIVE AND ARTIST ACTIVIST AND POET. PEOPLE SAY I HAVE A GIFT OF MAKING THINGS SOUND GOOD SO I HOPE YOU'LL HEAR THIS TODAY
AND TRUST THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN CALLED INVISIBLE. MY VISION IS BASED OFF OF A PERSONAL UNDERSTANDING THAT I'M NOT GOING TO GO INTO ALL OF THAT BECAUSE THIS OVEREXPOSED NATION I BELIEVE IN
HBCU WOULD BE A VALUABLE ADDITION TO OUR CITY BUT SPECIFICALLY IF IT'S FOCUSED ON THE EDUCATION AND EVOLUTION OF OUR YOUTH WITH THE FOREFRONT FOCUS BEING ON THE IMPROPERLY
NAMED CHILDREN AS OF WAYANS WHO I'M RENAMING AS YOUNG NATURALS AFTER I PROPOSED BUILDING A PART OF THE HBCU TO BE A FOCUS SCHOOL ON EXPRESSIVE ART AND
HEALING SCIENCES WITHIN THE UNIVERSITY THE SCHOOL COULD TRAIN EXPRESSIVE ART THERAPISTS INSPIRE A VIBRANT AFRO FUTURISTIC ART CULTURE AND GIVE OUR NEXT GENERATION THE FOUNDATION OF HEALTHY COPING MECHANISMS.
IDEALLY IT WOULD BE ALSO PRODUCED. IT WOULD ALSO PRODUCE MORE BLACK PSYCHOLOGISTS, PSYCHIATRISTS, NEUROLOGISTS AND BOTANISTS WHO ARE FROM OUR COMMUNITY BORN AND RAISED IN
THE STRUGGLES THAT AND BORN AND RAISED IN THE STRUGGLES THAT NEED HEALING FOR OUR PEOPLE TO BE FREE MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY . THIS COMES FROM MY FAMILY HAS BEEN A PART OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY SINCE THE EARLY 20TH
CENTURY. WE HAVE A LEGACY OF ARTISTS, EDUCATORS, ACTIVISTS AND POLICE OFFICERS BEGINNING IN THE 1920S AND STILL CREATE CREATIVE AND SERVING IN THE BOSTON IN BOSTON
TODAY INCLUDING MYSELF I SHARE THIS NOT AS A BOAST BUT TO DEMONSTRATE THAT WHILE I MAY NOT HAVE THE COLLEGIATE CREDENTIALS IN SOME OF THESE YOUNG PEOPLE NOT HAVE THE COLLEGIATE CREDENTIALS, WE HOLD THE KNOWLEDGE BASED ON
UNCONDITIONAL LOVE IN A CORE VALUE OF STAYING, EDUCATING, FIGHTING FOR AND SERVING THE BLACK COMMUNITY OF BOSTON AS A FORM OF LIBERATION. I BELIEVE THESE YOUNG I BELIEVE THE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE
LABELED LIONS ARE NOT RECKLESS BUT THE CHILDREN ARE POWERFUL BEYOND MEASURE AS I UNDERSTAND THEM AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG HBCU TEACH US HOW TO CONNECT WITH OUR BLACKNESS
WHILE ALSO MASTERING ASSIMILATION IN OR INTO THE MODERN WORLD. I ASK THAT YOU TAKE THIS VISION THAT I'M SUGGESTING AND NOT MAKE IT THE FOCUS NOT MAKE THE
FOCUS GOAL ON ASSIMILATION BUT RESTORATION AND EVOLUTION OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. ASK THAT YOU GIVE YOUNG NATURALS A CHANCE AT SELF REDEMPTION IN PLACE AND OH AND
A PLACE IN ACADEMIA WITHIN THE MYTHS THAT HAVE TO BEAR IT. I'M GOING TO STOP READING THIS BECAUSE IT'S A LITTLE BIT TOO LONG AND TO FINISH IT HERE THE
CITY HAS A WHOLE BUNCH OF YOUNG PEOPLE THAT ARE ACTIVE NOW IN MOVING ABOUT BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN TAUGHT THAT THERE IS NOTHING HERE FOR THEM. ASSIMILATION HAS TAUGHT A WHOLE BUNCH OF BLACK PEOPLE A BUNCH
IT WAS A BLACK CHILDREN BUNCH AROUND THIS COUNTRY THAT THERE IS NO END GOAL FOR THEM AND THAT IS A PROBLEM. THE REASON WHY THEY'RE ACTING OUT IS BECAUSE THERE'S NO GOALS THAT IS SET IN FOCUS OF THE
YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE STRUGGLING. BUT IN THE FOCUS OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE OF THE FUTURE I'M SUGGESTING NOT ONLY THAT BUT WITH THE IDEA OF 17 MIDDLE AND
HIGH SCHOOLS CLOSING BY SEVEN BY NINE BY 2030 I SUGGEST THAT WE AS FAR AS CONNECTING HBCU TO THIS COMMUNITY IN A PERFECT WORLD IT SOUNDS CRAZY MAKE THIS
CITY FOCUS AROUND MAKING THOSE 17 MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS EXPRESSIVE ART AND HEALING SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOLS WHERE WE TEACH ALL OF OUR CHILDREN COPING MECHANISMS. WE TEACH ALL OF OUR CHILDREN SOME WAYS OF EXPRESSION WITH
ALL OF OUR CHILDREN THAT THEY HAVE ACCESS TO BEING ABLE TO PROTECT AND SERVE OUR COMMUNITY WITHOUT ONLY NOT ONLY WITH POLICING BUT WITH OTHER WAYS AND IN A PERFECT WORLD AFTER WE DO ALL OF THIS WE SEND ALL
OF OUR KIDS TO THIS HBCU. I BELIEVE OUR KIDS DESERVE AN EDUCATION. I BELIEVE ALL OF OUR KIDS DESERVE A DEGREE BECAUSE THIS MODERN WORLD HAS BEEN BASED AROUND THAT AND I BELIEVE IF WE
MAKE AS THEY DO IN RANDOLPH IN SOME OF THE VOCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOLS OUT THERE, IF WE MAKE THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS FOCUSED ON TEACHING THESE ALL OF THESE ELECTIVES AND VOCATIONS AS A
FOUNDATION SO THAT THE KIDS AT LEAST HAVE A COPING MECHANISM AND THEN GO INTO A HIGH SCHOOL WHERE THE FOCUS IS THESE THINGS THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO IN A PERFECT WORLD GRADUATE WITH AN
ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE AND HELP THE WORLD FASTER. THIS IS ONLY CRAZY IF I'M THE ONLY ONE THINKING IT'S POSSIBLE SO I'M PUTTING OUT THERE ON INTO THE DOCUMENT AND PUTTING
THAT SUGGESTION OUT THERE THE WAY OF HOW I HAVE THE IDEA BUT I DON'T GOT ENOUGH TIME TO TELL HOW BUT YEAH I'M GOING TO STOP THERE.
THANK WILL NOW TRANSITION TO VIRTUAL WE HAVE BRIANNA CLAUDIO AND I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE
THAT COUNSELOR DURKIN HAS ALSO JOINED US AND THEN I HAVE TO BRIANNA WE HAVE CHERYL WESLEY
AND THEN JUDITH BAKER. HI, HOW ARE YOU GUYS? CAN YOU SEE AND HEAR ME? YES. AMAZING.
I AM BRIANNA CORIO FROM HINTON, MASSACHUSETTS. I'M A SOPHOMORE PRE-LAW POLITICAL SCIENCE AND CRIMINOLOGY DOUBLE MAJOR AT HOWARD UNIVERSITY AND I'M HERE IN SUPPORT AS WELL AS
AMBASSADOR OF DOCKET NUMBER 1283. YOU PROBABLY COULDN'T TELL BY LOOKING AT ME THAT I SPENT MY SUMMER WORKING IN THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE TREASURER AND RECEIVER GENERAL WITHIN THE STATE HOUSE.
YOU PROBABLY COULDN'T TELL BY LOOKING AT ME THAT I WORKED FOR THE FIRST BLACK DEMOCRATIC CHAIRMAN OF ARIZONA AT THE DNC. YOU PROBABLY COULDN'T TELL BY LOOKING AT ME THAT I WAS PRESIDENT OF MY NATIONAL HONOR
SOCIETY SPANISH, OUR SOCIETY AND MY STUDENT GOVERNMENT WERE BOUNCING A DOZEN CLUBS AND I WAS THE ONLY BLACK WOMAN ON THESE BOARDS. YOU PROBABLY COULDN'T TELL BY LOOKING AT ME THAT I'M A CHILD OF IMMIGRANTS.
YOU PROBABLY COULDN'T TELL BY LOOKING AT ME THAT I ENSURED MY HIGH SCHOOL BREAKFAST PROGRAM PROVIDED MY CLASSMATES ENOUGH FOOD. WELL HOME KIND OF PROVIDE ONE YOU PROBABLY COULDN'T TELL BY LOOKING AT ME THAT I AM A 4.0 STUDENT.
YOU PROBABLY CAN TELL BY LOOKING AT ME THAT I WAS THE ONLY PERSON IN MY GRADUATING CLASS TO CHOOSE AN HBCU. BUT WHAT YOU CAN IMMEDIATELY TELL WITHOUT A RESUME, WITHOUT A TRANSCRIPT, WITHOUT A STORY
IS THAT I AM A BLACK WOMAN AND TOO OFTEN THAT FACT ALONE IS WHAT PEOPLE DECIDE PRECEDE ME. THEY TELL ME I DON'T DESERVE THE LIFE I LIVE BECAUSE OF THE COLOR OF MY SKIN.
I WASH MY NAME MORE FROM BRIANNA TO THE BLACK ONE AND IF I WAS LUCKY BLACK BLACK BRIANNA I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT MY ABILITY TO ARTICULATE MYSELF SOUNDS WHITE. I JUST ELOQUENCE MANIFESTS
ITSELF IN ONE COLOR AS IF AN EDUCATED OF COLOR MIMICS WHITENESS. MY SEX SUCCESSES ARE TREATED LIKE ANOMALIES BUT AN HBCU ACROSS THE COUNTRY THEY THE
NORM AND THAT'S WHY I'M HERE. KENDRICK LAMAR ONCE SAID IF I TOLD YOU A FLOWER BLOOMED IN A DARK ROOM WOULD YOU TRUST IT? THAT QUESTION IS AT THE HEART OF MY JOURNEY MY ROOTS ARE
PLANTED IN A SMALL TOWN IN MASSACHUSETTS FIRM BUT TANGLED IN TOIL HEAVY WITH EXPECTATION AND DOUBT. I GREW TIRED OF THE SHOCKED FACES WHEN PEOPLE REALIZED I WAS MAKING DECISIONS THAT SHAPED THEIR LIVES AND BEING
PLACED IN POSITIONS WHERE THEY WOULD NOT FATHOM SOMEONE LIKE ME WOULD BE IN LIKE ROOTS UNSEEN. MY WORK WAS OVERLOOKED UNTIL THE RESULTS SURFACED BUT MY STEM CARRIED THE WEIGHT OF DISAPPROVAL LIKE WHEN
COLLEGE DECISIONS CAME OUT I WAS TOLD I ONLY GOT ACCEPTED INTO CERTAIN PRESTIGIOUS COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES BECAUSE OF THE COLOR OF MY SKIN A STEM THAT HAD TO GROW TALLER AND STRONGER JUST TO PROVE IT COULD STAND ON ITS OWN.
I GREW TIRED OF BEING CAST AS THE ONE WHO WOULD MAKE IT OUT AS IF I ALONE CARRY THE SUNLIGHT FOR EVERYONE ELSE. A FLOWER CANNOT GIVE LIFE TO A HOPE GARDEN EVERY SEED DESERVES THE CHANCE TO GROW TO VISION
ITS OWN BLOOM SO CAN A BLACK CHILD BORN IN A WORLD DESIGNED TO DOUBT THEM EVER TRULY BE ALLOWED TO BLOOM? ACTRESSES ANSWER THAT QUESTION WITH A RESOUNDING YES HBC IS BUILT BRIDGES WHERE SOCIETY
BUILDS WALLS CONNECTING THE DIVERSITY WITH WITHIN MINORITY COMMUNITIES TOGETHER TAKE BE TAKEN IN STUDENTS OF ALL BACKGROUNDS AND CULTURES WHO HAVE YET TO MAKE THEIR LEGACY KIDS WHO ARE HEIRS OF POLITICAL
DANCE DYNASTIES OR BENEFICIARIES OF GENERATIONAL WEALTH BUT YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE DREAMERS DREAMERS WHO REFUSE TO STOP AT A MIDDLE CLASS SUCCESS WHO DARE REACH BEYOND THE STARS HBCU SHAPE LEADERS WHO
TRANSFORM EVERY CORNER OF SOCIETY FROM FILM, SPORTS, MEDICINE, LAW, POLITICS AND EDUCATION. THEY GIVE US THE TOOLS NOT JUST TO EXIST IN PREDOMINANTLY WHITE SPACES BUT TO CARRY OUR FULL
SELVES INTO THEM UNAPOLOGETICALLY BECAUSE THOSE SPACES CANNOT TEACH US HOW TO SURVIVE AS BLACK PEOPLE ONLY WE CAN. SO YEAH, YOU PROBABLY COULDN'T TELL BY LOOKING AT ME THE ALUMNI, THE FACULTY OR OTHER
STUDENTS THAT WE WERE BORN FROM DARK SPACES BECAUSE HBC HAS HELPED US HELPED ME FEEL LIKE THERE'S ALWAYS SHINED FROM WITHIN AND I ASK NOW IS THAT YOU TRUST ME?
THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, BRIANNA. THANK YOU FOR TESTIFYING. GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. SORRY I'M COMING IN LATE. HENRY SANTANA, AT-LARGE CITY
COUNCILOR AND THE CHAIR ON EDUCATION. I JUST WANT TO THANK COUNSELOR ARROYO FOR STEPPING IN. HAD SOME TRANSPORTATION ISSUES GETTING HERE AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BEING ABLE TO
GET THIS IMPORTANT CONVERSATION STARTED. SO WE'RE GOING CONTINUE. I DON'T WANT TO MESS UP THE FLOW MORE THAN WHAT I'VE DONE ALREADY. SO WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE WITH THE VIRTUAL TESTIFYING.
NEXT UP WE HAVE SHERYL WESLEY. WE'RE GOING TO TAKE YOU TO SPEAKER AFTERWARDS. SO SHERYL WESLEY, ARE YOU WITH
US? HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME? YEP, WE CAN HEAR YOU. AWESOME. HI EVERYONE. FULL DISCLAIMER TODAY'S MY MOTHER'S BIRTHDAY SO WE'RE AT A SPA BUT STEPPED OUT BECAUSE I
DO NOT WANT TO MISS THIS CONVERSATION. SO THANK YOU COUNCILOR WORRELL OFFICE FOR INVITING ME TO SPEAK. I AM SHERYL WESLEY. I AM A RESIDENT OF NEW YORK
CITY. I WAS BORN IN NEW YORK. I STILL RESIDE THERE. TO TAKE IT BACK JUST A LITTLE BIT FOR CONTACT FOR HIGH SCHOOL I WENT TO A HISTORICALLY BLACK HIGH SCHOOL IN PINE FORGE,
PENNSYLVANIA. IT'S A BOARDING SCHOOL COED SCHOOL ALL BLACK CHRISTIAN. IT'S CALLED PINE FOR ACADEMY. AND THEN I GRADUATED AND
ATTENDED OAKWOOD COLLEGE WHICH IS IN HUNTSVILLE TO SOMEBODY HAVING A SCHOOL AND. YOU KNOW, I GREW UP FROM THE EVENTS AND THE GAG IS WE GREW
UP JUST KNOWING WE WERE GOING TO OAKWOOD. WE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT IT WAS A HBCU. SO WHEN I HEAR OAKWOOD UNDER THE CATEGORY HBCU, I STILL CHUCKLE A BIT.
I TRANSFERRED OUT OF OAKWOOD AND INTO HOWARD UNIVERSITY SHOUT OUT TO MY WIFE AND SISTERS AND BROTHERS THEIR AGE YOU I GRADUATED FROM HOWARD IN
COMMUNICATIONS A B.A. IN COMMUNICATIONS RADIO TV FILM, CHILD EDUCATION AS A MINOR HOWARD INVITED ME TO CHAIR THE
EVENT ON MARTHA'S VINEYARD BASIN ON THE VINEYARD. IT'S A HOWARD UNIVERSITY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION'S SIGNATURE EVENT AT THE TIME THE PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL ALUMNI
ASSOCIATION AND CHRIS WASHINGTON INVITED ME TO CHAIR THAT EVENT ON MARTHA'S VINEYARD AND I DID THAT FOR TWO CONSECUTIVE YEARS FALLING IN
LOVE WITH THE ISLAND OFF THE COAST OF COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS. I STARTED AN HBCU WEEK ON MARTHA'S VINEYARD CALLED LEGACY
WEEK ON THE VINEYARD. SO I NOW DID MYSELF AND I STARTED LEGACY WEEK IN 2016 AND I FIRST PUT FOOT ON MARTHA'S
VINEYARD 2012. SO FAST FORWARD AT THIS TIME LEGACY WORK IS THRIVING AND I LOVE HAVING ACCESS TO MESSAGES
AND ALSO I RECEIVED A CITATION FROM THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS A GOOD CITATION BUT CONTRIBUTING TO THE HBCU TOURISM OF MARTHA'S VINEYARD. SO I'M VERY AND GRATEFUL FOR
THAT. I LOVE BEING IN PROXIMITY OF BOSTON. I WILL BE THERE THIS WEEK FOR THE HBCU CLASSIC AND THE ESSENCE ABOUT THE WORK ENGAGEMENTS THAT THEY HAVE. I HOPE TO SEE SOME OF YOU IN
PERSON THERE. I WE ALL KNOW AND EACH RECEIVED IN A COME OUT OF MASSACHUSETTS OR BOSTON BUT IN HAVING ACCESS TO IT I ALWAYS TELL MY NIECES YOU CAN HAVE IT YOURSELF, HAVE
ACCESS TO IT. HAVING ACCESS TO A HBCU I THINK WOULD INCREASE THE VALUE OF WHAT HBCU WERE BUILT ON WHY
WE WERE EVEN GIVEN AN HBCU WHETHER IS CREATED BY GOOD WHITE FOLK OR AFRICAN-AMERICANS OR CHURCHES WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE. THEY SAW THE VALUE IN THAT YOU
KNOW, BEING THE FOUNDER OF LEGACY, WE SO MANY PEOPLE TELL ME OH, I WISH I COULD HAVE ATTENDED AN HBCU. IT'S TOO LATE AND I JOKE WITH THEM SAYING ACTUALLY YOU CAN
APPLY TO BE A STUDENT FOR ONE FULL SEMESTER THAT GIVES YOU RIGHT TO BE AN ALUMNI OF AN HBCU AND PEOPLE ARE TAKING TO BE A GREAT IDEA JUST TO BE
ASSOCIATED WITH HBCU YOU KNOW WE WE PUT OUT FABULOUS SUCCESS OF DOCTORS EDUCATORS,
PROFESSORS, PROFESSIONAL GIRLS I MEAN BRILLIANT BRILLIANT PEOPLE ESPECIALLY WITH LIMITED RESOURCES THAT WE MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE LIKE BROTHERS SAID IN
THE BEGINNING, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOTHING LIKE BEING ON THE CAMPUS OF AN HBCU AND THAT EXPERIENCE THAT YOU GET BUT HAVING ACCESS TO IT WITH IN THE
CITY OF BOSTON, I FEEL LIKE IT'S IT'S GOING TO BE BENEFICIAL AND NEED IT AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE PROPOSE FOR HBCU TO BE PROMOTED MORE IN THE
PUBLIC SCHOOLS. SO MANY PUBLIC SCHOOL COUNSELORS THEY DON'T EVEN PUSH THEIR CURRENT STUDENTS IN HIGH SCHOOL TOWARD HBCU YOU BUT INSTEAD MAYBE A LOCAL COMMUNITY
COLLEGE THE UNIVERSITIES THAT ARE IN THEIR PROXIMITY OF THAT STATE. BUT I WOULD LIKE FOR BOSTON AND MASSACHUSETTS TO HAVE MORE PROGRAMS LIKE THE ONE IN NEW
YORK FOR HBCU ACCESS WHERE THEY GO INTO PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND THAT STUDENTS KNOW THAT HBCU ARE AN OPTION FOR YOU. NO MATTER YOUR ECONOMIC BACKGROUND OR YOUR FAMILY
BACKGROUND. YOU AND CFS ARE GRATEFUL AND RESOURCE TO REACH OUT TO AN THURGOOD MARSHALL COLLEGE FUND AS WELL AND MANY OTHER SCHOLARSHIPS. SO IT IS POSSIBLE I DON'T KNOW
HOW THIS GOES BUT I YIELD MY TIME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I'M CHERYL. REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TESTIMONY. AND NEXT UP WE HAVE JUDITH
BAKER AND THEN WE HAVE ANTONIA EDWARDS AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK TO IN-PERSON TESTIMONY . JUDITH BAKER, ARE YOU WITH US?
HELLO. I'M TRYING TO OH, YES. OKAY. SO I'M NOT GOING TO SPEAK DIRECTLY TO CREATING AN HBCU.
I WAS A TEACHER FOR MY WHOLE CAREER AND SENT LOTS AND LOTS OF BOSTON STUDENTS TO HBCUS WHERE THEY HAD GREAT EXPERIENCES AND I THINK IT'S A WONDERFUL THING.
BUT A COUPLE OF THINGS COME TO MIND. ONE IS THAT RIGHT NOW HBCUS ARE UNDER ARE GOING TO BE POTENTIALLY UNDER A TERRIBLE THREAT FROM THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION BECAUSE SO MUCH OF THEIR TUITION COMES FROM PELL GRANTS AND PELL GRANTS ARE BEING THREATENED ENTIRELY AND IF THEY ARE WE'RE GOING TO BE
IN A FIGHT I THINK TO KEEP THE PELL GRANTS BECAUSE IT WILL SEND MANY HBCU'S INTO BANKRUPTCY. SO I THINK WE HAVE TO BE VERY CLEAR THE THREATS TO THE ACTUAL
EXISTING HBCU IS AS WONDERFUL AS THEY ARE. THEY DON'T HAVE BIG, BIG BANK ACCOUNTS AND THEY RELY MOSTLY TUITION.
SO IT'S SOMETHING WE REALLY TO THINK ABOUT. ANOTHER REALLY HUGE THING IS THE ATTACK ON THE AND ALL KINDS OF BLACK ADMISSION AT UNIVERSITIES LIKE HARVARD AND
BYU AND SO ON. AND I WANTED YOU TO KNOW I MEAN I'M GENERALLY AN ADVOCATE FOR VOCATIONAL TECHNICAL EDUCATION AS SOME OF YOU KNOW, BUT I'M
ALSO A MEMBER OF A HARVARD ALUMNI GROUP THAT HAS BEEN VERY INTERESTED FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW IN TRYING TO CREATE MUCH STRONGER RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN
HARVARD AND OTHER UNIVERSITIES AND THE HBCU BECAUSE AS THE BLACK AND BROWN ALUMNI OR ENROLLEES OF THESE UNIVERSITIES
ENROLLMENT HAS BEEN HAS BEEN REALLY SERIOUSLY CUT IN OUR STUDENTS ARE HAVING SO MUCH LESS ACCESS TO THOSE
UNIVERSITIES THE THOSE UNIVERSITIES IT SEEMS TO ME BEAR A RESPONSIBILITY AND AN INTEREST IN SUPPORTING THE EDUCATION OF BLACK AND BROWN STUDENTS.
SO THIS GROUP I'M HOPING COUNSELOR WILL RAIL YOUR GROUP IT WOULD BE REALLY A HUGE CONTRIBUTION TO BEGIN TO GET
INVOLVED IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY YOU MAY HAVE ALREADY WITH THE BOSTON THE LOCAL BOSTON UNIVERSITIES AND HOW THEY ARE SUPPORTING HBCUS THAT IS ARE
THEY BRINGING HBCU STUDENTS FOR GRADUATE PROGRAMS? ARE THEY HELPING WITH MONEY? ARE THEY HELPING FUNDRAISING? THERE'S SO MANY THINGS THAT THE LOCAL UNIVERSITIES CAN DO TO
SUPPORT THE EXISTING HBCU AND I THINK THE FACT THAT THE AGENCIES ARE REALLY GOING TO BE THREATENED BY THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IN LOTS OF WAYS IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO BE
VERY SERIOUS ABOUT TO START ANOTHER COLLEGE IN BOSTON. I'M NOT I'M NOT AGAINST IT OR FOR IT. I HAVEN'T THOUGHT ABOUT IT AND I'D CERTAINLY WANT TO BE INVOLVED.
BUT I DO ALSO THINK THAT THERE ARE VERY, VERY WONDERFUL RESULTS THAT COULD COME FROM THE KIND OF PARTNERSHIPS THAT MY ALUMNI GROUP AND OTHERS
WOULD LIKE TO SEE AT HARVARD AND ELSEWHERE. SO I THINK THAT THIS DISCUSSION RAISES MORE THAN ONE VENUE FOR
STRONGLY INCREASING IN SUPPORTING BLACK AND BROWN ENROLLMENT IN UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES. AND I DO OFFER WHAT LITTLE BIT
OF HELP, SUPPORT OR WHATEVER I COULD GIVE TO TO THE WORKING GROUP. THANK YOU VERY MUCH COUNSELOR. WE'RE DOING THIS AND ALSO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT FOR
TECHNICAL VOCATIONAL EDUCATION WHICH IS ANOTHER VERY STRONG ROUTE FOR BLACK AND BROWN STUDENTS IN ONE IN WHICH ACCESS HAS BEEN DENIED FOR A LONG TIME AND SOMETHING THAT WE'RE
WORKING VERY HARD ON AS MOST OF YOU KNOW, TECHNICAL, VOCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL HIGH SCHOOLS PROVIDE DIRECT HIGH SKILLS EDUCATION AND LINKS TO
COLLEGE EDUCATION, LINKS TO VERY HIGH PAYING JOBS THAT TRADITIONALLY IN BOSTON BLACK BROWN STUDENTS HAVE HAD NOT HAD ACCESS TO BUT THAT WE'RE FIGHTING VERY HARD TO GIVE THEM
ACCESS TO. SO I THINK THAT BOTH THE CONCEPT OF COLLEGE EDUCATION IN THE IN THE CONCEPT OF CAREER EDUCATION ARE ALL REALLY THE SAME THING AND IT'S A JOINT
FIGHT. BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR DOING THIS. THANK YOU. YOU FOR THIS WE HAVE AND THEN TANYA EDWARDS NEXT AND THEN
WE'LL GO BACK TO IN-PERSON TESTIMONY.
AMY, CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? WE CAN HEAR YOU. YEP. OKAY. SO MY NAME IS ANTHONY EDWARDS. I A FOURTH GENERATION REMOVED FROM CHATTEL SLAVERY AND
PRESIDENT OBAMA. SO I WANT TO SAY FIRST THANK YOU TO DISTINGUISHED CITY COUNCIL PEOPLE FOR BRINGING THIS BILL TO FRUITION. I THINK IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT I'M COMING FROM A HISTORICAL CONTEXT SO JUST BEAR
WITH ME. I'M THE AMERICAN FREEDMEN BUREAU OF 1965 WAS CREATED TO CREATE THE HBCU FOR AMERICAN FREEDMEN AND THE AMERICAN FREEDMEN ARE THE 4 MILLION
FORMALLY EMANCIPATED PERSONS THEIR DESCENDANTS AND THIS WAS DONE DURING THE WEEK FROM SLAVERY TO RECONSTRUCTION. AND THE BIGGEST PIECE IS THAT I'M GOING TO MEET OUR FIRST BECAUSE I KNOW WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTOOD THAT THERE'S
A WHOLE LEGACY AND HISTORY BEHIND HBCU THE AMERICAN DREAM IN VIEW OF 85 ESTABLISHED THE BUREAU OF TREATMENT WHICH IS THE LANDMARK LEGISLATION WAS CREATED TO ASSIST THE 4 MILLION
FORMERLY EMANCIPATED SLAVES AMERICAN FREEDMEN. THE KEY COMPONENTS OF THE BUREAU WERE TO SUPPORT TO TO BECOME THE FOUNDATION OF MANY HISTORICAL COLLEGES AND
UNIVERSITY HBCU INCLUDING HOWARD FISK UNIVERSITY IN HAMPTON. THESE SCHOOLS PROVIDE A HIGHER EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOR FREEDMAN'S AND THEIR DESCENDANTS WHO WERE DENIED ACCESS EVERYWHERE ELSE.
THE BUREAU RATE AMONG AMERICAN FREEDMEN WERE 1865 CARRIED IN MANY OTHER INSTITUTIONS SO IN 1865 CONGRESS PASSED THE FREEDOM BUREAU ACT ESTABLISHING THE AID.
IN 1867 HARVARD UNIVERSITY WAS CREATED 1868 HAMPTON UNIVERSITY WAS CREATED AND THEN IN 18 6068 ALSO THE FREEDMAN HOSPITAL IN D.C. WAS CREATED FOR THE BLACK COMMUNITY AND TRAINED DOCTORS
AND NURSES. THE BUREAU THEN ESTABLISHED SUPPORT FOR 40 HOSPITALS IN THE SOUTH. WHAT I WANT TO GO BACK TO IS THE SUMMARY OF THE SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE AMERICAN FARM FREEDMEN AND ALSO THIS HBCU THE FREEDMEN BUREAU CREATED 40 HOSPITALS AND A THOUSAND SCHOOLS THAT SUPPORTED THE EDUCATION OF 250,000 FREEDMEN WHICH LAID
THE FOUNDATION FOR HBCU AND PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL AND STILL EXIST TO THIS DAY MANY OF THESE SCHOOLS GO INTO HBCU WHICH CONTINUE TO SERVE THE CENTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION CULTURAL PRIDE, COMMUNITY ADVANCEMENT ON
THE COMMUNITY. SO WE ARE SO MUCH IN FAVOR OF THE HBCU. THERE'S NOT ONE HBCU IN NEW ENGLAND THE CLOSEST IS
HOLLYWOOD IN D.C. AND ALSO I DO BELIEVE IN PENNSYLVANIA. SO THIS IS SOMETHING THIS LONG, LONG TIME SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED LONG TIME AGO. AND I THINK THAT IN THE CURRENT SITUATION WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO
CHANGE THE ATMOSPHERE FOR RACISM IN BOSTON THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY NEED. WE REALLY DON'T HAVE ANYTHING IN BOSTON REFLECT OUR COVERAGE, OUR CULTURE AS BEING BLACK AMERICANS, AS BEING AMERICAN.
FREEDMAN AND I THINK THAT THIS IS A MUCH NEEDED I WANT TO JUST GIVE A DISCLOSURE I AM WITH SOLIDARITY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT GROUP WE ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF AMERICAN FREEMAN MY NATIONAL ORGANIZATION IS UNITED SONS AND
DAUGHTERS OF FREEMAN. WE HIGHLY ADVOCATE FOR AMERICAN FREEDOM. WE HAVE TWO STATE BILLS ONE FOR OFFICER FREEMAN AND ONE FOR ALSO OUR COMMISSION. I CURRENTLY SIT ON THE CITY OF BOSTON REPARATIONS TASKFORCE
AND THIS IS ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT I WAS GOING TO MAKE. HOWEVER I CAN CLEARLY SEE AFTER SPEAKING TO BRIAN WHEN HE MADE ME AWARE OF THIS WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING NOW AND SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I CAN SIGN ON TO
TO HELP FOR THE EDUCATE FOR THE HISTORICAL PART OF IT BECAUSE IT CAN'T HAPPEN WITHOUT THE HISTORY, WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING THE RECORDS AND HOW THE DESCENDANTS OF SLAVES IN AMERICAN FREEMAN PAY IN A
SIGNIFICANT ROLE AND I'M HAVING THIS CREATED I WILL MORE THAN WELCOME ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT ME TO DO TO ASSIST IN GETTING THAT DONE AND I'M QUITE SURE MY ORGANIZATION WILL BE TOO. WE NEED SOMETHING THAT'S
CULTURALLY BASED IN OUR COMMUNITY. I DID ATTEND ROTC FOR A COUPLE OF CLASSES. I DO KNOW THEY EXIST BUT THERE'S NOTHING SPECIFICALLY FOR AMERICAN TREATMENT OR FOR
OTHERS WHO WANT TO UNDERSTAND CLEAR CULTURE AND COMMUNITY IN THE CITY OF BOSTON. AND SO I TOTALLY ADVOCATE FOR THIS RESOLUTION AND FOR THIS BILL TO GO THROUGH TO CREATE A
STANDALONE NOT IN CONJUNCTION WITH ANY OTHER UNIVERSITY. AND I THINK THAT THIS WILL GO HAND IN HAND AS EDWIN SUMPTER SAID WITH REPARATIONS IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE REPARATIONS BUT IT WILL BE SIGNIFICANT. A LOT OF OUR ABOLITIONIST ARE
FROM BOSTON, A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO HELPED ITSELF SLAVE LAWS WERE IN BOSTON. SO THIS IS VERY BEFITTING NOT EVERYBODY WAS A RACIST. THE BOSTON NOT EVERYBODY PARTICIPATED IN THE SLAVE TRADE AND I THINK THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY
SIGNIFICANT FOR US IN BOSTON. SO PLEASE ACCEPT MY ASSISTANCE IN MAKING SURE THAT WE PRESERVE THE HISTORY AND THE HERITAGE AND WE CAN DO THIS. BUT IF WE DON'T CONTINUE TO DO THESE THINGS WITH FURTHER
ERASURE OF MY LINEAGE AND AND OUR LINEAGE OF AMERICAN FREEMEN AND BLACK AMERICANS ESPECIALLY IN THE CITY OF BOSTON AND SO I THANK YOU AGAIN FOR BRINGING THIS TO OUR ATTENTION.
I THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND ANYTHING YOU NEED TO DO TO FURTHER ASSIST THEM PROMOTE IT I'LL BE WILLING TO ANSWER VOLUNTEER FOR THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH ANTHONY, FOR YOUR TESTIMONY.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO TAKE INTO IN-PERSON OR GO BACK TO OUR VIRTUAL AND AND PLEASE FORGIVE ME IF I DON'T KNOW YOUR NAME
CORRECTLY BUT WE HAVE ONE C NONA OR ONE DE MANA YOU PRONOUNCE IT CORRECTLY. OKAY THANK YOU AND. THEN WE'RE GOING TO BE FOLLOWED
BY HOLLY SMITH OR SOMETHING. I CAN I CAN HEAR BOTH. YOU HAVE TWO OF THEM? YEP. YEP. AWESOME. FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU COUNCILOR AND THANK YOU
EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM. THIS HAS BEEN A GREAT CONVERSATION. PLEASE BEAR WITH ME BECAUSE AFTER EVERY PERSON THERE'S ONLY MORE THINGS THAT I WANT TO SAY SO I'M GOING TO TRY TO KEEP IT BRIEF.
MY NAME IS WANNSEE NONA I AM A RECENT GRADUATE OF TUFTS UNIVERSITY. I'M ORIGINALLY FROM MANASSAS, VIRGINIA. ETHNICALLY I AM CAMEROONIAN AMERICAN. I'M THE MIDDLE CHILD OF THREE BOYS.
MY OLDER BROTHER IS TWO YEARS OLDER THAN ME. HE'S A MEDICAL STUDENT AT HOWARD UNIVERSITY AT THE MOMENT AND MY FATHER IS ALSO A HOWARD UNIVERSITY MECHANICAL ENGINEERING ALUMNI. I CAME TO TUFTS UNIVERSITY
WHICH IS IN MEDFORD. IT'S NOT BOSTON AS YOU GUYS KNOW AND I HAD NO OF THE NORTHEAST OR BOSTON CULTURE IN GENERAL.
BUT ONE THING THAT I FIGURED OUT VERY, VERY EARLY WAS THAT HIGHER EDUCATION IS AT THE CORE AND OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS AS I'VE GOTTEN MORE
EXPOSURE AND INSIGHT INTO HBCU'S HBCU CULTURE THROUGH VISITING HOWARD HOMECOMING THE PAST TWO YEARS SPELMAN, MOREHOUSE, THE AUC FOR THEIR HOME KING COMING THIS PAST YEAR
I WAS ACTUALLY JUST IN ATLANTA THIS PAST WEEKEND AT SPELMAN AND MOREHOUSE AGAIN TO I HAVE LEARNED THAT IT IS VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY VERY DIFFERENT THAN THE HIGHER EDUCATION EXPERIENCE
HERE IN BOSTON AT THESE PWI EVEN WITHIN THE BLACK COMMUNITIES AT THESE PWI IS I HAVE UNDERSTOOD THAT IT IS VERY TOUGH FOR BLACK STUDENTS TO TAKE UP SPACE IN THESE PWI AS
IN BOSTON NORTHEAST ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN GENERAL. AND SO I AM IN SUPPORT OF BOSTON BRINGING SOME HBCU CAMPUS OR CREATING AN HBCU IN
BOSTON OR CREATING A SATELLITE CAMPUS IN BOSTON PICKING UP OFF OF WHAT SOME OTHER PEOPLE HAVE SAID PRIOR TO THIS. SO I THINK THAT ALL THE PEOPLE WORKING ON IT IN THE YEARS TO
COME DO NEED TO ALWAYS CONSIDER THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT IN WHICH THEY'RE WORKING AND THAT HAS HISTORICALLY CONTEXT OF BOTH HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES BLACK AMERICA AND
ALSO THE HISTORIC RACISM THAT BOSTON AND AMERICA HAS PERPETUATED ESPECIALLY WITH BOSTON BEING ONE OF IF NOT THE MOST HISTORIC CITY WITHIN THIS COUNTRY.
ANOTHER THING THAT I WOULD SAY IS MORE RECENTLY I'M READING THIS BOOK CALLED IN THE SHADOW OF THE IVORY TOWER BY THE VERY END, BALDWIN, WHO IS A PROFESSOR AT TRINITY COLLEGE IN HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT AND SOME
OF THE THINGS THAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT IN THE BOOK ARE RELATED TO HOW THE HIGHER EDUCATION ENTERPRISE HAS BEEN USED AS A VEHICLE OF IN CITIES LIKE NEW YORK, HARTFORD, CHICAGO AND
OTHERS TO FURTHER THE AGENDA OF EXTERNAL THAT DON'T CARE FOR THE CITIZENS OF THE CITY AND SIMPLY WANT TAX EXEMPT INVESTMENTS INTO THE CITIES AND THE COMMUNITIES, THE REAL
ESTATE RESEARCH, ALL DIFFERENT TYPES OF THINGS THAT THE HIGHER EDUCATION ENTERPRISE SUPPORTS AND SO ONE NOTE THAT I ALSO WANT TO SHARE IS THAT I HOPE AND I PRAY THAT IN THE
DEVELOPMENT OF THIS HBCU INITIATIVE THE GRASSROOTS COMMUNITIES ARE AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT AS OPPOSED TO WHATEVER INVESTORS OR PARTNERS OR SPONSORS ARE PROVIDING THE
FUNDS TO, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY CREATE THE SPACE BUT THEN SET THE AGENDA FOR WHAT THE HBCU OR THE SATELLITE CAMPUS IS GOING TO STAND FOR. LAST THING I'LL SAY IS I'M THE FOUNDER OF MEDIA AND EVENTS
COMPANY CALLED BLK INCUBATOR. OUR GOAL IS TO BRIDGE GAPS ACROSS IWG WHICH STANDS FOR INSTITUTIONS AND INDUSTRIES IDENTITIES, GENERATIONS AND GEOGRAPHIES. THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN
WORKING ON FOR THE PAST YEAR. LAST YEAR WE HAD OUR FIRST BUILDING BRIDGES SUMMIT BETWEEN TUFTS AND HARVARD UNIVERSITY AND WE TALKED ABOUT A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS. WE'LL BE HAVING ANOTHER ONE THIS COMING MARCH AND HOPEFULLY
THIS CAN BE A CONVERSATION, A TOPIC OR SOMETHING THAT THE PEOPLE WE BRING TOGETHER ARE DISCUSSING THAT. THANK YOU. AWESOME. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
NEXT UP WE HAVE. OKAY. HI, I'M HAYLEY SMITH. I USE YOUR PRONOUNS. I AM A PROUD GRADUATE OF THE ILLUSTRIOUS CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY AND I'VE BEEN LIVING
IN BOSTON FOR ABOUT THREE YEARS NOW AND HAVE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF ALSO BEING ABLE TO GET ANOTHER DEGREE IN THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE ADJACENT TO BOSTON. AND I THINK IF OUR IS TO
EDUCATE AND GIVE MORE ACCESS TO BROWN AND BLACK STUDENTS. SO GIVING THEM ACCESS TO SCHOLARSHIPS AT HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES, MAKING HIGH SCHOOLS SURROUNDED BY
HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES SHOWING THEM WHAT THAT MEANS I THINK BOSTON IS LACKING LIKE THE SOME OF WHAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE SAID IS THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT NOT JUST OF THE SCHOOL
BUT ALSO OF THE TOWNS AND CITIES THAT THEY'RE PLACED IN. AND I THINK BOSTON HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO FEED THAT. BUT IT SHOULD BE A PROGRAM THAT HAPPENS OVER TIME AND NOT
SOMETHING THAT YOU JUST BRING ONE DAY IN. IT'S A GREAT OPENING AND WE PUT UP THE RIBBON I THINK THE HBCU ARE EXPERIENCING A LOT RIGHT NOW AND SO IT WOULD BE VERY IT
WOULD NOT BE CULTURALLY AWARE, CULTURALLY SENSITIVE TO THEM BRING SOMETHING TO THE CITY AND SAY HEY, WE HAVE THIS SHINY NEW THING WHEN WE'RE NOT TAKING CARE OF THE ONES THAT ALREADY EXIST. THERE ARE HBCU THAT ARE UNDERFUNDED BEFORE THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION AND THEY'RE HBCU THAT ARE ALWAYS AT RISK OF CLOSING AND I FEEL LIKE THERE ARE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO FUNNEL STUDENTS INTO THOSE PROGRAMS INTO THOSE INSTITUTIONS RATHER THAN BRING SOMETHING HERE WE CAN CREATE
PROGRAMS WHERE WE'RE PARTNERING WITH BP TO SEND SCHOOL, SEND BUSSES OF STUDENTS TO TOUR THESE DIFFERENT HBCU AND I FEEL LIKE THERE'S JUST A BETTER OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO ENHANCE HBCU AND TO PUT BOSTON'S NAME
ATTACHED TO IT RATHER THAN TO JUST BRING SOMETHING TO THE CITY AND AFFORD TO BE SOMETHING ELSE FOR THE CITY OF BOSTON. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE. WE'RE GOING TO TAKE TWO MORE IN
PERSON. WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK TO VIRTUAL. WE'RE GOING TO GO WITH BAKER LANDING AND ADAM OF THEN PLEASE
EXCUSE ANY MISPRONUNCIATION AND YOU GOT IT RIGHT FOR ME ALSO. SO GOOD JOB THERE. TERRIBLE HANDWRITING SO GREAT JOB I HOW YOU DOING? BAKER BLANDING I AM A 29 GRADUATE OF HOWARD UNIVERSITY
AND ATLANTA NATIVE BORN AND RAISED RECENTLY RELOCATED TO THE BOSTON AREA AND A SPRING 2017 ISSUE OF ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY INC. SO JUST RUN A FEW OF THOSE THINGS DOWN AND I
WAS TOLD THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY HERE TO ALSO ASK QUESTIONS. I DIDN'T REALLY COME WITH ANY SORT OF SPEECH OR THINGS TO KIND OF SAY TO THE COUNCIL I DID HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ON THIS INITIATIVE AS MANY OF MY CLASSMATES AND OTHER MEMBERS
OF THE ASU ALUMNI CLUB OF BOSTON AND OTHER HBCU GRADUATE ALUMNI HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS INITIATIVE. SO IF THAT'S OKAY AND PLEASE AS THE CHAIR SO YOU'RE GOING TO ASK QUESTIONS INTO THE RECORD.
OKAY. MY AS MY UNDERSTANDING AS CHAIR AND COUNCILOR WHERE I WAS A LEAD TO ANSWER HERE IS HOW WE'RE GOING TO BE LISTENING FROM THE PUBLIC TO TO EDUCATE OURSELVES. OKAY.
BUT WE WILL NOT BE LESS COUNCILOR WORRELL MAY HAVE THE ANSWER ALREADY OKAY YEAH SO BUT YOU CAN DEFINITELY PUT YOUR QUESTIONS INTO THE RECORD. SOUNDS GOOD. WELL WE'LL JUST START WITH THE FIRST ONE.
IS THERE A PROJECTED COST FOR THIS INITIATIVE TO BRING A SATELLITE HBCU TO BOSTON? OH, SORRY. SO OKAY, SO I GOT I MEAN I'M
SORRY IF YOU WANT TO ANSWER YOU I'LL ALLOW IT. BUT THE RECORD WHAT BE OKAY SO YEAH WE'LL JUST TAKE THE QUESTIONS INTO THE ENTER INTO THE RECORD AND I'M SURE THAT OUR OFFICES CAN FOLLOW UP. WE'RE NOT ALL PART OF THAT FOLLOW UP. I'M CURIOUS WHATEVER THEIR COST
MIGHT BE, COULD THAT BE BETTER USED IN THE NEAR TERM TO SERVICE LOCAL STUDENTS THAT WOULD ATTEND AN HBCU SO BLACK STUDENTS IN THEIR PURSUIT OF GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL
AND AS OTHER COMMENTERS HAVE SAID TO ACTUALLY GIVING THEM SCHOLARSHIPS TO ALREADY EXISTING INSTITUTIONS. SO WE'LL INTO THAT INTO THE RECORD ALSO JUST A QUESTION I HAD THERE I NOTICED THAT WITH
THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT ARE STILL HERE WHAT WE HAVE FOR NOW OUT OF A BODY OF 13 IS THIS THE ENTHUSIASM WE CAN ANTICIPATE FOR THIS INITIATIVE GOING
FORWARD FROM THE CITY OF SWAMPSCOTT? SO AGAIN, I MEAN I WON'T SPEAK FOR MY COLLEAGUES. YOU KNOW THE HEARINGS ARE
PUBLIC AND ARE WE WE NOTICE ABOUT THESE THREE DAYS IN ADVANCE. YOU KNOW, WE ALL HAVE BUSY SCHEDULES AND YOU KNOW WHO SHOWS UP SHOWS UP. BUT I DO KNOW THAT WHEN WHAT I WILL SPEAK TO IS I WASN'T
COUNCILOR WORRELL DID INTRODUCES ON THE CITY COUNCIL I THINK THERE WAS GREAT ENTHUSIASM FROM THE BOSTON CITY COUNCIL ON THIS AND I DON'T KNOW IF COUNCILOR WORRELL WANTS TO SPEAK TO IT MORE ABOUT I
DON'T I DON'T THINK NECESSARILY THAT THE LACK OF COUNCILORS HERE IS THE LOSS REPRESENTATION OF OF OF US NOT CARING OR OTHER
COUNCILORS NOT CARING. OKAY ALL RIGHT I WAS LIKE SO HAVE YOU GUYS INDEED POTENTIAL PARTNER INSTITUTIONS THIS IS A SATELLITE CAMPUS OF EXISTING I
WOULD ASSUME HBCU INSTITUTIONS. HAVE YOU GUYS IDENTIFIED OR PUT TOGETHER ANY SORT OF PLAN FOR POTENTIAL PARTNER INSTITUTIONS SO YOU CAN PUT TWO QUESTIONS
INTO IT. YOU CAN JUST SAY IT'S IN THE RECORD I GUESS IF THERE'S NO ANSWER YET AND THEN I GUESS IT MIGHT BE MORE OF THE SAME ON THIS ONE. WHAT SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF STUDENT LIFE DO YOU PLAN TO
FOSTER AND SUPPORT HERE IN BOSTON THAT ARE PART OF THE HBCU EXPERIENCE? I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY AND DIG DEEP. WE'VE HEARD TESTIMONY FROM MANY DIFFERENT HBCU ALUMNI CONCERNED
PEOPLE IN FROM AND NOT EVEN IN OUTSIDE OF BOSTON AND GONE TO AN HBCU IS A LOT MORE THAN JUST COLLECTING A DEGREE THAT CAN BE DONE ANYWHERE FROM YOUR COUCH
NOW TO ANY SORT OF OTHER AS YOU MENTIONED PEABODY'S EMPHASIZE COMMUNITY COLLEGES YOU NAME IT THERE ARE CERTAIN INTRINSIC PARTS OF GOING TO AN HBCU THAT YOU'VE HEARD GLIMPSES AND GLIMMERS OF THROUGHOUT AND WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO GET
INTO TODAY THAT CANNOT BE REPLICATED. THE AGE PERHAPS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF HBCU HISTORICALLY THERE IS SOME ROOTED TRADITIONS AND
STRICTURES THAT ARE PART OF GOING TO ALL THE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS. YOU'VE HEARD THAT PEOPLE ARE ALUMNI OF HERE SO JUST COLLECTING A GROUP OF BLACK PEOPLE, PUTTING THEM INTO
WHATEVER CAMPUS OR SATELLITE YOU HAVE CONFERRING A DEGREE TO THEM IN FOUR YEARS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN HBCU DO SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IF THERE'S NO ANSWER ALREADY I WOULD
ENCOURAGE THE COUNCIL TO DIG DEEP AND TO HAVE AN ANSWER THE NEXT TIME YOU OPEN UP TO US THE PEOPLE IN LESS THAN HALF OF YOUR COLLEAGUES TO HAVE AN ANSWER ABOUT WHAT ACTUAL PARTS
OF STUDENT LIFE IN HBCU CULTURE WILL BE PART OF THIS YEAR. INITIATIVE FOR A SATELLITE CAMPUS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. AWESOME. THANK YOU, BAKER. APPRECIATE YOU TESTIFYING AND
PUTTING THOSE QUESTIONS INTO THE RECORD. NEXT UP WE HAVE AUTUMN AND THEN WE'LL GO BACK TO WE'LL TAKE SOME VIRTUAL TESTIMONY SO YOU
HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU. HI. GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY. MY NAME IS AUTUMN SUDO I SERVE AS THE ENROLLMENT AND OUTREACH COORDINATOR WITH METCO INC.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY A FEW THINGS ON MY EXPERIENCE BEING A BOSTON TRANSPLANT. I AM FROM THE MASSACHUSETTS AREA ABOUT AN HOUR SOUTH FROM NEW BEDFORD. IT IS A VERY DIVERSE
NEIGHBORHOOD CITY AND I THINK THERE HAVE BEEN SOME SERVICES WITH LIVING IN MASSACHUSETTS THAT A LOT OF STUDENTS GROWING UP WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE RISKS THAT WE COULD TAKE OUT
LIKE THE OPPORTUNITY IN GOING TO. SO I THINK IT'S REALLY GREAT TO BE A PART OF THIS CONVERSATION BRINGING AN HBCU TO MASSACHUSETTS. WE HAVE FOUNDED THE FIRST UNIVERSITY IN THE STATE OF THE
ENTIRE NATION AND WE HAVE HAD THE FIRST PUBLIC SCHOOL FOR BLACK STUDENTS. SO IT'S KIND OF A SHOCK TO ME THAT WE DON'T HAVE AN HBCU IN THE CITY OF BOSTON JUST YET. SO I THINK THERE IS A LOT
OF HISTORY THAT COMES ALONG WITH BEING A BLACK PERSON WITHIN THE CITY OF BOSTON AS WELL. THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY MOVEMENTS THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH THE CITY THAT HAVE SHAPED OUR NATION. SO I THINK WITH BRINGING THAT
CULTURE AND SURROUNDING IT WITH THE HBCU, I THINK WE CAN HAVE SOME OF THOSE CULTURES ARE IN AN HBCU AND I WAS NOT AN ATTENDEE OF AN HBCU SO I CAN'T SPEAK TO IT FULLY BUT I TRULY
DO BELIEVE THAT WITH THE HISTORY THAT THE CITY HAS THERE IS ROOM FOR US TO HAVE CULTURE JUST LIKE HBCUS ACROSS THE NATION AS WELL.
I WOULD ALSO LOVE TO SAY THAT A LOT OF OUR METCO STUDENTS THEY ARE GOING TO HBCU'S AND THEY HAVE TO LEAVE THEIR CITY OF BOSTON WHERE THEY HAVE BUILT THESE COMMUNITIES WHERE THEY HAVE THEIR ROOTS AND NOW THEY'RE LOOKING FOR THAT NEXT
OPPORTUNITY OF BEING IN A COMMUNITY WHERE THEY FEEL FULLY WELCOMED ESPECIALLY WITH OUR STUDENTS ATTENDING PWI FOR MOST OF THEIR EDUCATION THEY ARE LACKING SOME OF THAT COMMUNITY
THAT THEY FEEL WITHIN THEIR SCHOOL SO GOING TO AN HBCU IS LIKE IT'S REALLY A PIVOTAL MOMENT IN THEIR LIVES TO REALLY FEEL WELCOMED IN AN INSTITUTION
WHERE THEY FEEL SEEN, WHERE THEY HAVE THE SPACE TO BE THEIR AUTHENTIC SELVES. SO I THINK CREATING SOMEWHAT OF A PIPELINE FOR SOME OF OUR STUDENTS NOT JUST IN METCO BUT OUR STUDENTS AS WELL FOR THEM
TO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE SOMETHING RIGHT HERE IN BOSTON WHERE THEY HAVE THEIR ROOTS, WHERE THEY HAVE THEIR FAMILIES, WHERE THEY'VE BUILT THEIR COMMUNITIES CAN BE VERY PIVOTAL IN THEIR THEIR EDUCATION, THEIR CAREERS AND
WHATEVER THEY CHOOSE TO DO IN THEIR FUTURES. I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT FOR US TO BRING IT BACK TO CLOSING THAT GENERATIONAL WEALTH GAP THAT WE SPOKE ABOUT EARLIER AND
THE OPENING I THINK CREATING AN HBCU FOR OUR STUDENTS TO KIND OF SHOW THEM WHAT THEY COULD BE I AM A STRONG BELIEVER OF YOU CAN'T BE WHAT YOU DON'T SEE. SO IF OUR STUDENTS AREN'T SEEING AN HBCU WITHIN THEIR
THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD OR IN THEIR COMMUNITIES WHEN THEY'RE NOT EXPOSED TO THAT OF THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT IT CAN BRING TO THEM, IT KIND OF DOES THEM A DISSERVICE HOW MUCH IT COULD BENEFIT THEIR LIVES AS WELL.
SO I'LL KEEP IT SHORT AND I'LL SAY MY PIECE ON THAT BUT I'M HAPPY TO BE A PART OF THIS CONVERSATION AND I WOULD LOVE TO OFFER ANY SAY ANY INSIGHT FOR OUR METCO STUDENTS AND FOR THE BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITY OF BOSTON. SO THANK YOU ALL.
AWESOME. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE RIGHT NOW. WELL, BACK TO VIRTUAL TESTIMONY STARTING WITH MARGERY SKILLMAN.
I WOULD GO WITH TAMIKA AND THEN SHARON HINTON.
SO MARGERY, ARE YOU WITH US?
ALL RIGHT. I THINK YOU'RE ON MUTE. OKAY. CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? WE CAN HEAR YOU NOW. YEAH. OH, GOOD, GOOD.
OKAY, I SEE MY NAME OFF THE AVERAGE BUT THE THING THAT I WANT TO SAY I'M NOT FROM THIS NEW GENERATION, YOU KNOW I'M A BABY BOOMER. I HAVE NO NOBODY.
I BELIEVE THE CUP IS STILL HALF EMPTY BUT WHATEVER POSITIVE MOVES YOU CAN YOU CAN MAKE I BELIEVE YOU NEED TO STOP AND
DON'T STOP. YOU HAVE TO DO A ROTATION AND ROTATE THE STARTER GROUP AND AS A GENTLEMAN SAID PRIOR THE LAST FEMALE WHO SPOKE HE SOUNDS AND
HE KNOWS QUITE A BIT ABOUT IT. WELL I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING. I'M A BOSTONIAN AND I KNOW THE SUFFRAGE THAT YOU GO THROUGH AN EDUCATION IS UNBELIEVABLE.
IT MEANS YOU GUYS THIS GENERATION DIDN'T HAVE IT A LITTLE BETTER. WELL IF YOU HAVE MY AGE WE SEE YOU. PLEASE GET IT STARTED. PUT MY NAME ON IT THERE SO I
DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO BUT WHATEVER I CAN CONTRIBUTE I WOULD LOVE TO DO THAT. I ALSO HAVE SOME OTHER GOOD IDEAS. WELL YOU NEED TO STOP AND NOT
STOP BECAUSE PRIVATE INDUSTRY IS TAKING OVER. PEOPLE ARE POOR HERE. THERE'S NO THERE'S NOT THERE
MIGHT BE A LOT OF DIFFERENT CULTURES IN HERE IN THE BOSTON EVEN THE CITY AREA WHICH I'M FROM BUT THE NETWORKING FOR
BLACK PEOPLE IS GOING LOWER. THAT MAJORITY CANNOT EVEN AFFORD THE RENT. SO MANY ISSUES ARE GOING TO HAVE TO BE TAKEN IN THIS AGE BE
SEE YOU NEEDS TO GET STARTED AND DON'T GIVE UP YOU KNOW TAKE PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO KNOW NOTHING ABOUT IT AND BE ABLE TO APPLY AND GET SOMETHING DONE BECAUSE
EDUCATION THE PUBLIC EDUCATION I WENT TO WAS HORRIBLE AND THERE WAS NO MOTIVATION, NO ANYTHING THERE IN MY
GENERATION. I JUST HAD TO KEEP ON MOVING AND AND STAY POSITIVE. MAJORITY OF BLACK STUDENTS
DROPPED OUT IN THE UNIVERSITY. I JUST TOLD THEM I SAID LOOK, I WILL I WILL BE HERE TO RETIRE. I'M PAYING FOR SOMETHING. I'M NOT GOING TO LEAVE. SO MY PERSISTENCE AND
DETERMINED ATION PUSHED ME EVEN MORE TRUE. BUT THEY'RE TRYING ARGUMENT EDUCATIONAL WISE AND CULTURALLY YOU CAN FORGET IT. I'M SORRY IT'S NOT PROMOTED
HERE BUT IN THE NORTHEAST HISTORICALLY IT WAS NOT PROMOTED IN I DON'T THINK IN THE FUTURE IT'S GOING TO BE PROMOTED IF YOU DON'T PROMOTE
YOURSELF SO IF YOU CAN GET IT STARTED DO A COHORT AND GET A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT.
IT'S A TO PREDICT RULES AND INNOVATE DO THAT, GET IT STARTED DON'T STOP BECAUSE THE NETWORKING THING FOR ANY HOW
SHOULD I SAY THAT NETWORKING WITH THE CULTURE OF BLACK PEOPLE IN THE NORTHEAST IS VERY
VERY VERY LOW AND EVERYONE RUNS TO ARE NOT INDEPENDENT THEREFORE TOO DEPENDENT HERE AND THAT AS I SAID I SEE THE
CUP AS HALF EMPTY AND THAT'S THE SAD THING ABOUT MYSELF PERSONALLY BUT THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER FOLKS WHO WON'T SAY THAT I JUST FEEL I HAVE TO BE BRAVE AT THIS POINT TO SAY IT
BUT GET A COHORT STARTED AND GET THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS THE POPULATION WHICH WE KNOW IT'S A BLACK POPULATION AND LET'S GET IT DONE.
LET THIS JUST BE A A VERBAL ORAL ANNOUNCEMENT. BUT THE PLAN SHOULD NOT BE THAT HARD TO GET MOVE AND GET GO AND
GET SOMETHING GOING AND ROTATE BECAUSE I MEAN I'M YET THE MEN HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE YOUNGER GENERATION AND AS I WOULD EVEN
TRYING TO I WAS TRYING TO HAVE A BRANCH OF CAMBRIDGE COLLEGE BECAUSE THAT'S WHY I DID MY MATH THAT I WAS GOING TO PUT IT ON A PIECE OF LAND THAT I OWNED
BUT A SUMMARY WHATEVER JUMPED IN. YOU KNOW HOW EVIL POPS UP WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING GREAT AND SOMEONE ELSE TOOK THE IDEA AND GOT CAMBRIDGE IN
BOSTON BUT SOMEWHERE ELSE BUT STILL IT'S NOT TOO LATE, YOU KNOW, LET'S GET IT DONE. YOU KNOW I MEAN THIS IS A REALITY AND STATE POSITIVE AND
LET'S KEEP IT OPEN. SKILLMAN LIED TO AT GMAIL DOT COM AND 85738598 IT MADE A CALL BECAUSE I'M INSPIRED I KNOW THE
SUFFRAGE I HAD TO GO THROUGH AND EVERYONE'S NOT GOING TO DO THAT ALL RIGHT THANK YOU THANK YOU MARJORIE YEAH GREAT
BACKSTOP WE HAVE SO MIKA AND I WERE GOING TO FOLLOW THAT UP
WITH SHARON HINTON. HI, I'M MEETING RENA. GOOD AFTERNOON. I I'M CONTINUING I'M A NATIVE
BERKELEY AFRO-LATINA. I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT HBCU DATA IS AVAILABLE CRITICALLY AND CALLED TO SEE THIS. I WOULD SAY A SIGNIFICANT
NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN MASSACHUSETTS AND IT'S NOT THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO BE ABLE TO ACTIVELY SAY FACE AREA THIS REGION WHERE WE'VE BEEN HAVE
HERE. SO I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOU. WE'RE HAVING WE CAN HEAR YOU BUT WE CAN I MEAN CAN YOU TRY TO HOLD ON LET ME JUST MAYBE
TAKE MY HEADSET ON. YES. MAYBE IF WE DO THAT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ME OUT. OH YEAH, THAT'S THAT'S A LOT BETTER. YEP. OKAY, GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNSELORS. I'M MIKE ROMANO, A NATIVE
BOSTONIAN AFRO-LATINA. I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT AN HBCU SATELLITE OPTION IS ESSENTIAL WHILE INCLUSION IS AVAILABLE OUT OF STATE CULTURAL COMPETENCY IS A SOLID STATE. SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF STUDENTS
FACE BARRIERS ACCESSING THE UNIVERSITIES WE HAVE HERE. IT'S NOT THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO LIVE OUT OF STATE OR THEY DON'T WANT TO GO TO THE SCHOOLS HERE. THEY DON'T HAVE THE OPTION TO MAYBE ONE PARENT HOUSEHOLD, MAYBE GRANDMA IN LOUISIANA,
MAYBE WE ARE IN FOSTER CARE. MAYBE WE LIVE IN A COMMUNITY WHERE WE ARE LATCHKEY KIDS. WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO GO TO HBCUS. MY BEST FRIEND IS AN HBCU GRADUATE AND WENT ON A COLLEGE TOUR BACK IN 2005.
I AM THAT OLD SO WE HAD THOSE OPPORTUNITIES. I AGREE WITH PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO ATTEND DESPITE BEING UNABLE TO RELOCATE FROM BOSTON, THE EXPERIENCE SHOULD BE ACCESSIBLE
TO EVERYONE AS SOON AS SOMEONE SAID EARLIER IT SHOULD BE A STAND ALONE NOT ATTACHED TO A UNIVERSITY HERE IT'S IMPERATIVE EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE HIGHLIGHTS THE ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE THAT IS AND THE CULTURE BOTH THE
CULTURAL EXPERIENCE IN SERVING BLACK AND BROWN STUDENTS. CONSEQUENTLY I AGREE IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE PROVIDE ACCESSIBILITY TO INTIMACY STUDENTS BUT NOT WITHOUT THE CULTURAL CONJUGAL CULTURAL
COMPETENCY IN GIVING JOBS TO THE VERY PEOPLE WHO SERVES THAT COMES WITH ATTENDING AN HBCU. I SUPPORT THE PURPOSE OF PROPOSAL AS A NIECE, AS A COUSIN TO SEVERAL FEMALES IN MY OPINION WHO WOULD SEND TO CLERK
IN HOW IN OUR ALUMS I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE IT HERE IN BOSTON. THANK YOU FOR A TIME TO SPEAK. THANK YOU SHOULD MAKE UP. WE'RE GOING TO TAKE SHARON HINTON ON ZOOM AND WE'RE GOING
TO GO BACK TO IN-PERSON TESTIMONY. GOOD EVENING. CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME? YEP, WE CAN HEAR YOU. SHARON, HOW YOU DOING? OKAY. HI. MY NAME IS SHARON HINTON.
I AM AN EDUCATOR OF OVER 45 YEARS IN BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS, CHILDREN IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. I'M ALSO THE FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF BLACK CITIZENS MATTER.
I AM ALSO FORMERLY A FACULTY ADVISOR TO PHI BETA SIGMA FRATERNITY INC. I'VE BEEN CHAPTER AND I TAUGHT FOR 12 YEARS AT NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY. TEN OF THEM WERE AT THE JOHN B
O'BRIEN AFRICAN-AMERICAN INSTITUTE. SO I HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE THE MASTER DOCTORAL CANDIDATE UNIVERSITY AND A CANDIDATE FOR CITY COUNCIL IN DISTRICT FIVE
AND SAYING THAT TO LAY THE GROUNDWORK OF SOME HISTORY. MY FATHER WAS ONE OF THE ARCHITECTS OF OPERATION EXODUS WHICH BECAME METCO. AND I'M OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER WHEN WE COULDN'T GO TO SCHOOL
TOGETHER WITH BLACK CHILDREN. I AM SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THIS BILL. HOWEVER, THERE ARE SOME CAVEATS. I DID LISTEN TO SOME OF THE COMMENTS ABOUT YOU JUST CAN'T TAKE. MORE THAN JUST GETTING A DEGREE
IN A MAJORITY BLACK COLLEGE UNIVERSITY WITH MAJORITY BLACK COLLEGES PER COLLEGE STUDENTS AND WITH FACULTY WE HAVE PLACES HERE AND EXPERIENCES HERE IN
THE BLACK COMMUNITY. THE TOPOGRAPHICAL CENTER WAS AN AFTER SCHOOL AFRICAN-AMERICAN AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM DURING THE 60 THAT HELPED THESE PROGRAMS. SO I'M GOING TO BWI IS A
PREDOMINANTLY WHITE INSTITUTION. I GRADUATED FROM COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL WHICH AT THAT TIME WAS PREDOMINATELY WHITE WEALTHY AND FEMALE.
AND SO MY EXPERIENCES WITH MY FATHER IN EXODUS WITH DESEGREGATION, WORKING IN SCHOOLS, BEING A TEACHER AND AS STUDENTS AND AND ACTUALLY A STUDENT AND STILL A TEACHER NOW
I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT THERE ARE SCHOOLS AND INSTITUTIONS. THE PAGE ACADEMY IS PREDOMINATELY BLACK AND IT'S A BLACK FOUNDED IT'S NOT A HBCU, IT'S DEFINITELY A BLACK SCHOOL THAT NEEDS THE SUPPORT OF THE
BLACK COMMUNITY. WE HAVE A COMMUNITY COLLEGE HERE AND I'M WONDERING WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO TO SUPPORT THAT. THE JAIME O'BRIEN AFRICAN-AMERICAN INSTITUTE WHICH IS THAT NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY WHERE I TAUGHT AND
WAS AN ACADEMIC ADVISOR BRYAN KNOWS THAT HE'S ONE OF MY STUDENTS THERE IS UNDER ATTACK AT A LARGELY WHITE INSTITUTION THAT IS AFRAID OF LOSING SOME
FUNDING ALONG WITH SOME OF THE IVORY TOWER YOU KNOW, SCHOOLS, IVY LEAGUE SCHOOLS. I ALMOST TRANSFERRED TO HOWARD BECAUSE THE ATMOSPHERE OF BEING A PREDOMINANTLY BLACK
ATMOSPHERE IN A PREDOMINATELY BLACK CITY AT THAT TIME D.C. WAS CHOCOLATE CITY JUST FELT SAFE AND VERY ENCOURAGING AND VERY SUPPORTIVE. I DIDN'T GO THERE OR TO AN HBCU BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE
MONEY, THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE FUNDING AS MUCH AS I WANTED BECAUSE OF THE EXPERIENCE I COULDN'T AFFORD I COULDN'T EVEN AFFORD THE MONEY FOR ALL OF THE ADMISSIONS FEES THAT YOU HAD TO DO. I KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE IN
A PREDOMINATELY BLACK ATMOSPHERE AT THE JOHN DOE BRYANT PARK WITH THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. OUR PROGRAM WAS TO BRING BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS STUDENTS WHO SATISFIED THE 2.0 GPA AND THEN
FOR YEARS HELPED ME GET INTO THE CLASSES THAT THEY NEEDED THE TRANSFER INTO THE MAJOR THAT THEY WANTED WAS ENGINEERING OR LAW OR BUSINESS FOR PHARMACOLOGY OR WHATEVER. SO I'M IN SUPPORT OF THIS BILL
WITH A CERTAIN CAVEAT. I ALSO REMEMBER THE CLARE MUHAMMAD SCHOOL WHICH IS THE MAJORITY BLACK SCHOOL. THERE WAS A MAGNOLIA STREET CONNECTED TO THE NATION
OF ISLAM AND SO WE AND ALSO THE PEOPLE'S ACADEMY WHICH HAS BEEN STRUGGLING TO GET FUNDING FROM THE CITY AND IT IS A TECHNICAL VOCATIONAL SCHOOL IT'S IN DORCHESTER FOUNDED BY A BLACK
MAN WHO HAS UNIQUE SKILLS THAT ARE NOT FOUND IN CORPORATE ARTISTRY ACROSS THE NATION AND A MAIN INSTRUCTED BY A BLACK MAN WHO'S STRUGGLING IN THE CITY GETTING FUNDING FROM THE
CITY, SO FORTH TO GO SOMEPLACE ELSE AND PUT OUR MONEY SOMEPLACE ELSE TO TO AN EXPERIENCE THAT DEFINITELY BLACK STUDENTS NEED. I THINK IN PUTTING THINGS WE
NEED TO LOOK AT WHAT WE HAVE HERE IN OUR BACKYARD FIRST THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE ALREADY HERE RCC NEEDS HELP. MADISON PARK NEEDS HELP. THERE ARE INITIATIVES HERE AND MY NIECE GRADUATED FROM
SPELMAN. THE PASTORS SENIOR PASTOR OF MY CHURCH PHILLY GRAD GRADUATED FROM MOREHOUSE AND I DO HAVE EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH THE CHARITIES AND SORORITY SISTERS OF THE DIVINE NINE AND I LOVE
GOING TO THE NATION WEEK AT MARTHA'S VINEYARD WHERE THE ONLY PEOPLE ARE BLACK FROM ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN THE WORLD SPEND MONEY. SO I UNDERSTAND THAT. AND MALCOLM SAID ONLY A FOOL ALLOWS WITH ANY MEANS EDUCATING CHILDREN.
WE HAVE ALLOWED IT TO HAPPEN WHICH IS WHY THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY PEOPLE ON THE ZOOM CALL AND IN THIS FORUM THAT HAVE NO IDEA OF THE GREATNESS OF BLACK PEOPLE. WHEN I SAY BLACK PEOPLE I'M INCLUDING EVERYONE IN THE
DIASPORA BUT I'M SPECIFICALLY FOCUSING ON BLACK BOSTONIANS WITH THE FIRST PUBLIC SCHOOL, THE FIRST POLICE FORCE, THE FIRST SUBWAY SYSTEM WITH THE FIRST IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
SO WE AND WE DO HAVE BUT THERE'S NO REGULAR TOURS TO BE USED FOR PUBLIC STUDENTS AND PRIVATE STUDENTS FROM THE METRO SYSTEM, FROM THE PUBLIC SYSTEM AND FROM SOME OF THE PRIVATE SCHOOLS. THAT IS A DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE
FROM COLLEGES AND FROM HERE I SUPPORT THIS INITIATIVE AS AN EDUCATOR AS HOPEFULLY A POTENTIAL CITY COUNCILOR THAT WILL BE WORKING WITH YOU GUYS THERE AND A BOSTONIAN AND A
BLACK AMERICAN. I DEFINITELY WHATEVER I CAN DO TO SUPPORT YOU BUT BUT THERE'S SOME CAVEATS YOU WILL NOT GET THE BLACK EXPERIENCE IN BOSTON THAT YOU GET IN AN HBCU. YOU CAN MANUFACTURE IT A LITTLE
BIT BUT IT IS UNDER FIRE AND THAT'S NO JOKE AND THIS ADMINISTRATION IS GOING ANYWHERE. BUT EVEN WITHOUT THIS ADMINISTRATION THERE HISTORICALLY WERE PROBLEMS IN THE CULTURE OF BOSTON LAST YEAR
WHEN I'M AT MARTHA'S VINEYARD AND I WAS TALKING TO PEOPLE WHERE YOU RUN AND THEY WERE SAYING HOLD IT, HOLD IT, LET ME FINISH. I'M WRAPPING UP. EVEN WHEN I TALK TO PEOPLE THAT WERE DOWN IN MARTHA'S VINEYARD
WHEN I TOLD THEM THAT I CAME FROM BOSTON, THEY LIKE OH YEAH, WE KNOW ABOUT BOSTON. SO THERE'S A CULTURE IN BOSTON THAT HAS TO BE ALSO CHANGED IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF ANY MAJORITY BLACK
INSTITUTION, EDUCATION OR OTHERWISE IN BOSTON. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SHARON. APPRECIATE YOUR TESTIMONY. I WANT TO GO BACK TO IN-PERSON
AS WELL TO REMIND FOLKS I MEAN USUALLY WE WOULD WE'RE PRETTY STRICT ON 2 MINUTES TODAY BECAUSE IT'S SUCH AN IMPORTANT TOPIC THAT I KNOW YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAVE COME FROM MANY WAYS TO BE HERE WHERE WE'RE BEING
FACTUAL ABOUT THAT. BUT I JUST WANT TO REMIND FOLKS TO JUST TRY TO BE MINDFUL OF OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE WAITING AND SO WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK
TO IN-PERSON STARTING WITH MELISSA HECTOR. WE'RE GOING TO GO THEN TO HERBERT JONES AND JANICE MCMANUS.
SO THOSE THREE INDIVIDUALS WILL TAKE IN-PERSON I GOT MELISSA HECTOR HERBERT JONES AND JANICE MCMANUS. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING.
GOOD EVENING, COUNSELOR SANTANA AND COUNCILOR WORLAND, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HOSTING THIS SESSION TODAY AND COUNCILOR WELL THANK YOU FOR THE IDEA OF THE HBCU SATELLITE CAMPUS. SO I STATED MY NAME IS MELISSA
HECTOR AND MY TESTIMONY IS ONE ON THAT HBCU SHOULD EXIST AND SHOULD EXIST WITH RESOURCES HERE IN BOSTON BEFORE I START THAT TESTIMONY THOUGH, I THINK
I WOULD BE REMISS IN MY 85 YEAR OLD HISTORIAN FATHER WOULD BE ABLE TO DIVIDE IT AND TALK ABOUT RCC IN MY OPINION AS A HISTORICALLY BLACK INSTITUTION THERE'S A LOT OF CONGRESS, A
LOT OF TESTIMONIES THAT HAVE BEEN HAD AND TALK ABOUT THAT THERE IS NOTHING THAT EXISTS HERE AND I THINK THAT WE REALLY HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT ROXBURY COMMUNITY COLLEGE WAS FOUNDED AND CREATED TO SUPPORT BLACK PEOPLE
UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS HERE IN BOSTON WHO WERE NOT ABLE TO GET AN EDUCATION OR WERE DENIED EDUCATION OF OTHER INSTITUTIONS HERE IN THIS CITY AND THAT TOOK
PLACE OVER 50 YEARS AGO STARTING IN 1969 AND BEING FOUNDED IN 1973. SO I THINK WHEN WE REALLY CONSIDER THIS CONVERSATION UNDERSTANDING AND PROMOTING THE
HISTORY OF ADVOCACY THAT HAS BEEN DONE TO ENSURE THAT BLACK PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO AN EDUCATION HERE THE RCC I THINK HAS BEEN THAT FOUNDATION AND SHOULD BE THE CATALYST FOR SOME
SORT OF PIPELINE PROGRAM FOR THIS SATELLITE CAMPUS OPPORTUNITY. SO HERE'S MY MY TESTIMONY ONE HP USE HBCU IN BOSTON SHOULD
EXIST WITH RESOURCES HAVING FINANCIAL SUPPORT, SCHOLARLY PROFESSORSHIP AND UNCENSORED CULTURAL AFFAIRS. I GREW UP IN ROXBURY.
I'M A CURRENT RESIDENT AND HOMEOWNER IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF GROVE HALL. I'M A GRADUATE OF ENGLISH HIGH SCHOOL AND I HOLD THREE DEGREES FROM THREE PWI AS ARE PREDOMINANTLY WHITE
INSTITUTIONS. I GRADUATED FROM BENTLEY UNIVERSITY UNDERGRAD. I RECEIVED MY FIRST MASTER'S FROM NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY AND I RECENTLY GRADUATED FROM BOSTON UNIVERSITY WITH AN MBA.
I SHARE THESE NOT ONLY BECAUSE I'M A PROUD I'M PROUD OF THE EDUCATION I RECEIVED BUT BECAUSE MY STORY IS A TESTIMONY OF LIVING IN A PREDOMINANTLY
BLACK COMMUNITY AND GOING TO A PREDOMINANTLY WHITE INSTITUTION AND IN EXPERIENCING EXTREME CULTURE SHOCK I'M THANKFUL FOR THE EDUCATION I RECEIVE THAT THESE INSTITUTIONS IT'S MOLDED
ME AND SHAPED ME TO WHO I AM AS A LEADER. BUT AS A YOUTH IN BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS I ALWAYS HAD A STRONG DESIRE TO ATTEND A HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY.
I WENT ON AN HBCU BLACK COLLEGE TOUR WHERE I WAS ABLE TO VISIT OVER 20 INSTITUTIONS THROUGHOUT THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE MASON-DIXON LINE AND THE SOUTH
AND WASN'T AWED BY THE CULTURE THAT I SAW AND LEARNING ABOUT THE AMAZING PEOPLE THAT GRADUATED FROM THESE INSTITUTIONS. I MADE A DECISION TO GO TO AN INSTITUTION THAT WAS
PREDOMINANTLY WHITE DUE TO FINANCIAL REASONS. THE LACK OF FINANCIAL AID THAT WAS OFFERED BY THE HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES WAS VERY LOW TO MINIMUM AND THERE WAS EXTREME
DISPROPORTIONATE RATE OF FINANCIAL AID THAT WAS OFFERED TO IN-STATE STUDENTS OR IN IT RATHER THAN OUT-OF-STATE STUDENTS. AND I RECEIVED A LOT MORE GRANT
FUNDING IN MY FINANCIAL AID FROM THE COLLEGES THAT I WENT TO THAT WERE NOT HISTORICALLY BLACK. AND SO I BELIEVE THAT AS WE'RE CONSIDERING CREATING THIS
OPPORTUNITY THAT WE REALLY THINK ABOUT HOW WE'RE PROVIDING RESOURCES TO STUDENTS THAT ARE GOING TO BE POSSIBLY ATTENDING ,HOW ARE WE SETTING SETTING STUDENTS UP FOR AS MUCH SUCCESS AS POSSIBLE?
HOW ARE WE ENSURING THAT WE'RE NOT CAUSING OR HAVING ANY ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL BURDENS ON ANY STUDENTS CONSIDERING THE COST OF LIVING HERE IN THE STATE? I THINK THAT THERE IS A GREAT
OPPORTUNITY AS I MENTIONED EARLIER TO CONSIDER A PIPELINE PROGRAM WITH ROXBURY COMMUNITY COLLEGE WHERE YES, NOT ALL STUDENTS MAY BE WANTING TO GO
TO A TWO YEAR INSTITUTION AS THEIR FIRST ROUTE BUT PERHAPS FOR THOSE THAT MIGHT BE THEIR FIRST ROUTE THERE'S SOME PIPELINE INSTITUTION THAT IS CONNECTED FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD I'M SORRY CONNECTED TO ANOTHER INSTITUTION THAT IS ALREADY
ACCREDITED AS A HBCU. WE CURRENTLY SEE PROGRAMS LIKE THAT BETWEEN SPELMAN AND WELLESLEY HERE AND SO THERE'S A GREAT POSSIBILITY TO HAVE THAT BE HAD.
AND LASTLY I'LL SAY THAT HPC USE DON'T ONLY HAVE TO EXIST IN THE SOUTH THAT THEY CAN TO EXIST IN THE NORTH. I THINK THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE REALLY NEED TO ENSURE
IS THAT WE'RE PROMOTING A GREAT DEAL OF WHAT IT MEANS TO EXPERIENCE A FULL ROUNDED HOLISTIC EDUCATION WHEN YOU'RE WITH PEOPLE WHO LOOK LIKE YOU AND WHEN YOU'RE TAUGHT AND
EDUCATED BY SOMEONE WHO LOOKS LIKE YOU. MY CULTURE SHOCK HAD A GREAT DEAL AND A GREAT A LOT OF LEARNING A LOT OF LEARNING THAT HELPED ME TO BE ABLE TO
LIVE IN THE IN THE WORLD OF WORK THAT I LIVE IN TODAY. BUT HAD I HAD PROFESSORS THAT THAT LOOKED LIKE ME OR COME FROM COMMUNITIES THAT I COME FROM, I THINK THAT WOULD HAVE
CAUSED A LOT LESS STRESS FACTORS IN MY LIFE. AND SO NATURALLY I GRAVITATED TOWARDS PROFESSORS THAT HAD SOME SORT OF SIMILAR DUTIES THAT I DID SO THAT I COULD HAVE
A MORE CONNECTION AND FEEL TO THE INSTITUTION I WAS AT. AND THE LAST PIECE I'LL SAY IS THAT I'M ALSO AN EDUCATOR MYSELF. I'M A PART TIME OR I SERVED AND PART TIME EDUCATION ROLES AT
BENTLEY UNIVERSITY AT URBAN COLLEGE AND MOST RECENTLY AT TUFTS UNIVERSITY. SO EDUCATION IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME. I KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE A STUDENT AND I KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO TEACH. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MELISSA.
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE AND TO HAVE HERBERT JONES . GOOD AFTERNOON COUNSELORS. THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
I INITIALLY HAD NOT PLANNED TO TESTIFY BUT I DID WANT TO SAY AFTER LISTENING AND HEARING PEOPLE I COME FROM A VERY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE TODAY BECAUSE I AM NOT A NATIVE
BOSTONIAN. I GREW UP IN RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, THE CAPITAL OF THE CONFEDERACY AND CAME TO BOSTON TO GO TO COLLEGE. SO IT WAS SORT OF THE OPPOSITE
BUT MY LIFE WAS VERY MUCH IMPACTED AND SHAPED BY HBCU'S. RICHMOND IS THE HOME OF VIRGINIA UNION VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY WHERE I SPENT MY FIRST COUPLE OF SUMMER JOBS .
MY SIBLINGS TWO OF MY SIBLINGS ATTENDED AND GRADUATED FROM HOWARD UNIVERSITY AND RIGHT DOWN THE STREET MOST OF MY MOST OF MY TEACHERS IN K THROUGH 12
WERE EDUCATED AT HBCU AS A LARGELY VIRGINIA STATE VIRGINIA UNION IN HAMPTON HOWARD AND MORGAN. BUT AND I SAY THAT TO SAY THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK
THAT ONE OF THE REASONS I SUPPORT BRINGING AN HBCU TO BOSTON IN SOME WAY, SHAPE OR FORM IS THAT IT'S AN HBCU IS NOT JUST ABOUT THE EDUCATION ON
CAMPUS BUT IT'S ABOUT THE COMMUNITY THAT THAT THAT THAT CAMPUS CAN CREATE THAT SPREADS BEYOND THE BOUNDS OF THE CAMPUS. I DO REMEMBER THAT SO MUCH
OF WHAT WENT ON IN THE COMMUNITY CENTERS WAS FUELED BY AND SUPPORTED BY THE HBCUS IN THE AREA THAT A LOT OF THE CULTURAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT
GREW OUT OF THE CITY GREW IN THE CITY AND WERE PLANTED IN THE VARIOUS COMMUNITIES WERE SPONSORED AND SUPPORTED BY THOSE HBCU'S IN THE AREA AND AND HAVING BEEN HERE IN BOSTON
FOR ABOUT 40 YEARS NOW AND HAVING WORKED WITH YOUNG PEOPLE OVER THE COURSE OF THOSE 40 YEARS, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE ALWAYS TRIED TO DO IS TO SHARE WITH THEM OPPORTUNITIES THAT I DIDN'T HAVE WHERE ACCESS
IS THAT I DIDN'T HAVE AND UNFORTUNATELY THOSE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO I'VE WORKED WITH OVER THE YEARS WHO FOUND THEIR WAY TO AN HBCU WERE SO ENTHRALLED WITH IT THAT THEY
MOST OF THEM CHOSE NOT TO COME BACK TO BOSTON AND I THINK IF THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT COULD GIVE THEM THAT KIND OF EXPOSURE HERE IN THE BOSTON AREA THAT THEY WOULD NOT NEED TO LEAVE TO GO AND FIND THAT THEY COULD
HAVE THAT HERE ALREADY AND BEGIN TO BUILD THOSE BRIDGES BETWEEN THEIR COMMUNITY AND WHAT THE SCHOOL HAS TO OFFER. SO I AM HERE TO STAND IN SUPPORT OF WHATEVER WE CAN DO
TO CREATE SOME SORT OF OPPORTUNITY, SOME SORT OF HBCU LIKE CAMPUS OR ATMOSPHERE OR BUT MOSTLY THAT COMMUNITY CONNECTION THAT HBCUS ARE KNOWN FOR AND THAT HAVE THEY FOSTERED OVER THEIR
HISTORIES. THANK YOU ALSO THANK YOU. NEXT UP WE HAVE JANICE AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO AFTER JANICE ARE
GOING TO HAVE WHAT I BELIEVE DR. JONATHAN JEFFERSON AND DR. JABBAR JAMAL DORRY TOMORROW AFTER A WHILE. SO JANICE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. THE FLOOR.
GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU FOR SPONSORING THIS INTERESTING EVENT. I AM NOT FROM BOSTON BUT I WILL SHARE SOME HISTORICAL INFORMATION.
I AM A DESCENDANT OF THE EX-SLAVES ON MY MOTHER'S AND FATHER'S SIDE FROM SOUTH CAROLINA. SO HBCU ISSUES ARE DEFINITELY PART OF MY CULTURE.
NOT ONLY WERE THERE HBCU'S BUT THERE WERE ALSO HBCU ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY STUDENTS BOSTON HAS PLAYED A PART IN THE
EDUCATION IN THE EX-SLAVES. THE TEACHER IN BOSTON, MRS. CRAIN SHE LOVED TEACHING BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO GO TO THE
MATHER SCHOOL IN BUFORD, SOUTH CAROLINA, WHERE MY MOTHER GRADUATED THE SCHOOL UNTIL THE 1960S FROM THE 1860S AND IT WAS
GEARED TOWARD THE EDUCATION OF THESE DESCENDANTS OF THE EX-SLAVES. THE LEGACY ALSO FROM SOME OF MY FAMILY MEMBERS TAUGHT THERE
HAVE GONE TO DIFFERENT HBCU WAS THERE WAS A RUMOR THAT ROXBURY COMMUNITY COLLEGE HAS BEEN LISTED AS AN HBCU A SATELLITE
EXPERIENCE BE A VERY GOOD EXPERIENCE. BUT AGAIN THE CULTURE AND EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS IS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT HAPPENS ON
A PREDOMINANTLY WHITE CAMPUS. MY OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE IS ONE OF MY GREAT GRANDFATHERS. AFTER THE END OF SLAVERY HE DECIDED THAT HE WANTED TO LEARN
TO READ BECAUSE THAT WAS PRIVILEGED AT THE TIME AND HE STAYED ON THE PLANTATION SO HE COULD TAKE THE CHILDREN THE WHITE CHILDREN TO SCHOOL SO HE COULD LEARN TO READ.
THERE HAVE BEEN MANY AGREEMENTS BETWEEN HBCU'S AND INSTITUTIONS IN THE NORTH PARTICULARLY I THINK HARVARD HAD ONE AND MIT HAD ONE WITH THE STUDENTS
GRADUATED AND THEIR UNDERGRADUATE EXPERIENCE THEY WOULD COME TO BOSTON TO THOSE SCHOOLS FOR THEIR MASTERS AND
PHDS. TRADITIONALLY HBCU'S GOT MOST OF THEIR SUPPORT FROM THE BLACK CHURCHES AND ALSO FROM WHITE PHILANTHROPY.
P SO I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE FUNDING WILL BE AND AGAIN THESE TWO SCHOOLS HAVE AN EXISTENCE FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS. SO IF WE'RE STARTING SOMETHING NEW IT MIGHT LOOK A LITTLE BIT
DIFFERENT IN TERMS OF WHAT THESE SCHOOLS WOULD BE HERE FOR . YOU HAVE TO TALK ABOUT RECRUITMENT OF STUDENTS, RETENTION OF THE STUDENTS AND THE CAMPUS AND I HAD WORKED IN
THE METCO PROGRAM AND SOME OF MY STUDENTS DID GO TO HBCU. THE CULTURE WAS SO DIFFERENT FROM THEM HAVING GONE TO A PREDOMINATELY WHITE SCHOOL AND GOING TO SCHOOL AND THEY HAD TO
COME BACK AND SO I HAVE HEARD THAT STORY BEFORE. SO ALSO THE MOVEMENT FOR PREDOMINANTLY BLACK EDUCATION DR. CARTER G.
WOODSON SPENT A TIME AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY. THEN HE SAID THERE'S SOMETHING MISSING FROM THIS EDUCATION AND HE STARTED A BLACK HISTORY ORGANIZATION. W.E.B. DUBOIS WAS AT HARVARD.
SO AND PEOPLE TALKED ABOUT THE ABOLITIONIST MOVEMENT AND ABOLITION IN BOSTON. SO THOSE ARE SOME OF MY THOUGHTS ON RIGHT NOW ON HBCU
IN BOSTON. THANK YOU FOR SHARING. LET ME SHARE MY THOUGHTS WITH YOU. OH, THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR SHARING AND
TESTIFYING, DR. JEFFERSON AND THEN WE'LL HAVE DR. CAMARA. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. MY NAME IS JONATHAN JEFFERSON
AND I'M THE CURRENT PRESIDENT OF ROXBURY COMMUNITY COLLEGE. I THINK THAT CONTEXT IS IMPORTANT AND TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND YOUR HISTORY ARE IMPORTANT.
YOU KNOW THE MOVEMENT TO CREATE ROXBURY COMMUNITY COLLEGE STARTED IN 1969 I BELIEVE IT WAS 69 OR 68. BUT IF YOU REALIZE THAT THAT
MOVEMENT WOULD HAVE STARTED FIVE YEARS EARLIER AND ACTUALLY HAD BEEN CARRIED TO FRUITION, THE ROXBURY COMMUNITY COLLEGE WOULD ACTUALLY BE AN HBCU. THE ONLY REASON THAT IT IS NOT
AN HBCU IS BECAUSE IT WAS CHARTERED IN 1973 AND NOT BEFORE 1964. IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO KNOW
THAT ROXBURY WAS CREATED IN THE SAME ILK THAT MANY HBCU'S WERE CREATED BLACK FOLKS NEEDED AN EDUCATION. BLACK BOSTONIANS DID NOT A
HIGHWAY GOING THROUGH WHICH NEIGHBORHOOD AND PROTESTED THAT HIGHWAY AND SAID INSTEAD WE WANT AN EDUCATION, AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHER LEARNING WHERE BLACK FOLKS CAN GO AND
GET AN EDUCATION. 52 YEARS AGO TO THIS DAY, ROXBURY COMMUNITY COLLEGE WAS FOUNDED. IT IS THE ONLY PREDOMINANTLY BLACK INSTITUTION IN ALL OF NEW
ENGLAND. 90% OF THE STUDENTS WHO ATTEND ROXBURY A COMMUNITY COLLEGE I STUDENTS OF COLOR. 80% OF THE STUDENTS WHO ATTEND ROXBURY COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARE
BLACK, AFRICAN OR AFRICAN-AMERICAN OR OF AFRICAN DESCENT. WE ARE YOUR HBCU.
CONTEXT IS IMPORTANT. THE OTHER THINGS THAT YOU NEED TO BE AWARE OF IS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE ARTICULATE IN AGREEMENTS WITH OTHER SCHOOLS. WE'VE HAD FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS
AND ARTICULATION AGREEMENT WITH DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY WHICH HAPPENS TO BE THE CLOSEST HBCU TO US. THE END ON FRIDAY WE WILL BE SIGNING ARTICULATION AGREEMENT
WITH JOHNSON C SMITH UNIVERSITY FROM CHARLOTTE AND CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA. THAT AGREEMENT WILL BE IN AN HISTORIC AGREEMENT BECAUSE NOT
ONLY ARE STUDENTS AT THROUGH ROXBURY WILL GET DIRECT ADMISSION TO JOHNSON C SMITH UNIVERSITY BY THE WAY THE AGREEMENT WE HAVE WITH DELAWARE THEY GET DIRECT ADMITTED TO DELAWARE STATE ALSO BUT WE WILL
BE ALL WE WILL ALSO BE EXPLORING WAYS TO WHICH TO BRING A SATELLITE CAMPUS OF JOHNSON C SMITH TO ROXBURY COMMUNITY COLLEGE. WE WILL BE EXPLORING WAYS TO DO
JOINT TEACHING USING VIRTUAL REALITY A.I. AND OTHER AND BANDWIDTH OPPORTUNITIES. THIS IS A TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY FOR THIS CITY.
MANY PEOPLE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THE MISSING ELEMENT OF AN HBCU. BUT I SHOULD BACK UP FOR A MOMENT BECAUSE IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR ME FOR YOU TO KNOW THAT I AM A PRODUCT
OF MOREHOUSE COLLEGE. I GRADUATED FROM MOREHOUSE COLLEGE IN 1982 WITH A DEGREE IN MATHEMATICS AND THEN WENT FROM MOREHOUSE TO CORNELL AND GOT A DEGREE IN ENGINEERING.
SPECIFICALLY OPERATIONS RESEARCH AND INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING. I WORKED FOR AT&T BELL LABORATORIES WHICH WAS THE PREMIER R&D ORGANIZATION IN THIS COUNTRY AT THE TIME.
WHY DO I TELL YOU THIS? BECAUSE I GOT PREPARATION TO GO TO CORNELL AND I HAD THE AUDACITY TO GO WORK FOR AT&T. AT&T BELL LABORATORIES BECAUSE
I GRADUATED FROM MOREHOUSE COLLEGE. I'M ALSO THE FORMER DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AT ALBANY STATE UNIVERSITY IN ALBANY, GEORGIA, WHICH IS AN HBCU AND
THE FORMER DEAN OF THE OF BUSINESS AT CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA ,WHICH IS THE LARGEST PRIVATE HBCU. I'M NOT SAYING THIS TO YOU TO
BRAG. I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXT MATTERS. I KNOW WHAT IT WHAT RUNNING AN HBCU IS LIKE BECAUSE I WORKED
AT TWO OF THEM. I KNOW THE FEELING OF AN HBCU BECAUSE I GRADUATED FROM ONE OF THEM WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY CAME TO BECOME THE PRESIDENT OF ROXBURY COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
I THANK GOD AND I WAS VERY, VERY PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO BE SELECTED AS THE 18TH PRESIDENT OF THIS WONDERFUL INSTITUTION. I ALWAYS WANTED TO BE THE PRESIDENT OF AN HBCU.
WENT ALL KINDS OF PROGRAMS TO BECOME AN HBCU PRESIDENT. BUT MY LOT WAS CAST HERE WITH ROXBURY COMMUNITY COLLEGE. WE WILL MAKE ROXBURY INTO
WHATEVER ROXBURY NEEDS TO BE FOR THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS. BUT PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT IF YOU WANT YOUR HBCU THEN BUILD IT AT THE ONE THAT YOU ALREADY
HAVE. WE ARE BRINGING IN THE HBCU USE TO THE COMMONWEALTH. LET US DO THAT WORK WITH US, SUPPORT US AND LET'S BUILD A
BIGGER, BETTER HBCU. WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE IN THE COMMONWEALTH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU DR. JOSEPH JOHNSON
FOR BEING HERE FOR YOUR TESTIMONY.
NEXT UP WE HAVE DR. CAMARA. AFTER THAT, DR. KLEIN, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ANDRE SPENCE AND MARLON SOLOMON.
THOSE ARE THE IF YOU IF YOU ARE HERE AND HAVING TESTIFIED I WANT TO TESTIFY, PLEASE SIGN UP AT THE ENTRANCE. DR. KLEIN, I THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH COUNSELOR SANTANA AND COUNSELOR WEIL FOR HOSTING THIS DISCUSSION. I THINK IT'S OBVIOUSLY VERY TIMELY FROM THE LEVEL
OF PARTICIPATION YOU'VE HAD BOTH ONLINE AS WELL AS HERE. AND IT'S ONE THAT DEEPLY
CONCERNS ME AS A RESIDENT OF OUR COMMUNITY FOR SEVERAL DECADES HERE HAVING COME TO
BOSTON SOME ALMOST 40 YEARS AGO NOW AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS, BOSTON. AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DR.
JEFFERSON, FOR YOUR. I THINK THEY'RE VERY TIMELY AND APPROPRIATE GIVEN THE CONTEXT OF WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING.
I WOULD TRY TO BE BRIEF EVEN THOUGH I HAVE A LOT TO SAY ON THIS ISSUE. BUT THE NOTATIONS THAT DR.
JEFFERSON MADE WITH REGARD TO RCC I THINK ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AS WE'RE ENGAGING A CONVERSATION ABOUT HBCU'S AND
THE GREATER BOSTON COMMUNITY AND THE FACT THAT WHEN WE SPEAK ABOUT HBCU WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A LEGAL ENTITY A LEGAL ENTITY
THAT IS DEFINED BY KIND OF CRITERIA THAT EXIST IN OTHER PLACES THAN HERE. AND THEREFORE BUILDING BRIDGES
WITH THOSE TO HAVE SUCH AN ENTITY HERE BECOMES THE CONTEXT OR THE FRAMEWORK WITHIN WHICH WE WOULD OPERATE WITH REGARD TO USING THAT LANGUAGE.
BUT THERE'S OTHER LANGUAGE THAT WE CAN UTILIZE TO ENGAGE THE CONVERSATION. FOR ME THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENT
OF THE CONVERSATION IS AROUND THE ISSUE OF FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION WHAT IS IT THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE?
THAT MUST BE THE THE FOCUS OF THE CONVERSATION AND THE DISCUSSION FROM THAT AND THE ANSWERS TO MANY OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE BEING RAISED EARLIER. THEN WE SHOULD STEP BACK AND
SAY WHAT IS THE FORM OF A STRUCTURE, AN INSTITUTION THAT WILL ALLOW US TO ACHIEVE THOSE OBJECTIVES HIGHER EDUCATION SERVES THREE CRITICAL FUNCTIONS.
I AS I SUGGESTED HAVE TAUGHT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS FOR ALMOST 40 YEARS. I CAME HERE FROM A PREDOMINANTLY WHITE INSTITUTION TO SERVE AS THE DEAN OF THE
COLLEGE OF PUBLIC AND COMMUNITY SERVICE, AN INSTITUTION THAT HAD BEEN SET UP AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS FOR ALMOST 40 YEARS.
AND I CAME FOR ONE REASON BECAUSE THE COLLEGE WAS SET UP PEDAGOGICALLY IN THE FRAMEWORK OF BEING ABLE TO REACH OUT AND
TO TEACH PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITIES FROM ACROSS THE GREATER BOSTON AREA USING PEDAGOGICAL FRAMEWORK THAT HAD NO GRADES. IT WAS STRUCTURED AROUND A
MODEL OF COMPETENCY BASED EDUCATION. THE FOCUS WAS ON WHAT WHEN YOU LEAVE THIS INSTITUTION WHAT YOU DO.
AND WE BEGAN TO TEACH TO A SET OF SKILLS ACROSS SKILL AREAS THEN USING WHAT BODIES OF KNOWLEDGE GENERALLY AN
INSTITUTIONS WE CALL THOSE DISCIPLINES THROUGH WHAT BODIES OF KNOWLEDGE CAN YOU TEACH TWO SETS OF SKILLS SO THAT STUDENTS WHO ARE GRADUATING CAN DO SOMETHING IN THE ACQUISITION
OF THOSE SKILLS LEADS TO CERTAIN CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN ASSESSING WHAT THOSE ARE TRANSITIONS OVER HISTORICAL TIME, THE CONVERSATION OF EDUCATION WITHIN OUR
COMMUNITY IS ONE THAT HAS GONE ON FOR SEVERAL CENTURIES ACTUALLY. AND WE'VE OFTEN PITCHED THE NOTION OF BOOKER T'S MODEL
VERSUS W.E.B. DUBOIS. DUBOIS TALKED ABOUT THE CREATION OF A TALENT TO TEN BASED UPON A LIBERAL ARTS FRAMEWORK. WELL, BOOKER T TALKED ABOUT
SKILL ACQUISITION IN INSTITUTIONS THAT HAD BEEN SET UP AFTER THE CIVIL WAR AND SO FORTH. BUT THE FRAMEWORK OF THE CONVERSATION SHOULD NOT BE
EITHER OR. IT IS BOTH AND AND AS WE ARE ENGAGED IN THE 21ST CENTURY HERE IN BOSTON IN A IN A IN A
CITY THAT HAS SOME 60 INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION, WE HEAR THE CRY FROM OUR COMMUNITY FROM STUDENTS,
FROM COMMUNITY RESIDENTS TO CREATE A CULTURAL POOL AND AN ENVIRONMENT EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT TO NURTURE OUR STUDENTS. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HEARING.
THE NOTION OF REACHING OUT FOR AN HBCU. WE'VE HEARD TODAY IS BEING MUCH MORE THAN JUST A BLACK CAMPUS. IT'S ABOUT CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT THAT SUPPORTS THAT
NURTURES OUR STUDENTS AND OUR COMMUNITY. BUT IN THE CONTEXT OF LOOKING AT AN EDUCATIONAL STRUCTURE, THERE ARE OTHER DIMENSIONS.
TEACHING IS ONE. AND I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THERE IS A RANGE OF TEACHING OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT. AND COMPETENCY BASED EDUCATION
IS ONE AND I CAN GO INTO A LONG DISSERTATION ABOUT WHAT THAT IS . BUT THE NOTION OF COMPETENCY EDUCATION REMOVES THE STIGMA OF FAILURE. IT IT ALSO INCLUDES NOT JUST
STUDENTS COMING OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL BUT IT INCLUDES ADULT LEARNERS WHO ARE COMING BACK TO SCHOOL AND IT IS ASSUMED THAT YOU ARE BRINGING SOMETHING WITH
YOU NOT SOME VACUOUS BODY BUT RATHER YOU HAVE A WHOLE SERIES OF EXPERIENCES THAT YOU ARE BRINGING AND THAT THOSE SHOULD BE VALUED BY THE INSTITUTION
AND THAT THE EVALUATION OF YOU AS YOU MOVE FORWARD IS BASED UPON YOUR DEMONSTRATION OF BOTH SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE. AND THERE ARE WAYS THAT YOU CAN
DO THAT PEDAGOGICALLY. SO THE PEDAGOGICAL CRITERIA IS ONE THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT IN WHATEVER STRUCTURE WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE. SECONDLY IS THE QUESTION OF RESEARCH.
ANY INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION NOW HAS ITS GENERAL RESEARCH. THAT IS ONE OF THE SOURCES OF REVENUE THAT COMES IN.
AND WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN OUR COMMUNITY RIGHT HERE IN BOSTON IS THAT WE HAVE INSTITUTIONS FROM ALL AROUND THE GREATER BOSTON AREA, MASSACHUSETTS AND
BEYOND WHO COME AND RESEARCH OUR COMMUNITY GENERATE EXTERNAL DOLLARS WHEN THEY GET THE DOLLARS, THE DOLLARS DON'T COME TO OUR COMMUNITY. THEY GO TO THE UNIVERSITY.
THE UNIVERSITY TAKES X PERCENT OFF THE TOP, COME IN SPIRIT, SEND A TEAM OF PEOPLE INTO OUR COMMUNITY, RESEARCH THE PROBLEM AND GO BACK WITH A REPORT AND
WE'RE LEFT WITH THE PROBLEM. WHAT KIND OF AN INSTITUTION ARE WE TO PROPOSING TO TO ESTABLISH AND WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN THE PROCESS OF ENGAGING RESEARCH WITH FACULTY, WITH AN INSTITUTIONAL ADMINISTRATION AND THE COMMUNITY THAT IT IS
SERVING AND WORKING WITH? THAT IS A CENTRAL ISSUE WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT IN RELATIONSHIP TO WHATEVER FORM OF ENTITY WE WISH TO TO CREATE.
THIRDLY IS THE NOTION OF SERVICE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS BOSTON AS PART OF THE AFRICAN STUDIES
DEPARTMENT WE HAVE A CENTER FOR AFRICAN CARIBBEAN AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT THAT HAS BEEN IN EXISTENCE FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS. WE CURRENTLY HAVE A BILL IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE TO RENAME THE
CENTER FOR SENATOR BILL OWENS WHO SERVED IN THE CENTER FOR MORE THAN A DECADE AFTER HE LEFT THE SENATE. THE BILL WOULD ALLOW US TO
BRING BOTH RENAME THE CENTER BUT TO BEGIN TO ENGAGE PAGE WORK ON THE BUILDING AND SHAPING OF SOMETHING WE CALL A
COMMUNE OF OUR CITY AN ENTITY THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO ENGAGE AND WORK WITH A NETWORK OF COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND INSTITUTIONS
TO BEGIN TO PROVIDE SERVICES ACCESS TO RESEARCH AND TRAINING FOR STUDENTS. I WOULD SUGGEST THERE ARE A NUMBER OF MODELS THAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT IN ORDER TO
ANSWER THE INITIAL QUESTION FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION AND WHAT IS THE MOST APPROPRIATE FORM THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO ENGAGE THE NEEDS THAT WE'RE HEARING
FROM OUR COMMUNITY AS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD. I SUPPORT THE BILL THAT HAS BEEN PROPOSED BUT IT IS WITH THIS BROADER DISCUSSION THAT I
THINK OUR COMMUNITY IS LONGING TO ENGAGE IN AND I LOOK FORWARD TO BEING ABLE TO WORK WITH YOU AND TALK ABOUT THIS IN MORE DETAIL. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, DR. CAMARA. WE HAVE TWO MORE PEOPLE WHO ARE TIED UP FOR IN-PERSON TESTIMONY AND THAT WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK TO VIRTUAL THING. WE HAVE THREE PEOPLE WHO ARE
STILL WAITING FOR US. OH, SO NEXT UP WE HAVE ANDRE SPENCE AND MARLON SOLOMON AS WE WANT TO RECOGNIZE CHIEF ALL FOR
BEING HERE. UM, I KNOW YOU'RE YOU'RE HEADING OUT RIGHT NOW, BUT THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU, CHIEF.
UM, SO ANDRE SPENCE AND MARLON SOLOMON DO WE HAVE ANY ANDRE
SPENCE IN THE CHAMBER? OMAR SOLOMON. OKAY.
SEE YOU LATER. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. THANK YOU, COUNCILORS, FOR HAVING THIS MEETING. GOODNESS. I DON'T BLAME ANDRE BECAUSE AFTER THOSE TWO PROFESSORS
SPOKE IT'S KIND OF LIKE BIG SHOES TO FILL. BUT WE THANK THEM FOR THIS SERVICE. AS USUAL, THOSE ARE YOU KNOW ME. MY NAME IS MARLON SIMON. I'M WITH THE AFRO-AMERICAN ACADEMY, THE SENIOR PROJECT
ENGINEER THERE AND FOUNDER ORGANIZATION DOES A LOT OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AROUND AFRICAN-AMERICAN CULTURE HERE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON. WE SERVE MOSTLY UNDER CULTURE A MULTI CULTURAL COMMUNITIES.
WE HAVE A SUMMER PRESCHOOL PROGRAM AND AN AFTERSCHOOL WHERE I'M DEALING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE TODAY SO YOU KNOW, WHEN WE PUT OUT OUR APPLICATIONS WE
GET ABOUT 100 AND WE ADDED THIS YEAR LAST YEAR ABOUT 156 YOUNG PEOPLE THAT APPLIED AND YOU KNOW WHEN YOU HAVE THE AFRO AMERICAN ACADEMY NAME THEY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GETTING SO BUT WE
ONLY ALLOWED 10% ABOUT 16 TO ATTEND. THIS OVERWHELMING GROUNDSWELL OF YOUNG PEOPLE THAT ARE APPLYING TELLS ME ONE VARIABLE THING THAT THEY ARE LONGING FOR
THE CULTURAL GROUNDING OF THE AFRO-AMERICAN ACADEMY BECAUSE AS WE SAY WE HBCU, PWI IS HERE IN BOSTON. WE DO THIS IN OUR LARGER
MISSION AROUND REPAIR AND THE CULTURAL ERASURE OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES HERE IN BOSTON. AND I'M SPEAKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND NOT
BLACK IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES WHICH I AM ALSO HALF A PART OF AS AND A HALF NIGERIAN HALF ARE AFRICAN-AMERICAN. MY MY STUDENTS OF COLOR LEON SPELMAN, LINCOLN CLARK
UNIVERSITY AND OF COURSE I CAME OUT HERE TO RCC AND DEFINITELY FINANCE IS A MAJOR ISSUE. I'VE HAD STUDENTS HAVE TO GO TO PWI DESPITE WHAT THEY BECAUSE
OF THE FINANCIAL ISSUES AND THE ADVANTAGE IS GOING TO PWI METCO STUDENTS FACE PARTICULAR NEED FOR MY ORGANIZATION. A LOT OF TIMES WHEN I SAY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES YOU
THINK OF KIDS THAT MAY BE PERCEIVED TO NOT HAVE WHAT THEY WANT, WHAT THEY NEED AS FAR AS EDUCATION. BUT THE MEDICAL STUDENTS THAT LEAVE THEIR COMMUNITIES EVERY DAY ON ABOUT THREE HOUR ROUND
TRIP EVERY DAY THEY ARE COMPLETELY DISCONNECTED FROM THEIR COMMUNITIES AND WHEN THEY GET THE EDUCATION THAT THEY THAT WE'RE SENDING THEM ACROSS TO THE GREATER BOSTON AREA TO
GET WHEN THEY COME BACK THEY DON'T HAVE AS MUCH CONNECTION TO THE COMMUNITY THAT WE ARE HOPING THAT THEY WOULD INFLUENCE WHEN THEY GET BACK WITH THIS GREAT EDUCATION. SO THAT'S A BIG ISSUE. THEY'RE DOING EVERYTHING FROM
REPRESENTING THEIR WHOLE RACE TO EDUCATING THEIR WHITE TEACHERS ON BLACK ON BLACK CULTURE. I ALWAYS YOU KNOW, AS PEOPLE
MAY KNOW ME A LOT ABOUT THE RED AND URBAN RENEWAL AND I DO THAT BECAUSE I DO BELIEVE THAT THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT ARE INCUBATORS OF CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT AND WHEN YOU DO NOT
HAVE ANY SPACES THAT WHO YOU ARE THEN THAT ALSO SAYS A LOT. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY. SO WHEN WE SAY THESE THINGS ABOUT AFRICAN-AMERICAN CULTURE
YOU HAVE TO REALIZE THAT IN BOSTON THERE ARE NO AFRICAN-AMERICAN CULTURAL HUBS THAT STILL EXIST IN THEIR FULL FASHION AS THEY DID BACK IN THE FIFTIES AND SIXTIES. THERE'S A REASON WHY THE RCC
HAPPENED AT THE TIME THEY DID WAS BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY THAT I STUDY THE COMMUNITY I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE ROXBURY COMMUNITY, LOWER ROXBURY COMMUNITY PART OF ME WHICH IS THE MADISON PARK FIELD AND THE
SURROUNDING AREA. THAT COMMUNITY HAD ABOUT 6 TO 7 AFRICAN-AMERICAN RUN SCHOOLS AS OFTEN NOT MENTIONED. SO ARE WE REALLY STARTING SOMETHING NEW OR IS RCC
BASICALLY AN OUT STRETCH OF THE FEELINGS THAT PEOPLE HAD LAW SCHOOLS THAT WERE IN THOSE COMMUNITIES FROM THE SHORE HOUSE TO THE NORFOLK HOUSE TO FREEDOM HOUSE, ALL THOSE THOSE ARE AFRICAN-AMERICAN SCHOOLS THAT I BELIEVE WOULD HAVE
DEVELOPED INTO OUR OWN HBCU. IT'S ACTUALLY IRONIC THAT IN A COMMUNITY IN A IN THE CITY OF BOSTON, AFRICAN-AMERICANS HAVE BEEN HERE SINCE 1638 AND THERE'S NO COMMUNITY THAT WE CAN SAY OH, THAT'S AN
AFRICAN-AMERICAN MAN. THERE'S A THERE. EGGLESTON IS DOMINICAN. THEY HAVE HAITIANS AND I LOVE MY BROTHER AND THIS IS NOT ABOUT THAT TRYING TO SAY THAT THERE IS A THERE IS SHOULD BE A PRIORITY FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN
CULTURE AND IT'S NOT JUST FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN CULTURE. IF YOU COME HERE AS AN IMMIGRANT, YOU DRAW HONORS THEN THAT THE REASON WHY YOU'RE ABLE TO ENJOY THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE ENJOYING IS BECAUSE THE SACRIFICES OF A PARTICULAR
GROUP THEN YOU DON'T YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO INTERACT WITH THAT GROUP. YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO BE COMPASSIONATE. PEOPLE SHARE YOUR CULTURE WITH THAT GROUP AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I FEEL THAT IS OFTEN
OVERLOOKED. I LIKE GOING BACK TO THE RESEARCH THAT DR. ROMERO TALKED ABOUT THIS RESEARCH THERE'S NO SUBSTITUTE FOR US RESEARCHING OURSELVES. LIKE I ALWAYS SAY, THIS
BUILDING THAT WE LOOK HERE IN THE BRUTALIST BRUTALIST DESIGN NO AFRICAN-AMERICAN ONE ARE DESIGNED AS UGLY THING. THEY JUST SIMPLY DOESN'T HAVE THE SEASONING AND THE SPACE
THAT WE DESIRE IN OUR LIVES. AND SO WHEN YOU THINK OF THE LOST CULTURAL COMMUNITIES YOU HAVE TO REPRESENT UNDERSTAND THAT THE RCC COMES FROM A
CULTURE THAT A COMMUNITY THAT WAS LITERALLY THAT'S THE LONGEST THAT AFRICAN-AMERICANS HAD EVER BEEN IN ONE PLACE IN BOSTON WAS IN ROXBURY FROM DAY
TO EIGHT FROM EARLY 1900S TO WHEN IT WENT DOWN. AND THAT CONTINUITY MAKES IT SO IMPORTANT THAT THIS IS A REPARATION.
I'M NOT I DON'T I DON'T SEE REPARATION AS A CHECK IS ABOUT IF WE HAVE OUR CULTURE WE DON'T NEED MUCH ELSE. WE GOT AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN CHINATOWN BASICALLY ALONG RUGGLES STREET AROUND VERNON
AND THAT COMMUNITY HAD 500 BUSINESSES THAT WERE NOT REPLACED WITH COMMERCIAL ZONING. THEY WERE REPLACED WITH RESIDENTIAL ZONING. HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO MAKE MONEY? HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO EAT? WE HAVE 78 JAZZ CLUBS IN THE AREA.
WE HAVE KNOWN WE HAD A MUSIC VILLAGE NEARBY. ALL THESE THINGS ARE THESE ARE THE PRACTICE SPACES. THESE ARE THE INCUBATORS FOR OUR CULTURE AND THAT'S WHAT THAT CULTURE MAKES MONEY. WE'RE IN THE WEST AND RIGHT NOW THE NORTH END IS MAKING MORE
MONEY THAN THE WEST END AND THE WEST END GOT RENEWED TO MAKE MONEY. SO THAT'S WHY I DO THIS WORK AND I DO WANT TO SAY THAT IF WE
CAN'T DO THIS RESEARCH WE CANNOT SUPPORT THE RCC AND THE OTHER INSTITUTIONS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD HERE. WE CANNOT TRULY HAVE THE KIND
OF EQUALITY AND EQUITY THAT WE ARE SO HUNGRY FOR IN THIS COMMUNITY. AND MY STUDENTS I'LL SAY AND ON THIS MY STUDENTS I'VE HAD STUDENTS AFRICAN-AMERICANS TRANS I DON'T THINK THAT JAZZ
IS A WHITE ART FORM. WE INVENTED IT. IT'S OURS. WE CANNOT PLAY IT BECAUSE OF CULTURAL ERASURE, BECAUSE OF LACK OF SPACES TO PRACTICE
THE INFORMAL LEARNING SPACES THAT WERE IN THIS COMMUNITY CANNOT BE DUPLICATED BY ANY INSTITUTION. THERE ARE PARKS THEIR CHURCH CHOIRS THERE THE CHITLIN
CIRCUIT WE ONLY HAVE ONE AS WELL THESE JAZZ CAFE THAT'S THE LAST FAMILY ALL AFRICAN-AMERICAN JAZZ CLUB THAT'S STILL IN EXISTENCE. THAT'S A SHAME.
BOSTON IT'S A BIG SHAME I'M NOT EVEN FROM BOSTON BUT I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE COMMUNITY. I'M HERE TO FIGHT FOR IT SO PLEASE LET'S GET THIS HBCU GOING AND ALSO THIS SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE ALREADY
HERE ON GROUND. WE ARE ALREADY HERE DOING THE WORK. WE ARE BEING DEFUNDED RIGHT NOW WE'RE TRYING TO SURVIVE RIGHT NOW THE HARRIET TUBMAN HOUSE TRY TO SURVIVE RIGHT NOW IS
GONE AND THAT'S A TRAVESTY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS TIME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MARLON. SO YOU BEING WITH US, WE'RE GONNA GO BACK TO VIRTUAL
TESTIMONY AGAIN IF ANYONE WAS IN THE CHAMBER AND WANTS TO TESTIFY, PLEASE SIGN UP AT THE FRONT OF THE CHAMBER. BUT THAT'S THE LESSON I RECEIVED FROM IN-PERSON. SO WE'RE GOING TO GO TO VIRTUAL.
WE HAVE WITH US JACQUELINE
FONSECA, AYANNA HINDS AND WE
HAVE DIANE ALL RIGHT, GOOD
EVENING OR GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US, COUNSELOR AND FOR EVERYONE THAT TESTIFIED I LEARNED A LOT TODAY . MY NAME IS JACQUELINE FONSECA.
I'M A PROUD BLACK WOMAN OF CAPE VERDEAN DESCENT, A BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL GRADUATE AND AN ADVOCATE FOR EDUCATION AS THE ESSENTIAL TOOL TO DISMANTLING STRUCTURAL RACISM AS AN ADVOCATE FOR OUR WRONGFULLY
INCARCERATED COMMUNITY, I HAVE LEARNED THAT IT COSTS OUR TAXPAYERS AN AVERAGE OF $131,000 PER YEAR TO HOUSE JUST ONE PRISONER IN MASSACHUSETTS MAJORITY BLACK
AND BROWN. IMAGINE IF WE REDIRECTED HALF OF THAT ANNUAL FUNDING TO SENDING OUR YOUTH TO AN HBCU IN OR OUTSIDE OF BOSTON INSTEAD.
BOSTON IS MY HOME ONE OF AMERICA'S OLDEST CITIES A PLACE OF HISTORICAL FIRSTS. IT'S WHERE CRISPUS ATTUCKS, A BLACK MAN, BECAME THE FIRST TO GIVE HIS LIFE IN THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION DURING THE BOSTON MASSACRE.
IT'S WHERE WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON AND FREDERICK DOUGLASS ORGANIZED AGAINST CHATTEL SLAVERY. AND IT'S WHERE THE BLACK COMMUNITY OF BARS OF BEACON HILL THOSE SCHOOLS AND FOUGHT FOR EQUALITY AND EDUCATION LONG
BEFORE IT WAS THE LAW. BOSTON HAS LONG BEEN CONSIDERED A BLACK MECCA AS WE'VE HEARD BEFORE. TODAY WITH DORCHESTER AND ROXBURY AT ITS HEART AND WHERE BLACK FAMILIES, CULTURE AND LEADERSHIP HAS FLOURISHED AND
YET TOO OFTEN PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF BOSTON ARE SHOCKED TO HEAR THAT WE EVEN HAVE A BLACK COMMUNITY HERE AT ALL. I ALSO KNOW THE DARKER HISTORY OF OUR CITY'S FIGHT FOR EDUCATIONAL EQUALITY. I GRADUATED FROM SOUTH BOSTON
HIGH SCHOOL, THE VERY SCHOOL AT THE CENTER OF THE BOSTON CRISIS . WALKING THOSE HALLS I LEARNED HOW JUST ONE GENERATION BEFORE ME BLACK CHILDREN FACED VIOLENCE, HATRED AND TERROR SIMPLY FOR PURSUING AN EQUAL
EDUCATION. THAT HISTORY IS STILL SILENTLY WITH US HIDING BEHIND THE SCHOOL TO PRISON PIPELINE. AND IT REMINDS US THAT EDUCATION IN BOSTON HAS ALWAYS BEEN TIED TO THE STRUGGLE FOR
RACIAL JUSTICE. AS A GRADUATE MY DREAM WAS TO ATTEND CLARK ATLANTA OR HOWARD UNIVERSITY. I WAS ACCEPTED INTO CLARK ATLANTA AND I WAS THRILLED. BUT AS A FOSTER YOUTH A WARD
OF THE STATE AT THE TIME I WAS URGED TO STAY IN STATE TO ACCESS EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS. RELUCTANTLY I STAYED AND WHILE I PURSUED MY EDUCATION I MISSED OUT ON THE HBCU EXPERIENCE A
PLACE THAT AFFIRMS BLACK EXCELLENCE. BLACK HISTORY AND BLACK COMMUNITY. THAT OPPORTUNITY IS WHAT I WANT FOR THE NEXT GENERATION. FOR MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER WHO STARTED IN HER FRESHMAN YEAR
OF HIGH SCHOOL AND FOR EVERY YOUNG BLACK STUDENT IN THE CITY TODAY MY DAUGHTER IS A PROUD MEDICAL STUDENT. SHE CARRIES FORWARD BOSTON'S LEGACY OF FIGHTING FOR EQUAL ACCESS TO EDUCATION.
THIS YEAR SHE WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TOUR HBCUS WITH HER MEDICAL CLASSMATES AND I'M SUPER EXCITED FOR HER. BUT WHAT WE'RE STILL MISSING IS THE LAST PIECE OF THAT PUZZLE IS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR
STUDENTS TO SEE REPRESENTATION AND ATTEND HBCUS RIGHT HERE AT HOME IF THEY CHOOSE TO DO SO. RIGHT NOW THE ONLY ALTERNATIVE OUR STUDENTS HAVE ARE BLACK STUDENT UNIONS WITH THEM PREDOMINANTLY WHITE INSTITUTION
. THOSE SPACES ARE VALUABLE BUT THEY ARE NOT THE SAME AS A COLLEGE BUILT FROM THE GROUND UP TO CENTER AND AFFIRM BLACK IDENTITY CULTURE AND SCHOLARSHIP. WE ALREADY HONOR HISTORICAL
BLACK FIGURES BY NAMING SCHOOLS AND COLLEGE HALLS AFTER THEM LIKE THE JOHN DOE BRYANT AND THE MELVIN H. KING'S SOUTH END ACADEMY. BUT NOW IT'S TIME TO TAKE IT TO
THE NEXT STEP TO EXPAND THE EFFORT INTO A FULL HBCU. IMAGINE A JOHN DOE BRYANT HBCU OR MEL KING HBCU IN BOSTON AN
INSTITUTION CARRYING OUR LEGACY FORWARD INTO THE FUTURE AND WE NEED THAT NOW MORE THAN EVER. ACROSS THE COUNTRY WE ARE WITNESSING ATTEMPTS TO ERASE BLACK HISTORY FROM CLASSROOMS AND CURRICULUMS.
THAT MAKES IT EVEN MORE URGENT FOR BOSTON, A CITY WITH SUCH A RICH BLACK HISTORY TO LEAD BY EXAMPLE. BOSTON IS ALREADY THE MECCA OF EDUCATION. WE ARE HOME TO SOME OF THE MOST
RENOWNED COLLEGES IN THE WORLD BUT THE ABSENCE OF A HBCU IS A GLARING GAP. BRINGING ONE HERE IS NOT JUST ABOUT SYMBOLISM IT'S ABOUT EQUITY REPRESENTATION, FUN AND OPPORTUNITY.
IN FACT, BRINGING AN HBCU TO BOSTON IN ANY FORM WOULD ITSELF BE A FORM OF REPARATIONS. A TANGIBLE INVESTMENT IN REPAIRING GENERATIONS OF EXCLUSION AND SYSTEMIC INEQUITY THAT BLACK BOSTONIANS
HAVE FOREVER ENDURED. THIS WILL HONOR OUR HISTORY, STRENGTHEN OUR IDENTITY AS A MULTI-CULTURAL CITY OF EDUCATION AND JUSTICE AND ENSURE THAT OUR YOUNG PEOPLE
CAN THRIVE IN AN INSTITUTION BUILT FOR THEM. I URGE YOU TO SUPPORT THIS INITIATIVE. THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR TESTIMONY. AWESOME. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
REALLY APPRECIATE YOU TESTIFYING. NEXT UP WE HAVE AYANNA HINDS AND SO I THINK THE NAME JUST
MAKES ME LOOK SO HEAVY ON A HINDS. THEN WE ALSO HAVE SOMEONE WITH THE NAME PRECIOUS NAILS ON THE
ZOOM THAT EVENING EVERYONE. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YEP, WE CAN HEAR YOU. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR THE
OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AND THANK YOU FOR HOLDING THIS SESSION. ONE I INTRODUCE MYSELF AYANNA HINDS I AM A GRADUATE OF HOWARD UNIVERSITY.
I COME FROM A FAMILY RICH AND DEEP IN THE HBCU TRADITION. SIX OF US ARE HOWARD GRADS, THREE ARE SPELMAN, TWO ARE GRAMBLING TWO OR TOUGALOO COLLEGE ONE EACH AT ALABAMA A&M
MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY, FISK CLONE COLLEGE AND THE THIRD GENERATION JUST STARTED LAST WEEK AT WINSTON-SALEM UNIVERSITY. TO SAY THAT I AM INVESTED WOULD
BE AN UNDERSTATEMENT. I AM HAPPY THAT THE CONVERSATION HAS COME UP BUT I THINK ECHOING YOU KNOW, MY BROTHER BICE AND I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
ONE QUESTION I HAVE IS WHAT DATA DO YOU HAVE THAT SAYS THAT THIS IS A NEED READING THE ORDER? I READ THAT THERE IS A NEED FOR MORE CULTURALLY SENSITIVE SCHOOLS. HAS GROWN AND I QUESTION THAT
BECAUSE TO ME A MORE ACCURATE STATEMENT MIGHT BE THAT STUDENTS AND FAMILIES NOW WANT AN EXPERIENCE THAT IS MORE REFLECTIVE OF WHO THEY ARE AND A PLACE WHERE THEY CAN BE AND JUST BE.
HBCUS HAVE BEEN THAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING THAT AND I DON'T SEE A NEED TO RECREATE THAT LOCALLY . I ALSO WANT TO JUST POINT OUT ALSO IN THE ORDER I WAS READING ABOUT THE OFFICE OF BLACK MALE
ACHIEVEMENT AND A NUMBER OF OTHERS WHO HAVE BEEN DOING HBCU TOURS AND THAT IS TO BE COMMENDED. BUT I DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE OUT THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF BOSTON WHO HAS BEEN DOING IT
FOR OVER A DECADE AND LEGIONS OF STUDENTS FROM THAT THE ROXBURY CLUB HAVE GONE TO HBCU AS A RESULT AND MADISON PARK DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION HAS RECENTLY LAUNCHED A TOUR AS WELL.
THEY ACTUALLY HAVE APPLICATIONS OPEN NOW FOR THEIR NEXT TOUR NEXT YEAR. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANT TO BRING UP IS WE ARE USING SCHOOLING AND EDUCATION INTERCHANGEABLY.
AND TO ME THEY ARE VERY DIFFERENT THINGS. SCHOOLING IS VERY STRUCTURED. IT IS INTENTIONAL. IT IS TYPICALLY PRESCRIBED BY SOMEONE ELSE MEANING YOU HAVE A
SCHEME FOR YOUR PROGRAM, YOU DO ALL THESE COURSES AND YOU EARN YOUR DEGREE. EDUCATION IS LIFELONG AND IT HAPPENS IN THE PROCESS OF SCHOOLING. AND TO THAT END I DON'T THOUGH
I'M NOT CONVINCED THAT A SATELLITE CAMPUS IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO REPLICATE THE ACTUAL ON CAMPUS HBCU EXPERIENCE.
AS OTHERS HAVE ALREADY SAID, IT IS NOT JUST ABOUT THE ACADEMICS . IT IS ABOUT THE LIFE THAT YOU LEARN TO BUILD AS A YOUNG PERSON IN THAT CITY AND FOR EXAMPLE, WASHINGTON D.C. HAS A
CULTURE UNTO ITSELF. IF I HAD DONE A SATELLITE PROGRAM I WOULD NEVER KNOW ABOUT GO-GO MUSIC. I WOULD NEVER KNOW ABOUT MARION BARRY BEING THE MAYOR FOR LIFE BECAUSE I WAS THERE DURING THAT
TIME AND I COULD SEE AND WITNESS WHY HE HOLDS THAT MONIKER. SO THAT THE EDUCATION IS NOT JUST ABOUT THE SCHOOL, IT IS ABOUT THE COMMUNITIES AND THE CITIES THAT HAVE HOSTED THESE
SCHOOLS FOR DECADES. THE CHURCHES, THE JANITORS, ALL OF THESE FOLKS KIND OF BECOME THE COMMUNITY THAT STUDENTS REALLY ARE ABLE TO LEARN FROM AND GROW FROM.
I'VE HEARD A NUMBER OF PEOPLE ALSO SPEAK ABOUT BEING ABLE TO HAVE FACULTY THAT LOOK LIKE THEIR I GRADUATED FROM THEIR ACADEMY HERE I WAS ONE OF FOUR BLACK STUDENTS IN MY CLASS AND
THE ONLY ONE TO GO TO AN HBCU. HOWARD GAVE ME THE MOST DIVERSE EXPERIENCE OF PROFESSORS I HAD MY FIRST ASIAN PROFESSOR, MY FIRST CONTINENTAL AFRICAN
PROFESSOR, MY FIRST PROFESSORS FROM THE CARIBBEAN. SO IT IS NOT JUST ABOUT BLACKNESS BUT REALLY ABOUT A WORLDVIEW. AND I WOULD SUBMIT THAT THAT IS PROBABLY THE CASE AROUND HBCU
BECAUSE A LOT OF THESE FACULTY MEMBERS ARE ALSO UP AGAINST A WALL TRYING TO GET INTO YOU GUYS AS FACULTY MEMBERS.
SO THAT CANNOT BE LOST. OTHER THINGS THAT YOU CANNOT DO PLACATE LA AND AGAIN I SPEAK FROM MY OWN EXPERIENCE. I HAD A COLLEGE MATE FIRST IN
HIS FAMILY FROM NEW YORK TO GO TO COLLEGE AND HE CAME TO HOWARD AND SAID I CANNOT LEAVE WITHOUT GOING HOME WITHOUT HAVING A DEGREE BEFORE I GO HOME.
THIS YOUNG MAN SOLD HIS CAR. HE SLEPT ON A COUCH. HE TOOK A BATH IN THE GYM FOR HIS LAST SEMESTER. THAT IS HOW HUNGRY HE WAS FOR THIS DEGREE AND I THINK THAT TYPE OF EXPERIENCE TO WITNESS
THAT TO SEE A CONTEMPORARY REALLY GO FOR IT IS SOMETHING THAT AGAIN CANNOT BE REPLICATED AND IT DOES HELP YOU TO GROW AS A PERSON TO SEE OUTSIDE
OF YOURSELF AND TO SEE WHERE YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO PUSH YOURSELF IN WAYS THAT YOU MIGHT NOT TYPICALLY DO. I WILL KIND OF WRAP UP WITH THIS. YOU KNOW BOSTON WE PICTURE
OURSELVES AS A CULTURE CITY OF OF INNOVATION WITH DR. JEFFERSON TALKING ABOUT THE ARTICULATION AGREEMENT THAT IS ALREADY IN PLACE AT RCC AND THE ONE THAT IS FORTHCOMING AND IF
MY MEMORY SERVES ME CORRECTLY, I BELIEVE THERE WAS A TIME WHERE BUNKER HILL ALSO HAD SOME ARTICULATION AGREEMENT WITH HBCU AND PERHAPS UMASS BOSTON AND THAT'S BEEN BEEN A WHILE.
I WOULD SUPPORT HIM IN MOVING THIS EFFORT FORWARD THROUGH RCC AND ARTICULATION AGREEMENTS THAT MIGHT ALREADY BE IN EXISTENCE. BUT TO THAT END AND I WILL SAY
THIS WHEN I WORK AT SCHOLAR ATHLETES WHICH I OVERSAW PROGRAM IN ALL OF BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE CAREER READINESS BACK AND HEALTH AND WELLNESS AND COLLEGE READINESS OR A
THREE PROGRAM AREA IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I FOUND INCREDIBLY ALARMING IS THAT THE PEOPLE WHO WORK IN THE PROGRAM WERE VERY UNINFORMED ARMED THEMSELVES ABOUT HBCU'S. SO I DON'T THINK THAT STUDENTS
ARE UNAWARE BUT IT'S THE ADULTS WHO HAVE THE INFLUENCE WHO THEMSELVES ARE UNAWARE. AND WHAT I WOULD OFFER AS SOME CONSIDERATIONS IS TO ONE WITH
SCHOOL LEADERS OFFERING A TOUR OF THAT SCHOOL LEADERS ARE ACTUALLY GOING ON OF THE HBCU'S. MY DAUGHTER IS 13. SHE'S ENTERING EIGHTH GRADE IN
THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL. HER HEAD OF SCHOOL HAS A BIAS FOR IVY LEAGUE SCHOOLS. I'VE HAD TO TALK TO HIM ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS ABOUT THAT BECAUSE IT'S NOT IN MY REALM OF WHAT I WOULD WANT MY
DAUGHTER TO BE LOOKING AT. AND AGAIN, I THINK THAT JUST COMES FROM A PLACE OF NOT KNOWING. SO THAT WOULD BE ONE RECOMMENDATION IS IT'S IN ADDITION TO TAKING STUDENTS ON
TOURS YOU SHOULD ALSO BE INFORMING THE HEADS OF SCHOOLS AND PERHAPS COLLEGE COUNSELORS BECAUSE I THINK THERE IS A GAP IN TERMS OF THEIR OWN AWARENESS AND APPRECIATION FOR THE INSTITUTIONS.
I WOULD ALSO ADD THAT MANY OF THESE TOURS DON'T INVOLVE PARENTS AND MANY OF THESE STUDENTS ARE FIRST GENERATION AND CAUSE NEED TO INVOLVE PARENTS IN PARENTS ARE SCARED
THAT THEIR YOUNG PERSON IS GOING TO UNKNOWN TERRITORY THAT IS A VALID FEAR. AND I THINK THE THE SCHOOL SYSTEMS OF WHOEVER ARE DOING THE TOURS REALLY NEED TO ENGAGE PARENTS SO THAT PARENTS ARE
ALSO LEARNING IN THE PROCESS WITH THEIR YOUNG PERSON AND CAN BE SUPPORTIVE WHEN THEY'RE YOUNG WHEN AND IF A YOUNG PERSON DECIDES THAT AN HBCU IS WHAT THEY WANT TO PURSUE.
I WOULD ALSO SUGGEST THERE ARE A NUMBER OF NONPROFITS WHO ARE IN THE COLLEGE READINESS SPACE WHO DO FIND THAT STUDENTS GOING TO COLLEGE WITH THE CAVEAT THAT
STUDENTS GO TO THE COLLEGES THEY CHOOSE LEAVING THE STUDENTS WITH NO AGENCY TO SELECT A COLLEGE THAT IS DESIGNED FOR THEIR SUCCESS. SO I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT SOME
CONVERSATIONS BE HAD WITH THOSE NONPROFITS THAT ARE DOING THAT TO ME THAT IS PREDATORY AND OUR STUDENTS DESERVE BETTER STUDENTS WHO OFTEN STRUGGLE
WITH OPTIONS OF YOU CAN CONTINUE LIMBO BUT WE STILL DO . ONE MORE PERSON AFTERWARDS I WANT TO MAKE SURE TO GET YEAH OKAY. STUDENTS WHO STRUGGLE WITH
OPTIONS AT HBCU WHOSE MAYBE THEY'RE NOT ACADEMICALLY READY AGAIN. THESE SCHOOLS WERE DESIGNED FOR ALL LEARNERS OF ALL TYPES. THERE ARE HBCUS THAT HAVE
PROGRAMS THAT WILL ACCEPT STUDENTS WHO ARE DEEMED STUDENTS. AGAIN, THESE SCHOOLS HAVE EXISTED FOR US AND THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT SOME STUDENTS ARE COMING WITH AND THEY OFFER
THE PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT THAT. BUT AGAIN I THINK THERE IS A LOT OF LEARNING THAT HAS TO HAPPEN. AND THEN FINAL TWO FINAL THINGS.
ONE, IF IF THERE IS FEAR ABOUT GOING TO THESE NEW CITIES I HEARD I THINK IT WAS MS. HINTON MENTIONED THAT STUDENTS WERE COMING BACK FROM THE SOUTH BECAUSE OF THE CULTURAL SHOCK. AS A NATIVE MISSISSIPPIAN I
FIND THAT INTERESTING BECAUSE I HAD A CULTURE SHOCK COMING HERE BUT I DIDN'T LEAVE. ARE THERE OPPORTUNITIES AGAIN WITH INNOVATION WHERE BOSTON COULD SET UP SOME PROGRAMS ON
SOME HBCU CAMPUSES THAT ARE LIKE UPWARD BOUND THAT WOULD GIVE BOSTON BASED STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEND SOME SIGNIFICANT TIME ON THE CAMPUS TO KIND OF GET THE ACCLIMATION BEFORE ACTUALLY GOING.
AND THEN FINALLY I WOULD SIMPLY SAY I AM I DO NOT SUPPORT A SATELLITE CAMPUS AND THAT IS MAINLY BECAUSE THERE IS SO MUCH OF THE RICHNESS OF THE EXPERIENCE THAT STUDENTS WOULD
BE ROBBED OF. AND I THINK IF YOU'RE GOING TO GO FOR THAT EXPERIENCE, GO AT IT FULL THROTTLE AND NOT A WATERED DOWN VERSION. THANK YOU. AWESOME. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
TESTIFYING. NEXT UP WE HAVE SOME PRECIOUS
NAILS. OH, OKAY. UH HUH.
THAT'S UH I BELIEVE. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE IN IN THE CHAMBER WHO WANTS TO PROTEST? WHO WANTS TO TESTIFY? THIS WOULD BE THE CHANCE TO
RIGHT NOW SEEING NO ONE. ALL RIGHT, WELL, I WOULD LIKE TO WANT TO CENSORSHIP. ALL RIGHT. I WON'T ALLOW THE LEAST QUARTER TO DO CLOSING STATEMENTS THAT WILL ADJOURN.
THANK YOU AGAIN, CHAIR, FOR SCHEDULING THIS HEARING AND THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO SHOWED UP TO TESTIFY ALL THE RESIDENTS, THE ALUMNI, THE
STUDENTS TO PARENTS, TWO INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE CURRENTLY DOING THIS WORK ALONG WITH THE GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE INVESTED IN OUR YOUNG PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL.
THIS IS THE VERY BEGINNING OF A CONVERSATION. WE CANNOT DO THIS WITHOUT HEARING FROM COMMUNITY FIRST IN ORDER TO SHAPE WHAT THIS SATELLITE CAMPUS OR HBCU
PRESENCE SHOULD LOOK LIKE HERE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON. SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT CONTINUE ON THIS CONVERSATION AND I'VE TAKEN A LOT OF NOTES AND HEARD
LOUD AND CLEAR ON A FEW DIFFERENT THEMES. SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT STEPS WHICH WE WILL BE HOPEFULLY PUSHING OUT IN THE NEAR FUTURE BUT DEFINITELY WANT
TO DIGEST AND POINT OUT WHAT WE'VE HEARD AND THEN TAKE THE NEXT STEPS FROM THERE. SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR EVERYONE WHO TOOK THE TIME OUT TO LEND THEIR VOICE TO THIS VERY
IMPORTANT CONVERSATION AND AGAIN THANK YOU CHAIR IDR MY TEAM AND EVERYONE WHO ATTENDED. AWESOME. THANK YOU COUNSELOR.
I'LL TAKE IT OUT OF CONTROL FOR THEM FOR STAYING ALL THE WAY THROUGH HERE AND THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES AND THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO CAME AND TESTIFIED TODAY. IT WAS REALLY BEAUTIFUL TO JUST
AND VERY REALLY INFORMATIVE AND EDUCATIONAL JUST TO HEAR DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES AND SEEING YOU KNOW, WHAT'S IN STORE IN THE FUTURE. SO APPRECIATE EVERYONE BEING
HERE AND THANK YOU AGAIN TO THE LEAD SPONSOR FOR BRINGING THIS ISSUE FORWARD. THIS HEARING ON DOCKET NUMBER 1
TO 8 THREE IS ADJOURNED Part: 2
FOR THE RECORD MY NAME IS BRIAN. WE'RE OUR CITY COUNCIL FOR DISTRICT FOUR AND THE CHAIR OF THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE HAS DESIGNATED ME TO BEGIN THIS HEARING.
TODAY IS AUGUST 26, 2025. THE EXACT TIME IS 4:14 P.M. THIS HEARING IS BEING RECORDED IS ALSO BEING LIVESTREAMED AT BOSTON ARCHIVE BACKSLASH CITY
DAS COUNCILOR DAS TV AND BROADCAST UNEXPENDED DE CHANNEL EIGHT RCN CHANNEL 82 AND FILES CHANNEL 964 WRITTEN COMMENTS MAY BE SENT TO THE COMMITTEE
EMAIL AT TCC THAT EDUCATION AT BOSTON.COM AND WE MEAN IT WOULD BE MADE PART OF THE RECORD AND AVAILABLE TO ALL COUNCILORS. PUBLIC TESTIMONY WILL BE TAKEN AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS HEARING INDIVIDUALS WILL BE
CALLED ON IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY SIGNED UP AND WILL HAVE 2 MINUTES TO TESTIFY. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN TESTIFYING IN PERSON PLEASE ADD YOUR NAME TO THE SIGN UP SHEET NEAR THE ENTRANCE OF THE CHAMBER RIGHT OVER HERE TO MY
LEFT. IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO TESTIFY VIRTUALLY PLEASE EMAIL OUR CENTRAL STAFF MEGHAN AT M A M E
A G A AND THAT'S C0RUGEDO BOSTON DOT GOV AGAIN THAT M E A G A AND THAT IT C0RU GEDO AB
BOSTON.COM FOR THE LINK AND YOUR NAME WOULD BE ADDED TO THE LIST. TODAY'S HEARING IS FOR PUBLIC TESTIMONY ON DOCKET NUMBER 1283 ORDER FOR A HEARING TO BRING AN
HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY SATELLITE CAMPUS TO BOSTON. THIS MATTER WAS SPONSORED BY COUNCIL'S BRIAN WORRELL AND COUNCIL PRESIDENT RUTHIE LOUIJEUNE AND REFERRED TO THE
COMMITTEE ON JUNE 23RD, 2025. TODAY I'M JOINED BY MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES AND ORDER ARRIVAL COUNCIL FLYNN WE ALSO HAVE RECEIVED A LETTER OF ABSENCE FROM COUNCILOR MURPHY I'D LIKE TO
NOW TURN IT OVER TO COUNCILOR FLYNN FOR ANY OPENING REMARKS. THANK YOU, MR CHAIR AND THANK
YOU FOR YOUR IMPORTANT WORK. MR CHAIR, ON THIS ISSUE. IT'S SOMETHING I KNOW IT'S ALWAYS BEEN VERY IMPORTANT TO YOU AND I LEARNED A LOT ABOUT
THIS SUBJECT FROM YOU. I DO BELIEVE HAVING A HISTORIC BLACK COLLEGE IN BOSTON WOULD BE IMPORTANT WOULD BE AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE IMPORTANT
MESSAGE FOR THE ENTIRE NATION. I ALSO THINK THERE WOULD BE A LOT OF STUDENTS THAT WOULD LOVE TO STAY HERE IN BOSTON AT PARTICULAR COLLEGE AND STUDENTS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS WELL.
THAT WOULD BE IN MY OPINION WELCOMED INTO BOSTON. BUT I'M HERE TO LISTEN. I'M HERE TO LEARN. I'M HERE TO SUPPORT THE PROPOSAL TO HAVE A HISTORIC BLACK COLLEGE IN THE CITY
OF BOSTON. I THINK THERE'S A NEED FOR IT AND I'LL DO WHATEVER I POSSIBLY CAN, MR CHAIR, TO WORK WITH YOU AND COLLEAGUES AND GOVERNMENT TO SUPPORT THAT IDEA.
THANK YOU, MR CHAIRMAN. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR FLYNN AND I WOULD JUST PROVIDE A BRIEF OPENING REMARKS WHEN WE INTRODUCED THIS HERE IN ORDER THE RESPONSE WAS OVER WHELMING IN THE BEST WAY PEOPLE FROM
BOSTON AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY REACHED OUT WITH EXCITEMENT AND A DEEP SENSE OF BELONGING AND WE HAVEN'T EVEN BROKEN GROUND YET. THIS IDEA IS IN NEW BOSTON. IT PLAYED A ROLE IN BLACK
EDUCATION AND EXCELLENT. WE ARE HOME TO THE ABO SMITH SCHOOL THE FIRST PUBLIC SCHOOL FOR BLACK CHILDREN IN THE COUNTRY. BUT FAST FORWARD TO TODAY AND WE'RE AT A CRITICAL CROSSROADS. OUR BLACK STUDENTS ARE
GRADUATING AT LOWER RATES UNDERPERFORMING ON STANDARDIZED TESTS AND NOW BOSTON EXAM SCHOOL ADMISSIONS JUST DROPPED FROM 22% TO 15%. THESE TREND LINES REPRESENT OUR
KIDS FACING BARRIERS TO LONG TERM SUCCESS. AT THE SAME TIME OUR CITY CONTINUES TO FACE SERIOUS REPRESENTATION GAPS AND THE VERY FIELD THAT DRIVES BOSTON'S
ECONOMY TECH, HEALTHCARE, EDUCATION, ENGINEERING AND PUBLIC SERVICE THESE INDUSTRY INDUSTRIES DETERMINE WHO'S BUILDING AND DESIGNING OUR HOMES, WHOSE TEACHING OUR CHILDREN WHO PROVIDED MEDICAL
CARE TO OUR FAMILIES AND WHO'S SHAPING PUBLIC POLICY. AND IN EVERY ONE OF THESE SECTORS WE SEE UNDERREPRESENTATION IN AT EVERY LEVEL FROM INTERNSHIP SLOTS TO CORNER OFFICES AND THESE GAPS
BEGIN IN OUR CLASSROOMS. THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO CHANGE AND THAT'S WHAT HBCU PRESENCE IN BOSTON CAN HELP US ADDRESS. HBCU MAY REPRESENT JUST 3%
OF COLLEGES BUT THEY PRODUCE 40% OF BLACK ENGINEERS, 50% OF BLACK DOCTORS AND LAWYERS 70% ARE BLACK DENTISTS. THAT'S NOT JUST IMPRESSIVE. THAT'S A DIRECT RESPONSE TO THE
CHALLENGES WE'RE FACING RIGHT NOW IN BOSTON. WE GIVE CREDIT WHERE AS DO INSTITUTIONS LIKE RCC, UMASS BOSTON, BUNKER HILL, URBAN COLLEGE AND BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
INSTITUTE ARE DOING VITAL WORKS AS MINORITY SERVING INSTITUTIONS IN PREDOMINANTLY BLACK INSTITUTIONS. PEABODY'S BLACK INSTITUTIONS REFLECT WHO THEY SERVE TODAY
HBCU ARE ROOTED IN HISTORIC MISSIONS TO SERVE BLACK STUDENTS. THIS IS NOT ABOUT CHOOSING ONE OVER THE OTHER. IT'S ABOUT BUILDING A CREATIVE TO CREATE ECOSYSTEM THAT EMPOWERS STUDENTS AT EVERY
STAGE. SOME PEOPLE ACT HOW CAN WE TALK ABOUT A HBCU WHEN OUR STUDENTS ARE STRUGGLING? BUT I ARGUE WE NEED THIS PRECISELY BECAUSE OUR STUDENTS
ARE STRUGGLING. THIS THIS MIGHT ONLY BE ONE TOO BUT WE SHOULD BE USING EVERY RESOURCE AT OUR DISPOSAL TO BRING NEW PARTNERSHIPS, NEW MENTORS AND A NEW SENSE OF URGENCY AROUND OUTCOMES
ACCORDING TO THE MASSACHUSETTS TAXPAYER FOUNDATION, BLACK AND LATINO STUDENTS IN MASSACHUSETTS GRADUATED AT THE SAME RATE AS THEIR WHITE PEERS. THE COMMONWEALTH CAN GAIN $20
BILLION IN INCREASED TAX REVENUE AND REDUCE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE COSTS OVER THE NEXT DECADE AND IF WE CLOSED THE BROADER RACIAL DISPARITIES IN EDUCATION, HOUSING, INCOME AND
WEALTH, WE CAN GROW THE STATE'S ECONOMY BY 25 BILLION IN JUST FIVE YEARS. THAT'S NOT JUST A RETURN ON INVESTMENT IT'S A TRANSFORMATION OF WHAT'S POSSIBLE FOR OUR STATE AND OUR CITY.
BOSTON CAN LEAD THE NATION IN CLOSING RACIAL DISPARITIES THROUGH TARGETED INVESTMENTS IN PEOPLE. WE INVEST IN SYSTEMS THAT EMPOWER RATHER THAN JUST ASSESS. WE ADDRESS ROOT CAUSES NOT JUST
SYMPTOMS. AN HBCU PRESENCE IS ONE OF THOSE SYSTEMS THAT CAN BE POWERFUL, THAT CAN BE A POWERFUL DRIVER OF EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE AND CAREER OPPORTUNITY AND WE CAN'T TALK ABOUT BUILDING A STRONGER
FUTURE WITHOUT ADDRESSING THE REALITY OF WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. IN 2023, THE U.S. SUPREME COURT STRUCK DOWN RACE CONSCIOUS ADMISSIONS POLICIES AT HIGHER EDUCATION A DECISION THAT HAS
ALREADY HAD DEVASTATING RIPPLE EFFECTS ACROSS OUR REGION. SINCE THAT RULING WE'VE SEEN BLACK STUDENT ENROLLMENT DROPPED SHARPLY AT BOSTON LEADING UNIVERSITIES BOSTON
UNIVERSITY FROM 9% TO JUST 3% NORTHEASTERN FROM FROM NEARLY 8% TO 5%, HARVARD FROM 8% TO 14% AND MIT FROM 15% TO JUST
5%. THESE NUMBERS REPRESENT YOUNG PEOPLE LOSING PATHWAYS TO HIGHER LEARNING AND THEY SHOW HOW QUICKLY PROGRESS CAN UNRAVEL WHEN WE'RE NOT INTENTIONAL. BOSTON IS KNOWN AS THE MECCA
OF EDUCATION INNOVATION. BUT IF WE'RE SERIOUS ABOUT LIVING UP TO THAT NAME THEN WE NEED TO MAKE SPACE FOR INSTITUTIONS THAT REFLECT THE FULL BRILLIANT AND DIVERSITY OF OUR STUDENTS STARTING WITH A PRESENCE FROM ONE OF THE MOST
POWERFUL EDUCATIONAL TRADITIONS IN THIS COUNTRY HBCU TRADITION. THAT'S WHY TODAY'S PUBLIC TESTIMONY MATTERS BECAUSE THIS FUTURE HAS TO BE SHAPED WITH COMMUNITY NOT JUST FOR
COMMUNITY. LET'S BUILD SOMETHING LASTING AND LET'S WORK TOGETHER. I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT COUNCIL PRESIDENT LOUIJEUNE HAS ALSO JOINED US THE CO-SPONSOR ON THIS HERE IN ORDER COUNCIL PRESIDENT LOUIJEUNE.
WOULD YOU LIKE ANY OPENING REMARKS? THANK YOU SO MUCH COUNCIL FOR HOLDING THIS HEARING. I THINK WE ARE IN A SPECIAL
WEEK HERE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON WHERE WE ARE HOSTING OUR HBCU CLASSIC AND THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT WE HAVE TO DO AS WAS SAID BY THE CHAIR AND ENSURING EDUCATIONAL EQUITY AND
ACCESS FOR OUR BLACK STUDENTS. AND WE KNOW THAT THE HISTORY OF HBCUS AND HOW THEY STARTED REALLY CREATING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR AFRICAN-AMERICANS HERE IN
THE COUNTRY TO PURSUE THEIR EDUCATION WHEN EXCLUDED FROM OTHER INSTITUTIONS. AND AND SO I THINK IT'S WORTHY OF A CONVERSATION. I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALSO THERE.
WE HAVE MINORITY SERVING INSTITUTIONS LIKE AND YOU KNOW, LIKE ROXBURY COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND OTHER ACADEMY IN OTHER SCHOOLS THAT ARE DOING THE WORK
OF SERVING A LOT OF OUR UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. AND SO MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE SUPPORTING THAT. I WOULD LIKE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, I DID GO TO HARVARD TODAY. I ATTENDED THE HOWARD OF THE NORTH AND SO I KNOW AND I LIVED
IN D.C. AND SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON HOWARD UNIVERSITY'S CAMPUS AND THE WORK THE RESEARCH THAT A SCHOOL LIKE HOWARD, LIKE MOREHOUSE, LIKE CSU, LIKE WILBERFORCE, LIKE SO MANY
OF OUR HBCUS DO IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT IN THINKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN BRING THAT AND THINK ABOUT HOW WE BRING THAT A PARTNER TO DO MORE OF THAT WORK IN THE CITY OF BOSTON I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
SO I'M HERE TO LISTEN AND REALLY THINK EVERYONE FOR COMING OUT TODAY TO THIS CONVERSATION. THANK YOU COUNSELOR PRESIDENT WE WILL NOW START WITH IN-PERSON TESTIMONY AND THEN TRANSITION TO ONLINE AGAIN IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO TESTIFY IN
PERSON. THE SIGN UP SHEET IS RIGHT OVER THERE TO THE LEFT. WE WILL START UP START WITH
CURTIS ROLLINS AND THAT EDWIN AND THEN RUSSELL BECAUSE I WANT
THE SYSTEM. GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCILOR AND ATTENDEES. MY NAME IS CURTIS ROLLINS.
I COME HERE AS A ALUMNI OF TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS AS WELL AS A NOT
A RESIDENT BUT A HOMETOWN BOSTONIAN GREW UP IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF DORCHESTER,
HBCU. THOSE ARE TO ME SOMETHING THAT IS VERY FOUNDATIONAL AS A BLACK
AMERICAN I WAS ABLE TO GET FURTHER MY EDUCATION BY ATTENDING TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY AFTER I GRADUATED
HIGH SCHOOL IN BOSTON AND UNDERSTANDABLY ATTENDING AN HBCU IS MORE THAN JUST THE ACADEMICS.
IT'S CULTURAL CULTURALLY DIFFERENT THAN IN BOSTON AND EVEN HBCU'S ARE CULTURAL IN
THEIR RESPECTIVE CITIES AND REGIONS. AS I WAS ABLE TO VISIT OTHER CAMPUSES IN THE SOUTH DURING MY
UNDERGRADUATE WOULD EXPERIENCE I'M NOT SURE OR I BELIEVE THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO MIMIC THAT IN
BOSTON AND I UNDERSTAND WITH TRYING TO ATTRACT A HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION TO COME
TO BOSTON SUCH AS ANY ONE OF THE NUMBER OF HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES OR UNIVERSITIES BECAUSE THEY ARE WORTHY OF IT BUT YOU CANNOT JUST TAKE IT FOR
ITS ACADEMIC PURPOSES EVEN THOUGH IS ACCURATE EXCUSE ME AS ACADEMIC PURPOSES ARE GOLD STANDARD IT'S STILL THAT
CULTURAL ASPECT THAT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO TRANSFER IF THERE IS IF THERE IS A WAY
OF BRINGING BOTH I WOULD HIGHLY BE WILLING TO ASSIST IN THE VOYAGE OF DOING SO BUT RIGHT
NOW AS HBCU ALUMNI I AM VERY SKEPTICAL THAT THE EXPERIENCE WOULD BE THE SAME AND I DON'T
WANT IT TO BE JUST A THING TO RESIDENTS OF BOSTON THAT THEY COULD CHOOSE FROM BUT TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A CULTURAL EXPERIENCE. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. EDWIN SUMTER AND THEN RUSSELL GLOVER AND THEN FOLLOWED BY AYANNA WARFIELD.
SHE MEANS SO MUCH. GOOD AFTERNOON. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS EDWIN SUMTER A LITTLE BACKSTORY I'M 65 YEARS
OLD. I'VE LIVED EVERY DAY OF MY LIFE IN BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS EXCEPT FOR THE TWO YEARS I ATTENDED JOHNSON C SMITH UNIVERSITY IN
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA WHO IRONICALLY ARE PLAYING UP HERE IN BOSTON THIS WEEKEND CALLED GOLDEN BULLS. LET'S BEAT MOREHOUSE THOSE TWO YEARS I SPENT A CHA IN
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA AT JOHNSON C SMITH UNIVERSITY AS YOU CAN IMAGINE WAS LIKE DAY AND NIGHT. IT'S MY FIRST PLANE RIDE, FIRST TIME GOING DOWN SOUTH AFTER
SPENDING ALL MY LIFE IN BOSTON AND NO, THAT WOULD BE A CULTURE SHOCK BUT I HAD NO IDEA HOW THOSE TWO YEARS WOULD REALLY SHAPE ME AS AN INDIVIDUAL, AS AN AFRICAN AMERICAN AND INSTILL
A PRIDE IN ME AND SHOW ME A SIDE OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN LIFE THAT I ONLY READ ABOUT OCCASIONALLY ON TV. I HAD TO PUT MY SUPPORT AROUND THIS IDEA AND I HAVE TO BE
PERFECTLY HONEST I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT IN ALL THE YEARS I'VE LIVED IN BOSTON AND I THE IDEA OF A HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE OR SATELLITE IN BOSTON NEVER EVEN DAWNED ON ME IT JUST SEEMED BORING.
BUT THE RICH HISTORY WE DO HAVE IN THE CITY AROUND THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION THE NEEDS THAT I DO FEEL WE DO HAVE ESPECIALLY IN
MY NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE I'VE GROWN UP IN TERMS OF IMPACTING OUR YOUNG FOLKS IT MAKES MORE AND MORE SENSE. I'M ALSO A FORMER CO-DIRECTOR OF THE BOSTON PEOPLES
REPARATIONS COMMISSION SO I'M VERY TUNED IN, IF YOU WILL, TO THE NEEDS AND SOME OF THE HISTORY OF HOW WE GOT WHERE WE
ARE IN MY BELOVED COMMUNITY AND I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT TO THE BUILDING OR CREATION OF A HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE OR SATELLITE HERE IN BOSTON BE
PART OF THE REPARATIONS PLAN IF YOU WILL. I SUPPORT BUT AT THE SAME TIME I DO SEE IT AS A WAY TO A MEANS TO IMPROVING AND IN SOME WAY
REPAIRING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN THE CITY IN THE PAST RIGHT DOWN TO DESEGREGATION. WE COULDN'T LIVE WHERE WE WANTED THE IMBALANCE IN THE
SCHOOLS BUT ALSO MAKING POSSIBLE A NEW CHOICE FOR WHERE THE FIRST YEAR OF EDUCATION AFTER HIGH SCHOOL AND DOING IT WITH WHAT CULTURE A
HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY BRINGS AND YOU GET TO DO IT RIGHT HERE IN BOSTON. YOU DON'T HAVE TO GET ON A PLANE AND TRAVEL THOUSAND MILES TO GO TO SCHOOL AND GET THAT EXPERIENCE AND I THINK THAT
WOULD BE INVALUABLE TO OUR YOUNG FOLKS. SO I'M HERE JUST TO SUPPORT IT. I'M VERY PLEASED THAT YOU BROUGHT THIS TO THE TABLE. AS I MENTIONED, I NEVER EVEN DAWNED ON ME AND I THINK THIS
IS WHERE CITY GOVERNMENT REALLY WORKS BY DIVING THINGS OUT AND SEEING WHAT KIND OF RESPONSE YOU GAUGE AND I HOPE I'M AROUND LONG ENOUGH TO SEE SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPEN WHETHER IT'S
SOMETHING BUILT FROM THE GROUND UP OR WE ESTABLISH A SATELLITE FROM AN EXISTING SCHOOL. I THINK IT'S A VERY EXCITING PROSPECT AND I'D LIKE TO THROW MY SUPPORT BEHIND IT AND BE AVAILABLE AS MUCH AS I CAN
ABOUT WHAT IT'S LIKE TO GO TO ONE OF THOSE SCHOOLS NOW OR WHAT IT WAS 40 YEARS AGO. BUT AGAIN IT MAY HAVE BEEN 40 YEARS AGO BUT IT LINGERS AND IT STAYS WITH ME AND I COULDN'T DO
ANYTHING BUT SMILE WHEN I THOUGHT IT THROUGH AND THOUGHT WOW, THAT WOULD BE A GREAT ADDITION TO A CITY THAT HAS SO MANY RESOURCES RICH AND SO MANY WAYS AND I ONLY SEE HOW A SCHOOL LIKE THIS WITH THE
CULTURE IT BRINGS COULD ONLY ENHANCE THE YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE CITY. SO THANK YOU EVERYBODY AND LET'S GO GOLDEN BULLS THIS WEEKEND. THANK YOU RUSSELL GLOVER
FOLLOWED BY AYANNA WARFIELD. THANK YOU. YEAH. YES. HI THERE RUSSELL GLOVER
LIFELONG BOSTON NIAN WENT THROUGH THE SCHOOLING SYSTEM AND THE HIGH SCHOOLS AND THE COLLEGE. IT'S NICE MEETING YOU AGAIN OUT AT FLYNN.
I'VE HAD BREAKFAST WITH YOU AND I'M NO KING'S HOUSE BUT I HAVING TO STATE THAT I'VE GONE
THROUGH THE BUSSING AND THE THE HISTORICAL ISSUES THAT BOSTON CONTINUES TO PRESENT PERSIST IS THE RACISM.
SO WHEN YOU COMPARE A SOIL THAT IS UNACCEPTING TO THE ROOTS OF A HBCU COLLEGE THAT'S NOT YOU KNOW, IT'S ARID AND DRY HOW ARE YOU GOING TO BE ABLE TO
PLACE THAT IN CITY OF BOSTON WITH THE PROGRESS THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE? THE SCHOOLS THAT MY KIDS WENT TO IN THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL
SYSTEM I SEE A GAP WHERE IT WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO REACH TO YOU KNOW, WITH THE STATISTICS THAT WAS STATED 15% IS A GAP THERE. HOW ARE WE GOING TO BENEFIT FROM THIS HBCU COMING TO
BOSTON? IS IT GOING TO BE FOR OUTSIDERS BECAUSE HOW IS THAT GOING TO SERVE OUR PURPOSE AND WHAT WITH
THE AMOUNT OF THE REDUCTIONS IN CIVIL RIGHTS AND SO FORTH WITH IT ALREADY BEING AN ISSUE, THIS IS GOING BACKWARDS.
I HAD BROUGHT MY KIDS INTO FROM THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO THE TO THE METCO SCHOOL AND RACISM AT THE END AND BROUGHT THEM BACK IN TO THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM.
ME BEING A SINGLE PARENT OF THREE KIDS, A VETERAN AND I THEN I TOOK THEM IN TO TRY TO MAKE A BUSINESS AT THE ROXBURY
INNOVATION CENTER THE CAMBRIDGE INNOVATION CENTER AND I HAVE A PATENT THAT I'M DESIGNING AND PATENTING AND WHEN I IT THERE WE RAN INTO RACISM EVEN THERE
TRYING TO EDUCATE THEM, GETTING IT TO ENGINEERING AND STUFF LIKE THAT AND MYSELF WE RAN INTO DISCRIMINATION, RETALIATE
ASIAN DEFAMATION. I FILED A LAWSUIT AT SUPERIOR COURT. IT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A FEW YEARS AND IT'S JUST STRUCTURAL
RACISM THAT PREVENTED US FROM TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE EDUCATIONAL SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT THE PROGRAMS THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE HELPING US. SO HOW IS BRING US SOMETHING ELSE IN HERE WHEN WE ARE REALLY
STRUGGLING TO UTILIZE WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE HERE? SO THEREFORE THAT HAS TO BE DEALT WITH THE SOIL HAS TO BE MAINTAINED ENOUGH FOR ANYONE TO COME IN HERE AND TRY TO BENEFIT
FROM THAT TYPE OF SCHOOLING SYSTEM. WE'RE ALREADY THAT THE BUSING SCHOOL SYSTEM STILL IS IN EFFECT TO THE STATE WHERE THE
DRAINED THE MAJORITY OF THE WHITE STUDENTS OUT OF THE SYSTEM. SO NOW BEING A MAJORITY MINORITY IT'S NOT GETTING THE ASSISTANCE FROM HARVARD OR NORTHEASTERN OR ANY OF THESE
OTHER MEDICAL SCHOOLS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT THAT THE SCHOOLS SHOULD NOT BE LIKE THAT. SO THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AS THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER THINGS THAT NEED TO BE
ADDRESSED PRIOR TO BRINGING IN THIS HBCU AND IT'S NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO CONNECT. YES. WELL I SEE.
THANK YOU. AYANNA WARFIELD. HOW Y'ALL DOING TODAY? OKAY. AND SCARED.
GIVE ME ONE SEC. I'M TRYING TO MAKE SURE I KEEP TRACK OF ALL OF THIS. UM, SO MY NAME IS AYANNA WARFIELD. I AM A FAMILY MEMBER.
I AM A FIFTH GENERATION BLACK BOTH BOSTON NATIVE AND ARTIST ACTIVIST AND POET. PEOPLE SAY I HAVE A GIFT OF MAKING THINGS SOUND GOOD SO I HOPE YOU'LL HEAR THIS TODAY
AND TRUST THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN CALLED INVISIBLE. MY VISION IS BASED OFF OF A PERSONAL UNDERSTANDING THAT I'M NOT GOING TO GO INTO ALL OF THAT BECAUSE THIS OVEREXPOSED NATION I BELIEVE IN
HBCU WOULD BE A VALUABLE ADDITION TO OUR CITY BUT SPECIFICALLY IF IT'S FOCUSED ON THE EDUCATION AND EVOLUTION OF OUR YOUTH WITH THE FOREFRONT FOCUS BEING ON THE IMPROPERLY
NAMED CHILDREN AS OF WAYANS WHO I'M RENAMING AS YOUNG NATURALS AFTER I PROPOSED BUILDING A PART OF THE HBCU TO BE A FOCUS SCHOOL ON EXPRESSIVE ART AND
HEALING SCIENCES WITHIN THE UNIVERSITY THE SCHOOL COULD TRAIN EXPRESSIVE ART THERAPISTS INSPIRE A VIBRANT AFRO FUTURISTIC ART CULTURE AND GIVE OUR NEXT GENERATION THE FOUNDATION OF HEALTHY COPING MECHANISMS.
IDEALLY IT WOULD BE ALSO PRODUCED. IT WOULD ALSO PRODUCE MORE BLACK PSYCHOLOGISTS, PSYCHIATRISTS, NEUROLOGISTS AND BOTANISTS WHO ARE FROM OUR COMMUNITY BORN AND RAISED IN
THE STRUGGLES THAT AND BORN AND RAISED IN THE STRUGGLES THAT NEED HEALING FOR OUR PEOPLE TO BE FREE MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY . THIS COMES FROM MY FAMILY HAS BEEN A PART OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY SINCE THE EARLY 20TH
CENTURY. WE HAVE A LEGACY OF ARTISTS, EDUCATORS, ACTIVISTS AND POLICE OFFICERS BEGINNING IN THE 1920S AND STILL CREATE CREATIVE AND SERVING IN THE BOSTON IN BOSTON
TODAY INCLUDING MYSELF I SHARE THIS NOT AS A BOAST BUT TO DEMONSTRATE THAT WHILE I MAY NOT HAVE THE COLLEGIATE CREDENTIALS IN SOME OF THESE YOUNG PEOPLE NOT HAVE THE COLLEGIATE CREDENTIALS, WE HOLD THE KNOWLEDGE BASED ON
UNCONDITIONAL LOVE IN A CORE VALUE OF STAYING, EDUCATING, FIGHTING FOR AND SERVING THE BLACK COMMUNITY OF BOSTON AS A FORM OF LIBERATION. I BELIEVE THESE YOUNG I BELIEVE THE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE
LABELED LIONS ARE NOT RECKLESS BUT THE CHILDREN ARE POWERFUL BEYOND MEASURE AS I UNDERSTAND THEM AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG HBCU TEACH US HOW TO CONNECT WITH OUR BLACKNESS
WHILE ALSO MASTERING ASSIMILATION IN OR INTO THE MODERN WORLD. I ASK THAT YOU TAKE THIS VISION THAT I'M SUGGESTING AND NOT MAKE IT THE FOCUS NOT MAKE THE
FOCUS GOAL ON ASSIMILATION BUT RESTORATION AND EVOLUTION OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. ASK THAT YOU GIVE YOUNG NATURALS A CHANCE AT SELF REDEMPTION IN PLACE AND OH AND
A PLACE IN ACADEMIA WITHIN THE MYTHS THAT HAVE TO BEAR IT. I'M GOING TO STOP READING THIS BECAUSE IT'S A LITTLE BIT TOO LONG AND TO FINISH IT HERE THE
CITY HAS A WHOLE BUNCH OF YOUNG PEOPLE THAT ARE ACTIVE NOW IN MOVING ABOUT BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN TAUGHT THAT THERE IS NOTHING HERE FOR THEM. ASSIMILATION HAS TAUGHT A WHOLE BUNCH OF BLACK PEOPLE A BUNCH
IT WAS A BLACK CHILDREN BUNCH AROUND THIS COUNTRY THAT THERE IS NO END GOAL FOR THEM AND THAT IS A PROBLEM. THE REASON WHY THEY'RE ACTING OUT IS BECAUSE THERE'S NO GOALS THAT IS SET IN FOCUS OF THE
YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE STRUGGLING. BUT IN THE FOCUS OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE OF THE FUTURE I'M SUGGESTING NOT ONLY THAT BUT WITH THE IDEA OF 17 MIDDLE AND
HIGH SCHOOLS CLOSING BY SEVEN BY NINE BY 2030 I SUGGEST THAT WE AS FAR AS CONNECTING HBCU TO THIS COMMUNITY IN A PERFECT WORLD IT SOUNDS CRAZY MAKE THIS
CITY FOCUS AROUND MAKING THOSE 17 MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS EXPRESSIVE ART AND HEALING SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOLS WHERE WE TEACH ALL OF OUR CHILDREN COPING MECHANISMS. WE TEACH ALL OF OUR CHILDREN SOME WAYS OF EXPRESSION WITH
ALL OF OUR CHILDREN THAT THEY HAVE ACCESS TO BEING ABLE TO PROTECT AND SERVE OUR COMMUNITY WITHOUT ONLY NOT ONLY WITH POLICING BUT WITH OTHER WAYS AND IN A PERFECT WORLD AFTER WE DO ALL OF THIS WE SEND ALL
OF OUR KIDS TO THIS HBCU. I BELIEVE OUR KIDS DESERVE AN EDUCATION. I BELIEVE ALL OF OUR KIDS DESERVE A DEGREE BECAUSE THIS MODERN WORLD HAS BEEN BASED AROUND THAT AND I BELIEVE IF WE
MAKE AS THEY DO IN RANDOLPH IN SOME OF THE VOCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOLS OUT THERE, IF WE MAKE THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS FOCUSED ON TEACHING THESE ALL OF THESE ELECTIVES AND VOCATIONS AS A
FOUNDATION SO THAT THE KIDS AT LEAST HAVE A COPING MECHANISM AND THEN GO INTO A HIGH SCHOOL WHERE THE FOCUS IS THESE THINGS THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO IN A PERFECT WORLD GRADUATE WITH AN
ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE AND HELP THE WORLD FASTER. THIS IS ONLY CRAZY IF I'M THE ONLY ONE THINKING IT'S POSSIBLE SO I'M PUTTING OUT THERE ON INTO THE DOCUMENT AND PUTTING
THAT SUGGESTION OUT THERE THE WAY OF HOW I HAVE THE IDEA BUT I DON'T GOT ENOUGH TIME TO TELL HOW BUT YEAH I'M GOING TO STOP THERE.
THANK WILL NOW TRANSITION TO VIRTUAL WE HAVE BRIANNA CLAUDIO AND I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE
THAT COUNSELOR DURKIN HAS ALSO JOINED US AND THEN I HAVE TO BRIANNA WE HAVE CHERYL WESLEY
AND THEN JUDITH BAKER. HI, HOW ARE YOU GUYS? CAN YOU SEE AND HEAR ME? YES. AMAZING.
I AM BRIANNA CORIO FROM HINTON, MASSACHUSETTS. I'M A SOPHOMORE PRE-LAW POLITICAL SCIENCE AND CRIMINOLOGY DOUBLE MAJOR AT HOWARD UNIVERSITY AND I'M HERE IN SUPPORT AS WELL AS
AMBASSADOR OF DOCKET NUMBER 1283. YOU PROBABLY COULDN'T TELL BY LOOKING AT ME THAT I SPENT MY SUMMER WORKING IN THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE TREASURER AND RECEIVER GENERAL WITHIN THE STATE HOUSE.
YOU PROBABLY COULDN'T TELL BY LOOKING AT ME THAT I WORKED FOR THE FIRST BLACK DEMOCRATIC CHAIRMAN OF ARIZONA AT THE DNC. YOU PROBABLY COULDN'T TELL BY LOOKING AT ME THAT I WAS PRESIDENT OF MY NATIONAL HONOR
SOCIETY SPANISH, OUR SOCIETY AND MY STUDENT GOVERNMENT WERE BOUNCING A DOZEN CLUBS AND I WAS THE ONLY BLACK WOMAN ON THESE BOARDS. YOU PROBABLY COULDN'T TELL BY LOOKING AT ME THAT I'M A CHILD OF IMMIGRANTS.
YOU PROBABLY COULDN'T TELL BY LOOKING AT ME THAT I ENSURED MY HIGH SCHOOL BREAKFAST PROGRAM PROVIDED MY CLASSMATES ENOUGH FOOD. WELL HOME KIND OF PROVIDE ONE YOU PROBABLY COULDN'T TELL BY LOOKING AT ME THAT I AM A 4.0 STUDENT.
YOU PROBABLY CAN TELL BY LOOKING AT ME THAT I WAS THE ONLY PERSON IN MY GRADUATING CLASS TO CHOOSE AN HBCU. BUT WHAT YOU CAN IMMEDIATELY TELL WITHOUT A RESUME, WITHOUT A TRANSCRIPT, WITHOUT A STORY
IS THAT I AM A BLACK WOMAN AND TOO OFTEN THAT FACT ALONE IS WHAT PEOPLE DECIDE PRECEDE ME. THEY TELL ME I DON'T DESERVE THE LIFE I LIVE BECAUSE OF THE COLOR OF MY SKIN.
I WASH MY NAME MORE FROM BRIANNA TO THE BLACK ONE AND IF I WAS LUCKY BLACK BLACK BRIANNA I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT MY ABILITY TO ARTICULATE MYSELF SOUNDS WHITE. I JUST ELOQUENCE MANIFESTS
ITSELF IN ONE COLOR AS IF AN EDUCATED OF COLOR MIMICS WHITENESS. MY SEX SUCCESSES ARE TREATED LIKE ANOMALIES BUT AN HBCU ACROSS THE COUNTRY THEY THE
NORM AND THAT'S WHY I'M HERE. KENDRICK LAMAR ONCE SAID IF I TOLD YOU A FLOWER BLOOMED IN A DARK ROOM WOULD YOU TRUST IT? THAT QUESTION IS AT THE HEART OF MY JOURNEY MY ROOTS ARE
PLANTED IN A SMALL TOWN IN MASSACHUSETTS FIRM BUT TANGLED IN TOIL HEAVY WITH EXPECTATION AND DOUBT. I GREW TIRED OF THE SHOCKED FACES WHEN PEOPLE REALIZED I WAS MAKING DECISIONS THAT SHAPED THEIR LIVES AND BEING
PLACED IN POSITIONS WHERE THEY WOULD NOT FATHOM SOMEONE LIKE ME WOULD BE IN LIKE ROOTS UNSEEN. MY WORK WAS OVERLOOKED UNTIL THE RESULTS SURFACED BUT MY STEM CARRIED THE WEIGHT OF DISAPPROVAL LIKE WHEN
COLLEGE DECISIONS CAME OUT I WAS TOLD I ONLY GOT ACCEPTED INTO CERTAIN PRESTIGIOUS COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES BECAUSE OF THE COLOR OF MY SKIN A STEM THAT HAD TO GROW TALLER AND STRONGER JUST TO PROVE IT COULD STAND ON ITS OWN.
I GREW TIRED OF BEING CAST AS THE ONE WHO WOULD MAKE IT OUT AS IF I ALONE CARRY THE SUNLIGHT FOR EVERYONE ELSE. A FLOWER CANNOT GIVE LIFE TO A HOPE GARDEN EVERY SEED DESERVES THE CHANCE TO GROW TO VISION
ITS OWN BLOOM SO CAN A BLACK CHILD BORN IN A WORLD DESIGNED TO DOUBT THEM EVER TRULY BE ALLOWED TO BLOOM? ACTRESSES ANSWER THAT QUESTION WITH A RESOUNDING YES HBC IS BUILT BRIDGES WHERE SOCIETY
BUILDS WALLS CONNECTING THE DIVERSITY WITH WITHIN MINORITY COMMUNITIES TOGETHER TAKE BE TAKEN IN STUDENTS OF ALL BACKGROUNDS AND CULTURES WHO HAVE YET TO MAKE THEIR LEGACY KIDS WHO ARE HEIRS OF POLITICAL
DANCE DYNASTIES OR BENEFICIARIES OF GENERATIONAL WEALTH BUT YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE DREAMERS DREAMERS WHO REFUSE TO STOP AT A MIDDLE CLASS SUCCESS WHO DARE REACH BEYOND THE STARS HBCU SHAPE LEADERS WHO
TRANSFORM EVERY CORNER OF SOCIETY FROM FILM, SPORTS, MEDICINE, LAW, POLITICS AND EDUCATION. THEY GIVE US THE TOOLS NOT JUST TO EXIST IN PREDOMINANTLY WHITE SPACES BUT TO CARRY OUR FULL
SELVES INTO THEM UNAPOLOGETICALLY BECAUSE THOSE SPACES CANNOT TEACH US HOW TO SURVIVE AS BLACK PEOPLE ONLY WE CAN. SO YEAH, YOU PROBABLY COULDN'T TELL BY LOOKING AT ME THE ALUMNI, THE FACULTY OR OTHER
STUDENTS THAT WE WERE BORN FROM DARK SPACES BECAUSE HBC HAS HELPED US HELPED ME FEEL LIKE THERE'S ALWAYS SHINED FROM WITHIN AND I ASK NOW IS THAT YOU TRUST ME?
THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, BRIANNA. THANK YOU FOR TESTIFYING. GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. SORRY I'M COMING IN LATE. HENRY SANTANA, AT-LARGE CITY
COUNCILOR AND THE CHAIR ON EDUCATION. I JUST WANT TO THANK COUNSELOR ARROYO FOR STEPPING IN. HAD SOME TRANSPORTATION ISSUES GETTING HERE AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BEING ABLE TO
GET THIS IMPORTANT CONVERSATION STARTED. SO WE'RE GOING CONTINUE. I DON'T WANT TO MESS UP THE FLOW MORE THAN WHAT I'VE DONE ALREADY. SO WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE WITH THE VIRTUAL TESTIFYING.
NEXT UP WE HAVE SHERYL WESLEY. WE'RE GOING TO TAKE YOU TO SPEAKER AFTERWARDS. SO SHERYL WESLEY, ARE YOU WITH
US? HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME? YEP, WE CAN HEAR YOU. AWESOME. HI EVERYONE. FULL DISCLAIMER TODAY'S MY MOTHER'S BIRTHDAY SO WE'RE AT A SPA BUT STEPPED OUT BECAUSE I
DO NOT WANT TO MISS THIS CONVERSATION. SO THANK YOU COUNCILOR WORRELL OFFICE FOR INVITING ME TO SPEAK. I AM SHERYL WESLEY. I AM A RESIDENT OF NEW YORK
CITY. I WAS BORN IN NEW YORK. I STILL RESIDE THERE. TO TAKE IT BACK JUST A LITTLE BIT FOR CONTACT FOR HIGH SCHOOL I WENT TO A HISTORICALLY BLACK HIGH SCHOOL IN PINE FORGE,
PENNSYLVANIA. IT'S A BOARDING SCHOOL COED SCHOOL ALL BLACK CHRISTIAN. IT'S CALLED PINE FOR ACADEMY. AND THEN I GRADUATED AND
ATTENDED OAKWOOD COLLEGE WHICH IS IN HUNTSVILLE TO SOMEBODY HAVING A SCHOOL AND. YOU KNOW, I GREW UP FROM THE EVENTS AND THE GAG IS WE GREW
UP JUST KNOWING WE WERE GOING TO OAKWOOD. WE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT IT WAS A HBCU. SO WHEN I HEAR OAKWOOD UNDER THE CATEGORY HBCU, I STILL CHUCKLE A BIT.
I TRANSFERRED OUT OF OAKWOOD AND INTO HOWARD UNIVERSITY SHOUT OUT TO MY WIFE AND SISTERS AND BROTHERS THEIR AGE YOU I GRADUATED FROM HOWARD IN
COMMUNICATIONS A B.A. IN COMMUNICATIONS RADIO TV FILM, CHILD EDUCATION AS A MINOR HOWARD INVITED ME TO CHAIR THE
EVENT ON MARTHA'S VINEYARD BASIN ON THE VINEYARD. IT'S A HOWARD UNIVERSITY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION'S SIGNATURE EVENT AT THE TIME THE PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL ALUMNI
ASSOCIATION AND CHRIS WASHINGTON INVITED ME TO CHAIR THAT EVENT ON MARTHA'S VINEYARD AND I DID THAT FOR TWO CONSECUTIVE YEARS FALLING IN
LOVE WITH THE ISLAND OFF THE COAST OF COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS. I STARTED AN HBCU WEEK ON MARTHA'S VINEYARD CALLED LEGACY
WEEK ON THE VINEYARD. SO I NOW DID MYSELF AND I STARTED LEGACY WEEK IN 2016 AND I FIRST PUT FOOT ON MARTHA'S
VINEYARD 2012. SO FAST FORWARD AT THIS TIME LEGACY WORK IS THRIVING AND I LOVE HAVING ACCESS TO MESSAGES
AND ALSO I RECEIVED A CITATION FROM THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS A GOOD CITATION BUT CONTRIBUTING TO THE HBCU TOURISM OF MARTHA'S VINEYARD. SO I'M VERY AND GRATEFUL FOR
THAT. I LOVE BEING IN PROXIMITY OF BOSTON. I WILL BE THERE THIS WEEK FOR THE HBCU CLASSIC AND THE ESSENCE ABOUT THE WORK ENGAGEMENTS THAT THEY HAVE. I HOPE TO SEE SOME OF YOU IN
PERSON THERE. I WE ALL KNOW AND EACH RECEIVED IN A COME OUT OF MASSACHUSETTS OR BOSTON BUT IN HAVING ACCESS TO IT I ALWAYS TELL MY NIECES YOU CAN HAVE IT YOURSELF, HAVE
ACCESS TO IT. HAVING ACCESS TO A HBCU I THINK WOULD INCREASE THE VALUE OF WHAT HBCU WERE BUILT ON WHY
WE WERE EVEN GIVEN AN HBCU WHETHER IS CREATED BY GOOD WHITE FOLK OR AFRICAN-AMERICANS OR CHURCHES WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE. THEY SAW THE VALUE IN THAT YOU
KNOW, BEING THE FOUNDER OF LEGACY, WE SO MANY PEOPLE TELL ME OH, I WISH I COULD HAVE ATTENDED AN HBCU. IT'S TOO LATE AND I JOKE WITH THEM SAYING ACTUALLY YOU CAN
APPLY TO BE A STUDENT FOR ONE FULL SEMESTER THAT GIVES YOU RIGHT TO BE AN ALUMNI OF AN HBCU AND PEOPLE ARE TAKING TO BE A GREAT IDEA JUST TO BE
ASSOCIATED WITH HBCU YOU KNOW WE WE PUT OUT FABULOUS SUCCESS OF DOCTORS EDUCATORS,
PROFESSORS, PROFESSIONAL GIRLS I MEAN BRILLIANT BRILLIANT PEOPLE ESPECIALLY WITH LIMITED RESOURCES THAT WE MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE LIKE BROTHERS SAID IN
THE BEGINNING, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOTHING LIKE BEING ON THE CAMPUS OF AN HBCU AND THAT EXPERIENCE THAT YOU GET BUT HAVING ACCESS TO IT WITH IN THE
CITY OF BOSTON, I FEEL LIKE IT'S IT'S GOING TO BE BENEFICIAL AND NEED IT AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE PROPOSE FOR HBCU TO BE PROMOTED MORE IN THE
PUBLIC SCHOOLS. SO MANY PUBLIC SCHOOL COUNSELORS THEY DON'T EVEN PUSH THEIR CURRENT STUDENTS IN HIGH SCHOOL TOWARD HBCU YOU BUT INSTEAD MAYBE A LOCAL COMMUNITY
COLLEGE THE UNIVERSITIES THAT ARE IN THEIR PROXIMITY OF THAT STATE. BUT I WOULD LIKE FOR BOSTON AND MASSACHUSETTS TO HAVE MORE PROGRAMS LIKE THE ONE IN NEW
YORK FOR HBCU ACCESS WHERE THEY GO INTO PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND THAT STUDENTS KNOW THAT HBCU ARE AN OPTION FOR YOU. NO MATTER YOUR ECONOMIC BACKGROUND OR YOUR FAMILY
BACKGROUND. YOU AND CFS ARE GRATEFUL AND RESOURCE TO REACH OUT TO AN THURGOOD MARSHALL COLLEGE FUND AS WELL AND MANY OTHER SCHOLARSHIPS. SO IT IS POSSIBLE I DON'T KNOW
HOW THIS GOES BUT I YIELD MY TIME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I'M CHERYL. REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TESTIMONY. AND NEXT UP WE HAVE JUDITH
BAKER AND THEN WE HAVE ANTONIA EDWARDS AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK TO IN-PERSON TESTIMONY . JUDITH BAKER, ARE YOU WITH US?
HELLO. I'M TRYING TO OH, YES. OKAY. SO I'M NOT GOING TO SPEAK DIRECTLY TO CREATING AN HBCU.
I WAS A TEACHER FOR MY WHOLE CAREER AND SENT LOTS AND LOTS OF BOSTON STUDENTS TO HBCUS WHERE THEY HAD GREAT EXPERIENCES AND I THINK IT'S A WONDERFUL THING.
BUT A COUPLE OF THINGS COME TO MIND. ONE IS THAT RIGHT NOW HBCUS ARE UNDER ARE GOING TO BE POTENTIALLY UNDER A TERRIBLE THREAT FROM THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION BECAUSE SO MUCH OF THEIR TUITION COMES FROM PELL GRANTS AND PELL GRANTS ARE BEING THREATENED ENTIRELY AND IF THEY ARE WE'RE GOING TO BE
IN A FIGHT I THINK TO KEEP THE PELL GRANTS BECAUSE IT WILL SEND MANY HBCU'S INTO BANKRUPTCY. SO I THINK WE HAVE TO BE VERY CLEAR THE THREATS TO THE ACTUAL
EXISTING HBCU IS AS WONDERFUL AS THEY ARE. THEY DON'T HAVE BIG, BIG BANK ACCOUNTS AND THEY RELY MOSTLY TUITION.
SO IT'S SOMETHING WE REALLY TO THINK ABOUT. ANOTHER REALLY HUGE THING IS THE ATTACK ON THE AND ALL KINDS OF BLACK ADMISSION AT UNIVERSITIES LIKE HARVARD AND
BYU AND SO ON. AND I WANTED YOU TO KNOW I MEAN I'M GENERALLY AN ADVOCATE FOR VOCATIONAL TECHNICAL EDUCATION AS SOME OF YOU KNOW, BUT I'M
ALSO A MEMBER OF A HARVARD ALUMNI GROUP THAT HAS BEEN VERY INTERESTED FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW IN TRYING TO CREATE MUCH STRONGER RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN
HARVARD AND OTHER UNIVERSITIES AND THE HBCU BECAUSE AS THE BLACK AND BROWN ALUMNI OR ENROLLEES OF THESE UNIVERSITIES
ENROLLMENT HAS BEEN HAS BEEN REALLY SERIOUSLY CUT IN OUR STUDENTS ARE HAVING SO MUCH LESS ACCESS TO THOSE
UNIVERSITIES THE THOSE UNIVERSITIES IT SEEMS TO ME BEAR A RESPONSIBILITY AND AN INTEREST IN SUPPORTING THE EDUCATION OF BLACK AND BROWN STUDENTS.
SO THIS GROUP I'M HOPING COUNSELOR WILL RAIL YOUR GROUP IT WOULD BE REALLY A HUGE CONTRIBUTION TO BEGIN TO GET
INVOLVED IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY YOU MAY HAVE ALREADY WITH THE BOSTON THE LOCAL BOSTON UNIVERSITIES AND HOW THEY ARE SUPPORTING HBCUS THAT IS ARE
THEY BRINGING HBCU STUDENTS FOR GRADUATE PROGRAMS? ARE THEY HELPING WITH MONEY? ARE THEY HELPING FUNDRAISING? THERE'S SO MANY THINGS THAT THE LOCAL UNIVERSITIES CAN DO TO
SUPPORT THE EXISTING HBCU AND I THINK THE FACT THAT THE AGENCIES ARE REALLY GOING TO BE THREATENED BY THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IN LOTS OF WAYS IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO BE
VERY SERIOUS ABOUT TO START ANOTHER COLLEGE IN BOSTON. I'M NOT I'M NOT AGAINST IT OR FOR IT. I HAVEN'T THOUGHT ABOUT IT AND I'D CERTAINLY WANT TO BE INVOLVED.
BUT I DO ALSO THINK THAT THERE ARE VERY, VERY WONDERFUL RESULTS THAT COULD COME FROM THE KIND OF PARTNERSHIPS THAT MY ALUMNI GROUP AND OTHERS
WOULD LIKE TO SEE AT HARVARD AND ELSEWHERE. SO I THINK THAT THIS DISCUSSION RAISES MORE THAN ONE VENUE FOR
STRONGLY INCREASING IN SUPPORTING BLACK AND BROWN ENROLLMENT IN UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES. AND I DO OFFER WHAT LITTLE BIT
OF HELP, SUPPORT OR WHATEVER I COULD GIVE TO TO THE WORKING GROUP. THANK YOU VERY MUCH COUNSELOR. WE'RE DOING THIS AND ALSO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT FOR
TECHNICAL VOCATIONAL EDUCATION WHICH IS ANOTHER VERY STRONG ROUTE FOR BLACK AND BROWN STUDENTS IN ONE IN WHICH ACCESS HAS BEEN DENIED FOR A LONG TIME AND SOMETHING THAT WE'RE
WORKING VERY HARD ON AS MOST OF YOU KNOW, TECHNICAL, VOCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL HIGH SCHOOLS PROVIDE DIRECT HIGH SKILLS EDUCATION AND LINKS TO
COLLEGE EDUCATION, LINKS TO VERY HIGH PAYING JOBS THAT TRADITIONALLY IN BOSTON BLACK BROWN STUDENTS HAVE HAD NOT HAD ACCESS TO BUT THAT WE'RE FIGHTING VERY HARD TO GIVE THEM
ACCESS TO. SO I THINK THAT BOTH THE CONCEPT OF COLLEGE EDUCATION IN THE IN THE CONCEPT OF CAREER EDUCATION ARE ALL REALLY THE SAME THING AND IT'S A JOINT
FIGHT. BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR DOING THIS. THANK YOU. YOU FOR THIS WE HAVE AND THEN TANYA EDWARDS NEXT AND THEN
WE'LL GO BACK TO IN-PERSON TESTIMONY.
AMY, CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? WE CAN HEAR YOU. YEP. OKAY. SO MY NAME IS ANTHONY EDWARDS. I A FOURTH GENERATION REMOVED FROM CHATTEL SLAVERY AND
PRESIDENT OBAMA. SO I WANT TO SAY FIRST THANK YOU TO DISTINGUISHED CITY COUNCIL PEOPLE FOR BRINGING THIS BILL TO FRUITION. I THINK IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT I'M COMING FROM A HISTORICAL CONTEXT SO JUST BEAR
WITH ME. I'M THE AMERICAN FREEDMEN BUREAU OF 1965 WAS CREATED TO CREATE THE HBCU FOR AMERICAN FREEDMEN AND THE AMERICAN FREEDMEN ARE THE 4 MILLION
FORMALLY EMANCIPATED PERSONS THEIR DESCENDANTS AND THIS WAS DONE DURING THE WEEK FROM SLAVERY TO RECONSTRUCTION. AND THE BIGGEST PIECE IS THAT I'M GOING TO MEET OUR FIRST BECAUSE I KNOW WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTOOD THAT THERE'S
A WHOLE LEGACY AND HISTORY BEHIND HBCU THE AMERICAN DREAM IN VIEW OF 85 ESTABLISHED THE BUREAU OF TREATMENT WHICH IS THE LANDMARK LEGISLATION WAS CREATED TO ASSIST THE 4 MILLION
FORMERLY EMANCIPATED SLAVES AMERICAN FREEDMEN. THE KEY COMPONENTS OF THE BUREAU WERE TO SUPPORT TO TO BECOME THE FOUNDATION OF MANY HISTORICAL COLLEGES AND
UNIVERSITY HBCU INCLUDING HOWARD FISK UNIVERSITY IN HAMPTON. THESE SCHOOLS PROVIDE A HIGHER EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOR FREEDMAN'S AND THEIR DESCENDANTS WHO WERE DENIED ACCESS EVERYWHERE ELSE.
THE BUREAU RATE AMONG AMERICAN FREEDMEN WERE 1865 CARRIED IN MANY OTHER INSTITUTIONS SO IN 1865 CONGRESS PASSED THE FREEDOM BUREAU ACT ESTABLISHING THE AID.
IN 1867 HARVARD UNIVERSITY WAS CREATED 1868 HAMPTON UNIVERSITY WAS CREATED AND THEN IN 18 6068 ALSO THE FREEDMAN HOSPITAL IN D.C. WAS CREATED FOR THE BLACK COMMUNITY AND TRAINED DOCTORS
AND NURSES. THE BUREAU THEN ESTABLISHED SUPPORT FOR 40 HOSPITALS IN THE SOUTH. WHAT I WANT TO GO BACK TO IS THE SUMMARY OF THE SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE AMERICAN FARM FREEDMEN AND ALSO THIS HBCU THE FREEDMEN BUREAU CREATED 40 HOSPITALS AND A THOUSAND SCHOOLS THAT SUPPORTED THE EDUCATION OF 250,000 FREEDMEN WHICH LAID
THE FOUNDATION FOR HBCU AND PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL AND STILL EXIST TO THIS DAY MANY OF THESE SCHOOLS GO INTO HBCU WHICH CONTINUE TO SERVE THE CENTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION CULTURAL PRIDE, COMMUNITY ADVANCEMENT ON
THE COMMUNITY. SO WE ARE SO MUCH IN FAVOR OF THE HBCU. THERE'S NOT ONE HBCU IN NEW ENGLAND THE CLOSEST IS
HOLLYWOOD IN D.C. AND ALSO I DO BELIEVE IN PENNSYLVANIA. SO THIS IS SOMETHING THIS LONG, LONG TIME SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED LONG TIME AGO. AND I THINK THAT IN THE CURRENT SITUATION WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO
CHANGE THE ATMOSPHERE FOR RACISM IN BOSTON THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY NEED. WE REALLY DON'T HAVE ANYTHING IN BOSTON REFLECT OUR COVERAGE, OUR CULTURE AS BEING BLACK AMERICANS, AS BEING AMERICAN.
FREEDMAN AND I THINK THAT THIS IS A MUCH NEEDED I WANT TO JUST GIVE A DISCLOSURE I AM WITH SOLIDARITY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT GROUP WE ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF AMERICAN FREEMAN MY NATIONAL ORGANIZATION IS UNITED SONS AND
DAUGHTERS OF FREEMAN. WE HIGHLY ADVOCATE FOR AMERICAN FREEDOM. WE HAVE TWO STATE BILLS ONE FOR OFFICER FREEMAN AND ONE FOR ALSO OUR COMMISSION. I CURRENTLY SIT ON THE CITY OF BOSTON REPARATIONS TASKFORCE
AND THIS IS ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT I WAS GOING TO MAKE. HOWEVER I CAN CLEARLY SEE AFTER SPEAKING TO BRIAN WHEN HE MADE ME AWARE OF THIS WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING NOW AND SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I CAN SIGN ON TO
TO HELP FOR THE EDUCATE FOR THE HISTORICAL PART OF IT BECAUSE IT CAN'T HAPPEN WITHOUT THE HISTORY, WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING THE RECORDS AND HOW THE DESCENDANTS OF SLAVES IN AMERICAN FREEMAN PAY IN A
SIGNIFICANT ROLE AND I'M HAVING THIS CREATED I WILL MORE THAN WELCOME ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT ME TO DO TO ASSIST IN GETTING THAT DONE AND I'M QUITE SURE MY ORGANIZATION WILL BE TOO. WE NEED SOMETHING THAT'S
CULTURALLY BASED IN OUR COMMUNITY. I DID ATTEND ROTC FOR A COUPLE OF CLASSES. I DO KNOW THEY EXIST BUT THERE'S NOTHING SPECIFICALLY FOR AMERICAN TREATMENT OR FOR
OTHERS WHO WANT TO UNDERSTAND CLEAR CULTURE AND COMMUNITY IN THE CITY OF BOSTON. AND SO I TOTALLY ADVOCATE FOR THIS RESOLUTION AND FOR THIS BILL TO GO THROUGH TO CREATE A
STANDALONE NOT IN CONJUNCTION WITH ANY OTHER UNIVERSITY. AND I THINK THAT THIS WILL GO HAND IN HAND AS EDWIN SUMPTER SAID WITH REPARATIONS IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE REPARATIONS BUT IT WILL BE SIGNIFICANT. A LOT OF OUR ABOLITIONIST ARE
FROM BOSTON, A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO HELPED ITSELF SLAVE LAWS WERE IN BOSTON. SO THIS IS VERY BEFITTING NOT EVERYBODY WAS A RACIST. THE BOSTON NOT EVERYBODY PARTICIPATED IN THE SLAVE TRADE AND I THINK THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY
SIGNIFICANT FOR US IN BOSTON. SO PLEASE ACCEPT MY ASSISTANCE IN MAKING SURE THAT WE PRESERVE THE HISTORY AND THE HERITAGE AND WE CAN DO THIS. BUT IF WE DON'T CONTINUE TO DO THESE THINGS WITH FURTHER
ERASURE OF MY LINEAGE AND AND OUR LINEAGE OF AMERICAN FREEMEN AND BLACK AMERICANS ESPECIALLY IN THE CITY OF BOSTON AND SO I THANK YOU AGAIN FOR BRINGING THIS TO OUR ATTENTION.
I THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND ANYTHING YOU NEED TO DO TO FURTHER ASSIST THEM PROMOTE IT I'LL BE WILLING TO ANSWER VOLUNTEER FOR THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH ANTHONY, FOR YOUR TESTIMONY.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO TAKE INTO IN-PERSON OR GO BACK TO OUR VIRTUAL AND AND PLEASE FORGIVE ME IF I DON'T KNOW YOUR NAME
CORRECTLY BUT WE HAVE ONE C NONA OR ONE DE MANA YOU PRONOUNCE IT CORRECTLY. OKAY THANK YOU AND. THEN WE'RE GOING TO BE FOLLOWED
BY HOLLY SMITH OR SOMETHING. I CAN I CAN HEAR BOTH. YOU HAVE TWO OF THEM? YEP. YEP. AWESOME. FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU COUNCILOR AND THANK YOU
EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM. THIS HAS BEEN A GREAT CONVERSATION. PLEASE BEAR WITH ME BECAUSE AFTER EVERY PERSON THERE'S ONLY MORE THINGS THAT I WANT TO SAY SO I'M GOING TO TRY TO KEEP IT BRIEF.
MY NAME IS WANNSEE NONA I AM A RECENT GRADUATE OF TUFTS UNIVERSITY. I'M ORIGINALLY FROM MANASSAS, VIRGINIA. ETHNICALLY I AM CAMEROONIAN AMERICAN. I'M THE MIDDLE CHILD OF THREE BOYS.
MY OLDER BROTHER IS TWO YEARS OLDER THAN ME. HE'S A MEDICAL STUDENT AT HOWARD UNIVERSITY AT THE MOMENT AND MY FATHER IS ALSO A HOWARD UNIVERSITY MECHANICAL ENGINEERING ALUMNI. I CAME TO TUFTS UNIVERSITY
WHICH IS IN MEDFORD. IT'S NOT BOSTON AS YOU GUYS KNOW AND I HAD NO OF THE NORTHEAST OR BOSTON CULTURE IN GENERAL.
BUT ONE THING THAT I FIGURED OUT VERY, VERY EARLY WAS THAT HIGHER EDUCATION IS AT THE CORE AND OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS AS I'VE GOTTEN MORE
EXPOSURE AND INSIGHT INTO HBCU'S HBCU CULTURE THROUGH VISITING HOWARD HOMECOMING THE PAST TWO YEARS SPELMAN, MOREHOUSE, THE AUC FOR THEIR HOME KING COMING THIS PAST YEAR
I WAS ACTUALLY JUST IN ATLANTA THIS PAST WEEKEND AT SPELMAN AND MOREHOUSE AGAIN TO I HAVE LEARNED THAT IT IS VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY VERY DIFFERENT THAN THE HIGHER EDUCATION EXPERIENCE
HERE IN BOSTON AT THESE PWI EVEN WITHIN THE BLACK COMMUNITIES AT THESE PWI IS I HAVE UNDERSTOOD THAT IT IS VERY TOUGH FOR BLACK STUDENTS TO TAKE UP SPACE IN THESE PWI AS
IN BOSTON NORTHEAST ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN GENERAL. AND SO I AM IN SUPPORT OF BOSTON BRINGING SOME HBCU CAMPUS OR CREATING AN HBCU IN
BOSTON OR CREATING A SATELLITE CAMPUS IN BOSTON PICKING UP OFF OF WHAT SOME OTHER PEOPLE HAVE SAID PRIOR TO THIS. SO I THINK THAT ALL THE PEOPLE WORKING ON IT IN THE YEARS TO
COME DO NEED TO ALWAYS CONSIDER THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT IN WHICH THEY'RE WORKING AND THAT HAS HISTORICALLY CONTEXT OF BOTH HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES BLACK AMERICA AND
ALSO THE HISTORIC RACISM THAT BOSTON AND AMERICA HAS PERPETUATED ESPECIALLY WITH BOSTON BEING ONE OF IF NOT THE MOST HISTORIC CITY WITHIN THIS COUNTRY.
ANOTHER THING THAT I WOULD SAY IS MORE RECENTLY I'M READING THIS BOOK CALLED IN THE SHADOW OF THE IVORY TOWER BY THE VERY END, BALDWIN, WHO IS A PROFESSOR AT TRINITY COLLEGE IN HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT AND SOME
OF THE THINGS THAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT IN THE BOOK ARE RELATED TO HOW THE HIGHER EDUCATION ENTERPRISE HAS BEEN USED AS A VEHICLE OF IN CITIES LIKE NEW YORK, HARTFORD, CHICAGO AND
OTHERS TO FURTHER THE AGENDA OF EXTERNAL THAT DON'T CARE FOR THE CITIZENS OF THE CITY AND SIMPLY WANT TAX EXEMPT INVESTMENTS INTO THE CITIES AND THE COMMUNITIES, THE REAL
ESTATE RESEARCH, ALL DIFFERENT TYPES OF THINGS THAT THE HIGHER EDUCATION ENTERPRISE SUPPORTS AND SO ONE NOTE THAT I ALSO WANT TO SHARE IS THAT I HOPE AND I PRAY THAT IN THE
DEVELOPMENT OF THIS HBCU INITIATIVE THE GRASSROOTS COMMUNITIES ARE AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT AS OPPOSED TO WHATEVER INVESTORS OR PARTNERS OR SPONSORS ARE PROVIDING THE
FUNDS TO, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY CREATE THE SPACE BUT THEN SET THE AGENDA FOR WHAT THE HBCU OR THE SATELLITE CAMPUS IS GOING TO STAND FOR. LAST THING I'LL SAY IS I'M THE FOUNDER OF MEDIA AND EVENTS
COMPANY CALLED BLK INCUBATOR. OUR GOAL IS TO BRIDGE GAPS ACROSS IWG WHICH STANDS FOR INSTITUTIONS AND INDUSTRIES IDENTITIES, GENERATIONS AND GEOGRAPHIES. THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN
WORKING ON FOR THE PAST YEAR. LAST YEAR WE HAD OUR FIRST BUILDING BRIDGES SUMMIT BETWEEN TUFTS AND HARVARD UNIVERSITY AND WE TALKED ABOUT A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS. WE'LL BE HAVING ANOTHER ONE THIS COMING MARCH AND HOPEFULLY
THIS CAN BE A CONVERSATION, A TOPIC OR SOMETHING THAT THE PEOPLE WE BRING TOGETHER ARE DISCUSSING THAT. THANK YOU. AWESOME. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
NEXT UP WE HAVE. OKAY. HI, I'M HAYLEY SMITH. I USE YOUR PRONOUNS. I AM A PROUD GRADUATE OF THE ILLUSTRIOUS CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY AND I'VE BEEN LIVING
IN BOSTON FOR ABOUT THREE YEARS NOW AND HAVE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF ALSO BEING ABLE TO GET ANOTHER DEGREE IN THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE ADJACENT TO BOSTON. AND I THINK IF OUR IS TO
EDUCATE AND GIVE MORE ACCESS TO BROWN AND BLACK STUDENTS. SO GIVING THEM ACCESS TO SCHOLARSHIPS AT HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES, MAKING HIGH SCHOOLS SURROUNDED BY
HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES SHOWING THEM WHAT THAT MEANS I THINK BOSTON IS LACKING LIKE THE SOME OF WHAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE SAID IS THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT NOT JUST OF THE SCHOOL
BUT ALSO OF THE TOWNS AND CITIES THAT THEY'RE PLACED IN. AND I THINK BOSTON HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO FEED THAT. BUT IT SHOULD BE A PROGRAM THAT HAPPENS OVER TIME AND NOT
SOMETHING THAT YOU JUST BRING ONE DAY IN. IT'S A GREAT OPENING AND WE PUT UP THE RIBBON I THINK THE HBCU ARE EXPERIENCING A LOT RIGHT NOW AND SO IT WOULD BE VERY IT
WOULD NOT BE CULTURALLY AWARE, CULTURALLY SENSITIVE TO THEM BRING SOMETHING TO THE CITY AND SAY HEY, WE HAVE THIS SHINY NEW THING WHEN WE'RE NOT TAKING CARE OF THE ONES THAT ALREADY EXIST. THERE ARE HBCU THAT ARE UNDERFUNDED BEFORE THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION AND THEY'RE HBCU THAT ARE ALWAYS AT RISK OF CLOSING AND I FEEL LIKE THERE ARE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO FUNNEL STUDENTS INTO THOSE PROGRAMS INTO THOSE INSTITUTIONS RATHER THAN BRING SOMETHING HERE WE CAN CREATE
PROGRAMS WHERE WE'RE PARTNERING WITH BP TO SEND SCHOOL, SEND BUSSES OF STUDENTS TO TOUR THESE DIFFERENT HBCU AND I FEEL LIKE THERE'S JUST A BETTER OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO ENHANCE HBCU AND TO PUT BOSTON'S NAME
ATTACHED TO IT RATHER THAN TO JUST BRING SOMETHING TO THE CITY AND AFFORD TO BE SOMETHING ELSE FOR THE CITY OF BOSTON. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE. WE'RE GOING TO TAKE TWO MORE IN
PERSON. WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK TO VIRTUAL. WE'RE GOING TO GO WITH BAKER LANDING AND ADAM OF THEN PLEASE
EXCUSE ANY MISPRONUNCIATION AND YOU GOT IT RIGHT FOR ME ALSO. SO GOOD JOB THERE. TERRIBLE HANDWRITING SO GREAT JOB I HOW YOU DOING? BAKER BLANDING I AM A 29 GRADUATE OF HOWARD UNIVERSITY
AND ATLANTA NATIVE BORN AND RAISED RECENTLY RELOCATED TO THE BOSTON AREA AND A SPRING 2017 ISSUE OF ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY INC. SO JUST RUN A FEW OF THOSE THINGS DOWN AND I
WAS TOLD THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY HERE TO ALSO ASK QUESTIONS. I DIDN'T REALLY COME WITH ANY SORT OF SPEECH OR THINGS TO KIND OF SAY TO THE COUNCIL I DID HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ON THIS INITIATIVE AS MANY OF MY CLASSMATES AND OTHER MEMBERS
OF THE ASU ALUMNI CLUB OF BOSTON AND OTHER HBCU GRADUATE ALUMNI HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS INITIATIVE. SO IF THAT'S OKAY AND PLEASE AS THE CHAIR SO YOU'RE GOING TO ASK QUESTIONS INTO THE RECORD.
OKAY. MY AS MY UNDERSTANDING AS CHAIR AND COUNCILOR WHERE I WAS A LEAD TO ANSWER HERE IS HOW WE'RE GOING TO BE LISTENING FROM THE PUBLIC TO TO EDUCATE OURSELVES. OKAY.
BUT WE WILL NOT BE LESS COUNCILOR WORRELL MAY HAVE THE ANSWER ALREADY OKAY YEAH SO BUT YOU CAN DEFINITELY PUT YOUR QUESTIONS INTO THE RECORD. SOUNDS GOOD. WELL WE'LL JUST START WITH THE FIRST ONE.
IS THERE A PROJECTED COST FOR THIS INITIATIVE TO BRING A SATELLITE HBCU TO BOSTON? OH, SORRY. SO OKAY, SO I GOT I MEAN I'M
SORRY IF YOU WANT TO ANSWER YOU I'LL ALLOW IT. BUT THE RECORD WHAT BE OKAY SO YEAH WE'LL JUST TAKE THE QUESTIONS INTO THE ENTER INTO THE RECORD AND I'M SURE THAT OUR OFFICES CAN FOLLOW UP. WE'RE NOT ALL PART OF THAT FOLLOW UP. I'M CURIOUS WHATEVER THEIR COST
MIGHT BE, COULD THAT BE BETTER USED IN THE NEAR TERM TO SERVICE LOCAL STUDENTS THAT WOULD ATTEND AN HBCU SO BLACK STUDENTS IN THEIR PURSUIT OF GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL
AND AS OTHER COMMENTERS HAVE SAID TO ACTUALLY GIVING THEM SCHOLARSHIPS TO ALREADY EXISTING INSTITUTIONS. SO WE'LL INTO THAT INTO THE RECORD ALSO JUST A QUESTION I HAD THERE I NOTICED THAT WITH
THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT ARE STILL HERE WHAT WE HAVE FOR NOW OUT OF A BODY OF 13 IS THIS THE ENTHUSIASM WE CAN ANTICIPATE FOR THIS INITIATIVE GOING
FORWARD FROM THE CITY OF SWAMPSCOTT? SO AGAIN, I MEAN I WON'T SPEAK FOR MY COLLEAGUES. YOU KNOW THE HEARINGS ARE
PUBLIC AND ARE WE WE NOTICE ABOUT THESE THREE DAYS IN ADVANCE. YOU KNOW, WE ALL HAVE BUSY SCHEDULES AND YOU KNOW WHO SHOWS UP SHOWS UP. BUT I DO KNOW THAT WHEN WHAT I WILL SPEAK TO IS I WASN'T
COUNCILOR WORRELL DID INTRODUCES ON THE CITY COUNCIL I THINK THERE WAS GREAT ENTHUSIASM FROM THE BOSTON CITY COUNCIL ON THIS AND I DON'T KNOW IF COUNCILOR WORRELL WANTS TO SPEAK TO IT MORE ABOUT I
DON'T I DON'T THINK NECESSARILY THAT THE LACK OF COUNCILORS HERE IS THE LOSS REPRESENTATION OF OF OF US NOT CARING OR OTHER
COUNCILORS NOT CARING. OKAY ALL RIGHT I WAS LIKE SO HAVE YOU GUYS INDEED POTENTIAL PARTNER INSTITUTIONS THIS IS A SATELLITE CAMPUS OF EXISTING I
WOULD ASSUME HBCU INSTITUTIONS. HAVE YOU GUYS IDENTIFIED OR PUT TOGETHER ANY SORT OF PLAN FOR POTENTIAL PARTNER INSTITUTIONS SO YOU CAN PUT TWO QUESTIONS
INTO IT. YOU CAN JUST SAY IT'S IN THE RECORD I GUESS IF THERE'S NO ANSWER YET AND THEN I GUESS IT MIGHT BE MORE OF THE SAME ON THIS ONE. WHAT SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF STUDENT LIFE DO YOU PLAN TO
FOSTER AND SUPPORT HERE IN BOSTON THAT ARE PART OF THE HBCU EXPERIENCE? I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY AND DIG DEEP. WE'VE HEARD TESTIMONY FROM MANY DIFFERENT HBCU ALUMNI CONCERNED
PEOPLE IN FROM AND NOT EVEN IN OUTSIDE OF BOSTON AND GONE TO AN HBCU IS A LOT MORE THAN JUST COLLECTING A DEGREE THAT CAN BE DONE ANYWHERE FROM YOUR COUCH
NOW TO ANY SORT OF OTHER AS YOU MENTIONED PEABODY'S EMPHASIZE COMMUNITY COLLEGES YOU NAME IT THERE ARE CERTAIN INTRINSIC PARTS OF GOING TO AN HBCU THAT YOU'VE HEARD GLIMPSES AND GLIMMERS OF THROUGHOUT AND WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO GET
INTO TODAY THAT CANNOT BE REPLICATED. THE AGE PERHAPS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF HBCU HISTORICALLY THERE IS SOME ROOTED TRADITIONS AND
STRICTURES THAT ARE PART OF GOING TO ALL THE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS. YOU'VE HEARD THAT PEOPLE ARE ALUMNI OF HERE SO JUST COLLECTING A GROUP OF BLACK PEOPLE, PUTTING THEM INTO
WHATEVER CAMPUS OR SATELLITE YOU HAVE CONFERRING A DEGREE TO THEM IN FOUR YEARS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN HBCU DO SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IF THERE'S NO ANSWER ALREADY I WOULD
ENCOURAGE THE COUNCIL TO DIG DEEP AND TO HAVE AN ANSWER THE NEXT TIME YOU OPEN UP TO US THE PEOPLE IN LESS THAN HALF OF YOUR COLLEAGUES TO HAVE AN ANSWER ABOUT WHAT ACTUAL PARTS
OF STUDENT LIFE IN HBCU CULTURE WILL BE PART OF THIS YEAR. INITIATIVE FOR A SATELLITE CAMPUS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. AWESOME. THANK YOU, BAKER. APPRECIATE YOU TESTIFYING AND
PUTTING THOSE QUESTIONS INTO THE RECORD. NEXT UP WE HAVE AUTUMN AND THEN WE'LL GO BACK TO WE'LL TAKE SOME VIRTUAL TESTIMONY SO YOU
HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU. HI. GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY. MY NAME IS AUTUMN SUDO I SERVE AS THE ENROLLMENT AND OUTREACH COORDINATOR WITH METCO INC.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY A FEW THINGS ON MY EXPERIENCE BEING A BOSTON TRANSPLANT. I AM FROM THE MASSACHUSETTS AREA ABOUT AN HOUR SOUTH FROM NEW BEDFORD. IT IS A VERY DIVERSE
NEIGHBORHOOD CITY AND I THINK THERE HAVE BEEN SOME SERVICES WITH LIVING IN MASSACHUSETTS THAT A LOT OF STUDENTS GROWING UP WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE RISKS THAT WE COULD TAKE OUT
LIKE THE OPPORTUNITY IN GOING TO. SO I THINK IT'S REALLY GREAT TO BE A PART OF THIS CONVERSATION BRINGING AN HBCU TO MASSACHUSETTS. WE HAVE FOUNDED THE FIRST UNIVERSITY IN THE STATE OF THE
ENTIRE NATION AND WE HAVE HAD THE FIRST PUBLIC SCHOOL FOR BLACK STUDENTS. SO IT'S KIND OF A SHOCK TO ME THAT WE DON'T HAVE AN HBCU IN THE CITY OF BOSTON JUST YET. SO I THINK THERE IS A LOT
OF HISTORY THAT COMES ALONG WITH BEING A BLACK PERSON WITHIN THE CITY OF BOSTON AS WELL. THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY MOVEMENTS THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH THE CITY THAT HAVE SHAPED OUR NATION. SO I THINK WITH BRINGING THAT
CULTURE AND SURROUNDING IT WITH THE HBCU, I THINK WE CAN HAVE SOME OF THOSE CULTURES ARE IN AN HBCU AND I WAS NOT AN ATTENDEE OF AN HBCU SO I CAN'T SPEAK TO IT FULLY BUT I TRULY
DO BELIEVE THAT WITH THE HISTORY THAT THE CITY HAS THERE IS ROOM FOR US TO HAVE CULTURE JUST LIKE HBCUS ACROSS THE NATION AS WELL.
I WOULD ALSO LOVE TO SAY THAT A LOT OF OUR METCO STUDENTS THEY ARE GOING TO HBCU'S AND THEY HAVE TO LEAVE THEIR CITY OF BOSTON WHERE THEY HAVE BUILT THESE COMMUNITIES WHERE THEY HAVE THEIR ROOTS AND NOW THEY'RE LOOKING FOR THAT NEXT
OPPORTUNITY OF BEING IN A COMMUNITY WHERE THEY FEEL FULLY WELCOMED ESPECIALLY WITH OUR STUDENTS ATTENDING PWI FOR MOST OF THEIR EDUCATION THEY ARE LACKING SOME OF THAT COMMUNITY
THAT THEY FEEL WITHIN THEIR SCHOOL SO GOING TO AN HBCU IS LIKE IT'S REALLY A PIVOTAL MOMENT IN THEIR LIVES TO REALLY FEEL WELCOMED IN AN INSTITUTION
WHERE THEY FEEL SEEN, WHERE THEY HAVE THE SPACE TO BE THEIR AUTHENTIC SELVES. SO I THINK CREATING SOMEWHAT OF A PIPELINE FOR SOME OF OUR STUDENTS NOT JUST IN METCO BUT OUR STUDENTS AS WELL FOR THEM
TO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE SOMETHING RIGHT HERE IN BOSTON WHERE THEY HAVE THEIR ROOTS, WHERE THEY HAVE THEIR FAMILIES, WHERE THEY'VE BUILT THEIR COMMUNITIES CAN BE VERY PIVOTAL IN THEIR THEIR EDUCATION, THEIR CAREERS AND
WHATEVER THEY CHOOSE TO DO IN THEIR FUTURES. I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT FOR US TO BRING IT BACK TO CLOSING THAT GENERATIONAL WEALTH GAP THAT WE SPOKE ABOUT EARLIER AND
THE OPENING I THINK CREATING AN HBCU FOR OUR STUDENTS TO KIND OF SHOW THEM WHAT THEY COULD BE I AM A STRONG BELIEVER OF YOU CAN'T BE WHAT YOU DON'T SEE. SO IF OUR STUDENTS AREN'T SEEING AN HBCU WITHIN THEIR
THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD OR IN THEIR COMMUNITIES WHEN THEY'RE NOT EXPOSED TO THAT OF THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT IT CAN BRING TO THEM, IT KIND OF DOES THEM A DISSERVICE HOW MUCH IT COULD BENEFIT THEIR LIVES AS WELL.
SO I'LL KEEP IT SHORT AND I'LL SAY MY PIECE ON THAT BUT I'M HAPPY TO BE A PART OF THIS CONVERSATION AND I WOULD LOVE TO OFFER ANY SAY ANY INSIGHT FOR OUR METCO STUDENTS AND FOR THE BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITY OF BOSTON. SO THANK YOU ALL.
AWESOME. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE RIGHT NOW. WELL, BACK TO VIRTUAL TESTIMONY STARTING WITH MARGERY SKILLMAN.
I WOULD GO WITH TAMIKA AND THEN SHARON HINTON.
SO MARGERY, ARE YOU WITH US?
ALL RIGHT. I THINK YOU'RE ON MUTE. OKAY. CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? WE CAN HEAR YOU NOW. YEAH. OH, GOOD, GOOD.
OKAY, I SEE MY NAME OFF THE AVERAGE BUT THE THING THAT I WANT TO SAY I'M NOT FROM THIS NEW GENERATION, YOU KNOW I'M A BABY BOOMER. I HAVE NO NOBODY.
I BELIEVE THE CUP IS STILL HALF EMPTY BUT WHATEVER POSITIVE MOVES YOU CAN YOU CAN MAKE I BELIEVE YOU NEED TO STOP AND
DON'T STOP. YOU HAVE TO DO A ROTATION AND ROTATE THE STARTER GROUP AND AS A GENTLEMAN SAID PRIOR THE LAST FEMALE WHO SPOKE HE SOUNDS AND
HE KNOWS QUITE A BIT ABOUT IT. WELL I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING. I'M A BOSTONIAN AND I KNOW THE SUFFRAGE THAT YOU GO THROUGH AN EDUCATION IS UNBELIEVABLE.
IT MEANS YOU GUYS THIS GENERATION DIDN'T HAVE IT A LITTLE BETTER. WELL IF YOU HAVE MY AGE WE SEE YOU. PLEASE GET IT STARTED. PUT MY NAME ON IT THERE SO I
DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO BUT WHATEVER I CAN CONTRIBUTE I WOULD LOVE TO DO THAT. I ALSO HAVE SOME OTHER GOOD IDEAS. WELL YOU NEED TO STOP AND NOT
STOP BECAUSE PRIVATE INDUSTRY IS TAKING OVER. PEOPLE ARE POOR HERE. THERE'S NO THERE'S NOT THERE
MIGHT BE A LOT OF DIFFERENT CULTURES IN HERE IN THE BOSTON EVEN THE CITY AREA WHICH I'M FROM BUT THE NETWORKING FOR
BLACK PEOPLE IS GOING LOWER. THAT MAJORITY CANNOT EVEN AFFORD THE RENT. SO MANY ISSUES ARE GOING TO HAVE TO BE TAKEN IN THIS AGE BE
SEE YOU NEEDS TO GET STARTED AND DON'T GIVE UP YOU KNOW TAKE PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO KNOW NOTHING ABOUT IT AND BE ABLE TO APPLY AND GET SOMETHING DONE BECAUSE
EDUCATION THE PUBLIC EDUCATION I WENT TO WAS HORRIBLE AND THERE WAS NO MOTIVATION, NO ANYTHING THERE IN MY
GENERATION. I JUST HAD TO KEEP ON MOVING AND AND STAY POSITIVE. MAJORITY OF BLACK STUDENTS
DROPPED OUT IN THE UNIVERSITY. I JUST TOLD THEM I SAID LOOK, I WILL I WILL BE HERE TO RETIRE. I'M PAYING FOR SOMETHING. I'M NOT GOING TO LEAVE. SO MY PERSISTENCE AND
DETERMINED ATION PUSHED ME EVEN MORE TRUE. BUT THEY'RE TRYING ARGUMENT EDUCATIONAL WISE AND CULTURALLY YOU CAN FORGET IT. I'M SORRY IT'S NOT PROMOTED
HERE BUT IN THE NORTHEAST HISTORICALLY IT WAS NOT PROMOTED IN I DON'T THINK IN THE FUTURE IT'S GOING TO BE PROMOTED IF YOU DON'T PROMOTE
YOURSELF SO IF YOU CAN GET IT STARTED DO A COHORT AND GET A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT.
IT'S A TO PREDICT RULES AND INNOVATE DO THAT, GET IT STARTED DON'T STOP BECAUSE THE NETWORKING THING FOR ANY HOW
SHOULD I SAY THAT NETWORKING WITH THE CULTURE OF BLACK PEOPLE IN THE NORTHEAST IS VERY
VERY VERY LOW AND EVERYONE RUNS TO ARE NOT INDEPENDENT THEREFORE TOO DEPENDENT HERE AND THAT AS I SAID I SEE THE
CUP AS HALF EMPTY AND THAT'S THE SAD THING ABOUT MYSELF PERSONALLY BUT THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER FOLKS WHO WON'T SAY THAT I JUST FEEL I HAVE TO BE BRAVE AT THIS POINT TO SAY IT
BUT GET A COHORT STARTED AND GET THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS THE POPULATION WHICH WE KNOW IT'S A BLACK POPULATION AND LET'S GET IT DONE.
LET THIS JUST BE A A VERBAL ORAL ANNOUNCEMENT. BUT THE PLAN SHOULD NOT BE THAT HARD TO GET MOVE AND GET GO AND
GET SOMETHING GOING AND ROTATE BECAUSE I MEAN I'M YET THE MEN HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE YOUNGER GENERATION AND AS I WOULD EVEN
TRYING TO I WAS TRYING TO HAVE A BRANCH OF CAMBRIDGE COLLEGE BECAUSE THAT'S WHY I DID MY MATH THAT I WAS GOING TO PUT IT ON A PIECE OF LAND THAT I OWNED
BUT A SUMMARY WHATEVER JUMPED IN. YOU KNOW HOW EVIL POPS UP WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING GREAT AND SOMEONE ELSE TOOK THE IDEA AND GOT CAMBRIDGE IN
BOSTON BUT SOMEWHERE ELSE BUT STILL IT'S NOT TOO LATE, YOU KNOW, LET'S GET IT DONE. YOU KNOW I MEAN THIS IS A REALITY AND STATE POSITIVE AND
LET'S KEEP IT OPEN. SKILLMAN LIED TO AT GMAIL DOT COM AND 85738598 IT MADE A CALL BECAUSE I'M INSPIRED I KNOW THE
SUFFRAGE I HAD TO GO THROUGH AND EVERYONE'S NOT GOING TO DO THAT ALL RIGHT THANK YOU THANK YOU MARJORIE YEAH GREAT
BACKSTOP WE HAVE SO MIKA AND I WERE GOING TO FOLLOW THAT UP
WITH SHARON HINTON. HI, I'M MEETING RENA. GOOD AFTERNOON. I I'M CONTINUING I'M A NATIVE
BERKELEY AFRO-LATINA. I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT HBCU DATA IS AVAILABLE CRITICALLY AND CALLED TO SEE THIS. I WOULD SAY A SIGNIFICANT
NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN MASSACHUSETTS AND IT'S NOT THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO BE ABLE TO ACTIVELY SAY FACE AREA THIS REGION WHERE WE'VE BEEN HAVE
HERE. SO I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOU. WE'RE HAVING WE CAN HEAR YOU BUT WE CAN I MEAN CAN YOU TRY TO HOLD ON LET ME JUST MAYBE
TAKE MY HEADSET ON. YES. MAYBE IF WE DO THAT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ME OUT. OH YEAH, THAT'S THAT'S A LOT BETTER. YEP. OKAY, GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNSELORS. I'M MIKE ROMANO, A NATIVE
BOSTONIAN AFRO-LATINA. I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT AN HBCU SATELLITE OPTION IS ESSENTIAL WHILE INCLUSION IS AVAILABLE OUT OF STATE CULTURAL COMPETENCY IS A SOLID STATE. SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF STUDENTS
FACE BARRIERS ACCESSING THE UNIVERSITIES WE HAVE HERE. IT'S NOT THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO LIVE OUT OF STATE OR THEY DON'T WANT TO GO TO THE SCHOOLS HERE. THEY DON'T HAVE THE OPTION TO MAYBE ONE PARENT HOUSEHOLD, MAYBE GRANDMA IN LOUISIANA,
MAYBE WE ARE IN FOSTER CARE. MAYBE WE LIVE IN A COMMUNITY WHERE WE ARE LATCHKEY KIDS. WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO GO TO HBCUS. MY BEST FRIEND IS AN HBCU GRADUATE AND WENT ON A COLLEGE TOUR BACK IN 2005.
I AM THAT OLD SO WE HAD THOSE OPPORTUNITIES. I AGREE WITH PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO ATTEND DESPITE BEING UNABLE TO RELOCATE FROM BOSTON, THE EXPERIENCE SHOULD BE ACCESSIBLE
TO EVERYONE AS SOON AS SOMEONE SAID EARLIER IT SHOULD BE A STAND ALONE NOT ATTACHED TO A UNIVERSITY HERE IT'S IMPERATIVE EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE HIGHLIGHTS THE ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE THAT IS AND THE CULTURE BOTH THE
CULTURAL EXPERIENCE IN SERVING BLACK AND BROWN STUDENTS. CONSEQUENTLY I AGREE IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE PROVIDE ACCESSIBILITY TO INTIMACY STUDENTS BUT NOT WITHOUT THE CULTURAL CONJUGAL CULTURAL
COMPETENCY IN GIVING JOBS TO THE VERY PEOPLE WHO SERVES THAT COMES WITH ATTENDING AN HBCU. I SUPPORT THE PURPOSE OF PROPOSAL AS A NIECE, AS A COUSIN TO SEVERAL FEMALES IN MY OPINION WHO WOULD SEND TO CLERK
IN HOW IN OUR ALUMS I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE IT HERE IN BOSTON. THANK YOU FOR A TIME TO SPEAK. THANK YOU SHOULD MAKE UP. WE'RE GOING TO TAKE SHARON HINTON ON ZOOM AND WE'RE GOING
TO GO BACK TO IN-PERSON TESTIMONY. GOOD EVENING. CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME? YEP, WE CAN HEAR YOU. SHARON, HOW YOU DOING? OKAY. HI. MY NAME IS SHARON HINTON.
I AM AN EDUCATOR OF OVER 45 YEARS IN BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS, CHILDREN IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. I'M ALSO THE FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF BLACK CITIZENS MATTER.
I AM ALSO FORMERLY A FACULTY ADVISOR TO PHI BETA SIGMA FRATERNITY INC. I'VE BEEN CHAPTER AND I TAUGHT FOR 12 YEARS AT NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY. TEN OF THEM WERE AT THE JOHN B
O'BRIEN AFRICAN-AMERICAN INSTITUTE. SO I HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE THE MASTER DOCTORAL CANDIDATE UNIVERSITY AND A CANDIDATE FOR CITY COUNCIL IN DISTRICT FIVE
AND SAYING THAT TO LAY THE GROUNDWORK OF SOME HISTORY. MY FATHER WAS ONE OF THE ARCHITECTS OF OPERATION EXODUS WHICH BECAME METCO. AND I'M OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER WHEN WE COULDN'T GO TO SCHOOL
TOGETHER WITH BLACK CHILDREN. I AM SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THIS BILL. HOWEVER, THERE ARE SOME CAVEATS. I DID LISTEN TO SOME OF THE COMMENTS ABOUT YOU JUST CAN'T TAKE. MORE THAN JUST GETTING A DEGREE
IN A MAJORITY BLACK COLLEGE UNIVERSITY WITH MAJORITY BLACK COLLEGES PER COLLEGE STUDENTS AND WITH FACULTY WE HAVE PLACES HERE AND EXPERIENCES HERE IN
THE BLACK COMMUNITY. THE TOPOGRAPHICAL CENTER WAS AN AFTER SCHOOL AFRICAN-AMERICAN AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM DURING THE 60 THAT HELPED THESE PROGRAMS. SO I'M GOING TO BWI IS A
PREDOMINANTLY WHITE INSTITUTION. I GRADUATED FROM COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL WHICH AT THAT TIME WAS PREDOMINATELY WHITE WEALTHY AND FEMALE.
AND SO MY EXPERIENCES WITH MY FATHER IN EXODUS WITH DESEGREGATION, WORKING IN SCHOOLS, BEING A TEACHER AND AS STUDENTS AND AND ACTUALLY A STUDENT AND STILL A TEACHER NOW
I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT THERE ARE SCHOOLS AND INSTITUTIONS. THE PAGE ACADEMY IS PREDOMINATELY BLACK AND IT'S A BLACK FOUNDED IT'S NOT A HBCU, IT'S DEFINITELY A BLACK SCHOOL THAT NEEDS THE SUPPORT OF THE
BLACK COMMUNITY. WE HAVE A COMMUNITY COLLEGE HERE AND I'M WONDERING WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO TO SUPPORT THAT. THE JAIME O'BRIEN AFRICAN-AMERICAN INSTITUTE WHICH IS THAT NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY WHERE I TAUGHT AND
WAS AN ACADEMIC ADVISOR BRYAN KNOWS THAT HE'S ONE OF MY STUDENTS THERE IS UNDER ATTACK AT A LARGELY WHITE INSTITUTION THAT IS AFRAID OF LOSING SOME
FUNDING ALONG WITH SOME OF THE IVORY TOWER YOU KNOW, SCHOOLS, IVY LEAGUE SCHOOLS. I ALMOST TRANSFERRED TO HOWARD BECAUSE THE ATMOSPHERE OF BEING A PREDOMINANTLY BLACK
ATMOSPHERE IN A PREDOMINATELY BLACK CITY AT THAT TIME D.C. WAS CHOCOLATE CITY JUST FELT SAFE AND VERY ENCOURAGING AND VERY SUPPORTIVE. I DIDN'T GO THERE OR TO AN HBCU BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE
MONEY, THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE FUNDING AS MUCH AS I WANTED BECAUSE OF THE EXPERIENCE I COULDN'T AFFORD I COULDN'T EVEN AFFORD THE MONEY FOR ALL OF THE ADMISSIONS FEES THAT YOU HAD TO DO. I KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE IN
A PREDOMINATELY BLACK ATMOSPHERE AT THE JOHN DOE BRYANT PARK WITH THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. OUR PROGRAM WAS TO BRING BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS STUDENTS WHO SATISFIED THE 2.0 GPA AND THEN
FOR YEARS HELPED ME GET INTO THE CLASSES THAT THEY NEEDED THE TRANSFER INTO THE MAJOR THAT THEY WANTED WAS ENGINEERING OR LAW OR BUSINESS FOR PHARMACOLOGY OR WHATEVER. SO I'M IN SUPPORT OF THIS BILL
WITH A CERTAIN CAVEAT. I ALSO REMEMBER THE CLARE MUHAMMAD SCHOOL WHICH IS THE MAJORITY BLACK SCHOOL. THERE WAS A MAGNOLIA STREET CONNECTED TO THE NATION
OF ISLAM AND SO WE AND ALSO THE PEOPLE'S ACADEMY WHICH HAS BEEN STRUGGLING TO GET FUNDING FROM THE CITY AND IT IS A TECHNICAL VOCATIONAL SCHOOL IT'S IN DORCHESTER FOUNDED BY A BLACK
MAN WHO HAS UNIQUE SKILLS THAT ARE NOT FOUND IN CORPORATE ARTISTRY ACROSS THE NATION AND A MAIN INSTRUCTED BY A BLACK MAN WHO'S STRUGGLING IN THE CITY GETTING FUNDING FROM THE
CITY, SO FORTH TO GO SOMEPLACE ELSE AND PUT OUR MONEY SOMEPLACE ELSE TO TO AN EXPERIENCE THAT DEFINITELY BLACK STUDENTS NEED. I THINK IN PUTTING THINGS WE
NEED TO LOOK AT WHAT WE HAVE HERE IN OUR BACKYARD FIRST THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE ALREADY HERE RCC NEEDS HELP. MADISON PARK NEEDS HELP. THERE ARE INITIATIVES HERE AND MY NIECE GRADUATED FROM
SPELMAN. THE PASTORS SENIOR PASTOR OF MY CHURCH PHILLY GRAD GRADUATED FROM MOREHOUSE AND I DO HAVE EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH THE CHARITIES AND SORORITY SISTERS OF THE DIVINE NINE AND I LOVE
GOING TO THE NATION WEEK AT MARTHA'S VINEYARD WHERE THE ONLY PEOPLE ARE BLACK FROM ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN THE WORLD SPEND MONEY. SO I UNDERSTAND THAT. AND MALCOLM SAID ONLY A FOOL ALLOWS WITH ANY MEANS EDUCATING CHILDREN.
WE HAVE ALLOWED IT TO HAPPEN WHICH IS WHY THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY PEOPLE ON THE ZOOM CALL AND IN THIS FORUM THAT HAVE NO IDEA OF THE GREATNESS OF BLACK PEOPLE. WHEN I SAY BLACK PEOPLE I'M INCLUDING EVERYONE IN THE
DIASPORA BUT I'M SPECIFICALLY FOCUSING ON BLACK BOSTONIANS WITH THE FIRST PUBLIC SCHOOL, THE FIRST POLICE FORCE, THE FIRST SUBWAY SYSTEM WITH THE FIRST IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
SO WE AND WE DO HAVE BUT THERE'S NO REGULAR TOURS TO BE USED FOR PUBLIC STUDENTS AND PRIVATE STUDENTS FROM THE METRO SYSTEM, FROM THE PUBLIC SYSTEM AND FROM SOME OF THE PRIVATE SCHOOLS. THAT IS A DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE
FROM COLLEGES AND FROM HERE I SUPPORT THIS INITIATIVE AS AN EDUCATOR AS HOPEFULLY A POTENTIAL CITY COUNCILOR THAT WILL BE WORKING WITH YOU GUYS THERE AND A BOSTONIAN AND A
BLACK AMERICAN. I DEFINITELY WHATEVER I CAN DO TO SUPPORT YOU BUT BUT THERE'S SOME CAVEATS YOU WILL NOT GET THE BLACK EXPERIENCE IN BOSTON THAT YOU GET IN AN HBCU. YOU CAN MANUFACTURE IT A LITTLE
BIT BUT IT IS UNDER FIRE AND THAT'S NO JOKE AND THIS ADMINISTRATION IS GOING ANYWHERE. BUT EVEN WITHOUT THIS ADMINISTRATION THERE HISTORICALLY WERE PROBLEMS IN THE CULTURE OF BOSTON LAST YEAR
WHEN I'M AT MARTHA'S VINEYARD AND I WAS TALKING TO PEOPLE WHERE YOU RUN AND THEY WERE SAYING HOLD IT, HOLD IT, LET ME FINISH. I'M WRAPPING UP. EVEN WHEN I TALK TO PEOPLE THAT WERE DOWN IN MARTHA'S VINEYARD
WHEN I TOLD THEM THAT I CAME FROM BOSTON, THEY LIKE OH YEAH, WE KNOW ABOUT BOSTON. SO THERE'S A CULTURE IN BOSTON THAT HAS TO BE ALSO CHANGED IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF ANY MAJORITY BLACK
INSTITUTION, EDUCATION OR OTHERWISE IN BOSTON. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SHARON. APPRECIATE YOUR TESTIMONY. I WANT TO GO BACK TO IN-PERSON
AS WELL TO REMIND FOLKS I MEAN USUALLY WE WOULD WE'RE PRETTY STRICT ON 2 MINUTES TODAY BECAUSE IT'S SUCH AN IMPORTANT TOPIC THAT I KNOW YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAVE COME FROM MANY WAYS TO BE HERE WHERE WE'RE BEING
FACTUAL ABOUT THAT. BUT I JUST WANT TO REMIND FOLKS TO JUST TRY TO BE MINDFUL OF OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE WAITING AND SO WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK
TO IN-PERSON STARTING WITH MELISSA HECTOR. WE'RE GOING TO GO THEN TO HERBERT JONES AND JANICE MCMANUS.
SO THOSE THREE INDIVIDUALS WILL TAKE IN-PERSON I GOT MELISSA HECTOR HERBERT JONES AND JANICE MCMANUS. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING.
GOOD EVENING, COUNSELOR SANTANA AND COUNCILOR WORLAND, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HOSTING THIS SESSION TODAY AND COUNCILOR WELL THANK YOU FOR THE IDEA OF THE HBCU SATELLITE CAMPUS. SO I STATED MY NAME IS MELISSA
HECTOR AND MY TESTIMONY IS ONE ON THAT HBCU SHOULD EXIST AND SHOULD EXIST WITH RESOURCES HERE IN BOSTON BEFORE I START THAT TESTIMONY THOUGH, I THINK
I WOULD BE REMISS IN MY 85 YEAR OLD HISTORIAN FATHER WOULD BE ABLE TO DIVIDE IT AND TALK ABOUT RCC IN MY OPINION AS A HISTORICALLY BLACK INSTITUTION THERE'S A LOT OF CONGRESS, A
LOT OF TESTIMONIES THAT HAVE BEEN HAD AND TALK ABOUT THAT THERE IS NOTHING THAT EXISTS HERE AND I THINK THAT WE REALLY HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT ROXBURY COMMUNITY COLLEGE WAS FOUNDED AND CREATED TO SUPPORT BLACK PEOPLE
UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS HERE IN BOSTON WHO WERE NOT ABLE TO GET AN EDUCATION OR WERE DENIED EDUCATION OF OTHER INSTITUTIONS HERE IN THIS CITY AND THAT TOOK
PLACE OVER 50 YEARS AGO STARTING IN 1969 AND BEING FOUNDED IN 1973. SO I THINK WHEN WE REALLY CONSIDER THIS CONVERSATION UNDERSTANDING AND PROMOTING THE
HISTORY OF ADVOCACY THAT HAS BEEN DONE TO ENSURE THAT BLACK PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO AN EDUCATION HERE THE RCC I THINK HAS BEEN THAT FOUNDATION AND SHOULD BE THE CATALYST FOR SOME
SORT OF PIPELINE PROGRAM FOR THIS SATELLITE CAMPUS OPPORTUNITY. SO HERE'S MY MY TESTIMONY ONE HP USE HBCU IN BOSTON SHOULD
EXIST WITH RESOURCES HAVING FINANCIAL SUPPORT, SCHOLARLY PROFESSORSHIP AND UNCENSORED CULTURAL AFFAIRS. I GREW UP IN ROXBURY.
I'M A CURRENT RESIDENT AND HOMEOWNER IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF GROVE HALL. I'M A GRADUATE OF ENGLISH HIGH SCHOOL AND I HOLD THREE DEGREES FROM THREE PWI AS ARE PREDOMINANTLY WHITE
INSTITUTIONS. I GRADUATED FROM BENTLEY UNIVERSITY UNDERGRAD. I RECEIVED MY FIRST MASTER'S FROM NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY AND I RECENTLY GRADUATED FROM BOSTON UNIVERSITY WITH AN MBA.
I SHARE THESE NOT ONLY BECAUSE I'M A PROUD I'M PROUD OF THE EDUCATION I RECEIVED BUT BECAUSE MY STORY IS A TESTIMONY OF LIVING IN A PREDOMINANTLY
BLACK COMMUNITY AND GOING TO A PREDOMINANTLY WHITE INSTITUTION AND IN EXPERIENCING EXTREME CULTURE SHOCK I'M THANKFUL FOR THE EDUCATION I RECEIVE THAT THESE INSTITUTIONS IT'S MOLDED
ME AND SHAPED ME TO WHO I AM AS A LEADER. BUT AS A YOUTH IN BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS I ALWAYS HAD A STRONG DESIRE TO ATTEND A HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY.
I WENT ON AN HBCU BLACK COLLEGE TOUR WHERE I WAS ABLE TO VISIT OVER 20 INSTITUTIONS THROUGHOUT THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE MASON-DIXON LINE AND THE SOUTH
AND WASN'T AWED BY THE CULTURE THAT I SAW AND LEARNING ABOUT THE AMAZING PEOPLE THAT GRADUATED FROM THESE INSTITUTIONS. I MADE A DECISION TO GO TO AN INSTITUTION THAT WAS
PREDOMINANTLY WHITE DUE TO FINANCIAL REASONS. THE LACK OF FINANCIAL AID THAT WAS OFFERED BY THE HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES WAS VERY LOW TO MINIMUM AND THERE WAS EXTREME
DISPROPORTIONATE RATE OF FINANCIAL AID THAT WAS OFFERED TO IN-STATE STUDENTS OR IN IT RATHER THAN OUT-OF-STATE STUDENTS. AND I RECEIVED A LOT MORE GRANT
FUNDING IN MY FINANCIAL AID FROM THE COLLEGES THAT I WENT TO THAT WERE NOT HISTORICALLY BLACK. AND SO I BELIEVE THAT AS WE'RE CONSIDERING CREATING THIS
OPPORTUNITY THAT WE REALLY THINK ABOUT HOW WE'RE PROVIDING RESOURCES TO STUDENTS THAT ARE GOING TO BE POSSIBLY ATTENDING ,HOW ARE WE SETTING SETTING STUDENTS UP FOR AS MUCH SUCCESS AS POSSIBLE?
HOW ARE WE ENSURING THAT WE'RE NOT CAUSING OR HAVING ANY ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL BURDENS ON ANY STUDENTS CONSIDERING THE COST OF LIVING HERE IN THE STATE? I THINK THAT THERE IS A GREAT
OPPORTUNITY AS I MENTIONED EARLIER TO CONSIDER A PIPELINE PROGRAM WITH ROXBURY COMMUNITY COLLEGE WHERE YES, NOT ALL STUDENTS MAY BE WANTING TO GO
TO A TWO YEAR INSTITUTION AS THEIR FIRST ROUTE BUT PERHAPS FOR THOSE THAT MIGHT BE THEIR FIRST ROUTE THERE'S SOME PIPELINE INSTITUTION THAT IS CONNECTED FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD I'M SORRY CONNECTED TO ANOTHER INSTITUTION THAT IS ALREADY
ACCREDITED AS A HBCU. WE CURRENTLY SEE PROGRAMS LIKE THAT BETWEEN SPELMAN AND WELLESLEY HERE AND SO THERE'S A GREAT POSSIBILITY TO HAVE THAT BE HAD.
AND LASTLY I'LL SAY THAT HPC USE DON'T ONLY HAVE TO EXIST IN THE SOUTH THAT THEY CAN TO EXIST IN THE NORTH. I THINK THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE REALLY NEED TO ENSURE
IS THAT WE'RE PROMOTING A GREAT DEAL OF WHAT IT MEANS TO EXPERIENCE A FULL ROUNDED HOLISTIC EDUCATION WHEN YOU'RE WITH PEOPLE WHO LOOK LIKE YOU AND WHEN YOU'RE TAUGHT AND
EDUCATED BY SOMEONE WHO LOOKS LIKE YOU. MY CULTURE SHOCK HAD A GREAT DEAL AND A GREAT A LOT OF LEARNING A LOT OF LEARNING THAT HELPED ME TO BE ABLE TO
LIVE IN THE IN THE WORLD OF WORK THAT I LIVE IN TODAY. BUT HAD I HAD PROFESSORS THAT THAT LOOKED LIKE ME OR COME FROM COMMUNITIES THAT I COME FROM, I THINK THAT WOULD HAVE
CAUSED A LOT LESS STRESS FACTORS IN MY LIFE. AND SO NATURALLY I GRAVITATED TOWARDS PROFESSORS THAT HAD SOME SORT OF SIMILAR DUTIES THAT I DID SO THAT I COULD HAVE
A MORE CONNECTION AND FEEL TO THE INSTITUTION I WAS AT. AND THE LAST PIECE I'LL SAY IS THAT I'M ALSO AN EDUCATOR MYSELF. I'M A PART TIME OR I SERVED AND PART TIME EDUCATION ROLES AT
BENTLEY UNIVERSITY AT URBAN COLLEGE AND MOST RECENTLY AT TUFTS UNIVERSITY. SO EDUCATION IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME. I KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE A STUDENT AND I KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO TEACH. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MELISSA.
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE AND TO HAVE HERBERT JONES . GOOD AFTERNOON COUNSELORS. THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
I INITIALLY HAD NOT PLANNED TO TESTIFY BUT I DID WANT TO SAY AFTER LISTENING AND HEARING PEOPLE I COME FROM A VERY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE TODAY BECAUSE I AM NOT A NATIVE
BOSTONIAN. I GREW UP IN RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, THE CAPITAL OF THE CONFEDERACY AND CAME TO BOSTON TO GO TO COLLEGE. SO IT WAS SORT OF THE OPPOSITE
BUT MY LIFE WAS VERY MUCH IMPACTED AND SHAPED BY HBCU'S. RICHMOND IS THE HOME OF VIRGINIA UNION VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY WHERE I SPENT MY FIRST COUPLE OF SUMMER JOBS .
MY SIBLINGS TWO OF MY SIBLINGS ATTENDED AND GRADUATED FROM HOWARD UNIVERSITY AND RIGHT DOWN THE STREET MOST OF MY MOST OF MY TEACHERS IN K THROUGH 12
WERE EDUCATED AT HBCU AS A LARGELY VIRGINIA STATE VIRGINIA UNION IN HAMPTON HOWARD AND MORGAN. BUT AND I SAY THAT TO SAY THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK
THAT ONE OF THE REASONS I SUPPORT BRINGING AN HBCU TO BOSTON IN SOME WAY, SHAPE OR FORM IS THAT IT'S AN HBCU IS NOT JUST ABOUT THE EDUCATION ON
CAMPUS BUT IT'S ABOUT THE COMMUNITY THAT THAT THAT THAT CAMPUS CAN CREATE THAT SPREADS BEYOND THE BOUNDS OF THE CAMPUS. I DO REMEMBER THAT SO MUCH
OF WHAT WENT ON IN THE COMMUNITY CENTERS WAS FUELED BY AND SUPPORTED BY THE HBCUS IN THE AREA THAT A LOT OF THE CULTURAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT
GREW OUT OF THE CITY GREW IN THE CITY AND WERE PLANTED IN THE VARIOUS COMMUNITIES WERE SPONSORED AND SUPPORTED BY THOSE HBCU'S IN THE AREA AND AND HAVING BEEN HERE IN BOSTON
FOR ABOUT 40 YEARS NOW AND HAVING WORKED WITH YOUNG PEOPLE OVER THE COURSE OF THOSE 40 YEARS, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE ALWAYS TRIED TO DO IS TO SHARE WITH THEM OPPORTUNITIES THAT I DIDN'T HAVE WHERE ACCESS
IS THAT I DIDN'T HAVE AND UNFORTUNATELY THOSE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO I'VE WORKED WITH OVER THE YEARS WHO FOUND THEIR WAY TO AN HBCU WERE SO ENTHRALLED WITH IT THAT THEY
MOST OF THEM CHOSE NOT TO COME BACK TO BOSTON AND I THINK IF THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT COULD GIVE THEM THAT KIND OF EXPOSURE HERE IN THE BOSTON AREA THAT THEY WOULD NOT NEED TO LEAVE TO GO AND FIND THAT THEY COULD
HAVE THAT HERE ALREADY AND BEGIN TO BUILD THOSE BRIDGES BETWEEN THEIR COMMUNITY AND WHAT THE SCHOOL HAS TO OFFER. SO I AM HERE TO STAND IN SUPPORT OF WHATEVER WE CAN DO
TO CREATE SOME SORT OF OPPORTUNITY, SOME SORT OF HBCU LIKE CAMPUS OR ATMOSPHERE OR BUT MOSTLY THAT COMMUNITY CONNECTION THAT HBCUS ARE KNOWN FOR AND THAT HAVE THEY FOSTERED OVER THEIR
HISTORIES. THANK YOU ALSO THANK YOU. NEXT UP WE HAVE JANICE AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO AFTER JANICE ARE
GOING TO HAVE WHAT I BELIEVE DR. JONATHAN JEFFERSON AND DR. JABBAR JAMAL DORRY TOMORROW AFTER A WHILE. SO JANICE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. THE FLOOR.
GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU FOR SPONSORING THIS INTERESTING EVENT. I AM NOT FROM BOSTON BUT I WILL SHARE SOME HISTORICAL INFORMATION.
I AM A DESCENDANT OF THE EX-SLAVES ON MY MOTHER'S AND FATHER'S SIDE FROM SOUTH CAROLINA. SO HBCU ISSUES ARE DEFINITELY PART OF MY CULTURE.
NOT ONLY WERE THERE HBCU'S BUT THERE WERE ALSO HBCU ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY STUDENTS BOSTON HAS PLAYED A PART IN THE
EDUCATION IN THE EX-SLAVES. THE TEACHER IN BOSTON, MRS. CRAIN SHE LOVED TEACHING BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO GO TO THE
MATHER SCHOOL IN BUFORD, SOUTH CAROLINA, WHERE MY MOTHER GRADUATED THE SCHOOL UNTIL THE 1960S FROM THE 1860S AND IT WAS
GEARED TOWARD THE EDUCATION OF THESE DESCENDANTS OF THE EX-SLAVES. THE LEGACY ALSO FROM SOME OF MY FAMILY MEMBERS TAUGHT THERE
HAVE GONE TO DIFFERENT HBCU WAS THERE WAS A RUMOR THAT ROXBURY COMMUNITY COLLEGE HAS BEEN LISTED AS AN HBCU A SATELLITE
EXPERIENCE BE A VERY GOOD EXPERIENCE. BUT AGAIN THE CULTURE AND EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS IS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT HAPPENS ON
A PREDOMINANTLY WHITE CAMPUS. MY OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE IS ONE OF MY GREAT GRANDFATHERS. AFTER THE END OF SLAVERY HE DECIDED THAT HE WANTED TO LEARN
TO READ BECAUSE THAT WAS PRIVILEGED AT THE TIME AND HE STAYED ON THE PLANTATION SO HE COULD TAKE THE CHILDREN THE WHITE CHILDREN TO SCHOOL SO HE COULD LEARN TO READ.
THERE HAVE BEEN MANY AGREEMENTS BETWEEN HBCU'S AND INSTITUTIONS IN THE NORTH PARTICULARLY I THINK HARVARD HAD ONE AND MIT HAD ONE WITH THE STUDENTS
GRADUATED AND THEIR UNDERGRADUATE EXPERIENCE THEY WOULD COME TO BOSTON TO THOSE SCHOOLS FOR THEIR MASTERS AND
PHDS. TRADITIONALLY HBCU'S GOT MOST OF THEIR SUPPORT FROM THE BLACK CHURCHES AND ALSO FROM WHITE PHILANTHROPY.
P SO I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE FUNDING WILL BE AND AGAIN THESE TWO SCHOOLS HAVE AN EXISTENCE FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS. SO IF WE'RE STARTING SOMETHING NEW IT MIGHT LOOK A LITTLE BIT
DIFFERENT IN TERMS OF WHAT THESE SCHOOLS WOULD BE HERE FOR . YOU HAVE TO TALK ABOUT RECRUITMENT OF STUDENTS, RETENTION OF THE STUDENTS AND THE CAMPUS AND I HAD WORKED IN
THE METCO PROGRAM AND SOME OF MY STUDENTS DID GO TO HBCU. THE CULTURE WAS SO DIFFERENT FROM THEM HAVING GONE TO A PREDOMINATELY WHITE SCHOOL AND GOING TO SCHOOL AND THEY HAD TO
COME BACK AND SO I HAVE HEARD THAT STORY BEFORE. SO ALSO THE MOVEMENT FOR PREDOMINANTLY BLACK EDUCATION DR. CARTER G.
WOODSON SPENT A TIME AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY. THEN HE SAID THERE'S SOMETHING MISSING FROM THIS EDUCATION AND HE STARTED A BLACK HISTORY ORGANIZATION. W.E.B. DUBOIS WAS AT HARVARD.
SO AND PEOPLE TALKED ABOUT THE ABOLITIONIST MOVEMENT AND ABOLITION IN BOSTON. SO THOSE ARE SOME OF MY THOUGHTS ON RIGHT NOW ON HBCU
IN BOSTON. THANK YOU FOR SHARING. LET ME SHARE MY THOUGHTS WITH YOU. OH, THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR SHARING AND
TESTIFYING, DR. JEFFERSON AND THEN WE'LL HAVE DR. CAMARA. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. MY NAME IS JONATHAN JEFFERSON
AND I'M THE CURRENT PRESIDENT OF ROXBURY COMMUNITY COLLEGE. I THINK THAT CONTEXT IS IMPORTANT AND TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND YOUR HISTORY ARE IMPORTANT.
YOU KNOW THE MOVEMENT TO CREATE ROXBURY COMMUNITY COLLEGE STARTED IN 1969 I BELIEVE IT WAS 69 OR 68. BUT IF YOU REALIZE THAT THAT
MOVEMENT WOULD HAVE STARTED FIVE YEARS EARLIER AND ACTUALLY HAD BEEN CARRIED TO FRUITION, THE ROXBURY COMMUNITY COLLEGE WOULD ACTUALLY BE AN HBCU. THE ONLY REASON THAT IT IS NOT
AN HBCU IS BECAUSE IT WAS CHARTERED IN 1973 AND NOT BEFORE 1964. IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO KNOW
THAT ROXBURY WAS CREATED IN THE SAME ILK THAT MANY HBCU'S WERE CREATED BLACK FOLKS NEEDED AN EDUCATION. BLACK BOSTONIANS DID NOT A
HIGHWAY GOING THROUGH WHICH NEIGHBORHOOD AND PROTESTED THAT HIGHWAY AND SAID INSTEAD WE WANT AN EDUCATION, AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHER LEARNING WHERE BLACK FOLKS CAN GO AND
GET AN EDUCATION. 52 YEARS AGO TO THIS DAY, ROXBURY COMMUNITY COLLEGE WAS FOUNDED. IT IS THE ONLY PREDOMINANTLY BLACK INSTITUTION IN ALL OF NEW
ENGLAND. 90% OF THE STUDENTS WHO ATTEND ROXBURY A COMMUNITY COLLEGE I STUDENTS OF COLOR. 80% OF THE STUDENTS WHO ATTEND ROXBURY COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARE
BLACK, AFRICAN OR AFRICAN-AMERICAN OR OF AFRICAN DESCENT. WE ARE YOUR HBCU.
CONTEXT IS IMPORTANT. THE OTHER THINGS THAT YOU NEED TO BE AWARE OF IS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE ARTICULATE IN AGREEMENTS WITH OTHER SCHOOLS. WE'VE HAD FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS
AND ARTICULATION AGREEMENT WITH DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY WHICH HAPPENS TO BE THE CLOSEST HBCU TO US. THE END ON FRIDAY WE WILL BE SIGNING ARTICULATION AGREEMENT
WITH JOHNSON C SMITH UNIVERSITY FROM CHARLOTTE AND CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA. THAT AGREEMENT WILL BE IN AN HISTORIC AGREEMENT BECAUSE NOT
ONLY ARE STUDENTS AT THROUGH ROXBURY WILL GET DIRECT ADMISSION TO JOHNSON C SMITH UNIVERSITY BY THE WAY THE AGREEMENT WE HAVE WITH DELAWARE THEY GET DIRECT ADMITTED TO DELAWARE STATE ALSO BUT WE WILL
BE ALL WE WILL ALSO BE EXPLORING WAYS TO WHICH TO BRING A SATELLITE CAMPUS OF JOHNSON C SMITH TO ROXBURY COMMUNITY COLLEGE. WE WILL BE EXPLORING WAYS TO DO
JOINT TEACHING USING VIRTUAL REALITY A.I. AND OTHER AND BANDWIDTH OPPORTUNITIES. THIS IS A TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY FOR THIS CITY.
MANY PEOPLE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THE MISSING ELEMENT OF AN HBCU. BUT I SHOULD BACK UP FOR A MOMENT BECAUSE IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR ME FOR YOU TO KNOW THAT I AM A PRODUCT
OF MOREHOUSE COLLEGE. I GRADUATED FROM MOREHOUSE COLLEGE IN 1982 WITH A DEGREE IN MATHEMATICS AND THEN WENT FROM MOREHOUSE TO CORNELL AND GOT A DEGREE IN ENGINEERING.
SPECIFICALLY OPERATIONS RESEARCH AND INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING. I WORKED FOR AT&T BELL LABORATORIES WHICH WAS THE PREMIER R&D ORGANIZATION IN THIS COUNTRY AT THE TIME.
WHY DO I TELL YOU THIS? BECAUSE I GOT PREPARATION TO GO TO CORNELL AND I HAD THE AUDACITY TO GO WORK FOR AT&T. AT&T BELL LABORATORIES BECAUSE
I GRADUATED FROM MOREHOUSE COLLEGE. I'M ALSO THE FORMER DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AT ALBANY STATE UNIVERSITY IN ALBANY, GEORGIA, WHICH IS AN HBCU AND
THE FORMER DEAN OF THE OF BUSINESS AT CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA ,WHICH IS THE LARGEST PRIVATE HBCU. I'M NOT SAYING THIS TO YOU TO
BRAG. I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXT MATTERS. I KNOW WHAT IT WHAT RUNNING AN HBCU IS LIKE BECAUSE I WORKED
AT TWO OF THEM. I KNOW THE FEELING OF AN HBCU BECAUSE I GRADUATED FROM ONE OF THEM WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY CAME TO BECOME THE PRESIDENT OF ROXBURY COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
I THANK GOD AND I WAS VERY, VERY PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO BE SELECTED AS THE 18TH PRESIDENT OF THIS WONDERFUL INSTITUTION. I ALWAYS WANTED TO BE THE PRESIDENT OF AN HBCU.
WENT ALL KINDS OF PROGRAMS TO BECOME AN HBCU PRESIDENT. BUT MY LOT WAS CAST HERE WITH ROXBURY COMMUNITY COLLEGE. WE WILL MAKE ROXBURY INTO
WHATEVER ROXBURY NEEDS TO BE FOR THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS. BUT PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT IF YOU WANT YOUR HBCU THEN BUILD IT AT THE ONE THAT YOU ALREADY
HAVE. WE ARE BRINGING IN THE HBCU USE TO THE COMMONWEALTH. LET US DO THAT WORK WITH US, SUPPORT US AND LET'S BUILD A
BIGGER, BETTER HBCU. WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE IN THE COMMONWEALTH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU DR. JOSEPH JOHNSON
FOR BEING HERE FOR YOUR TESTIMONY.
NEXT UP WE HAVE DR. CAMARA. AFTER THAT, DR. KLEIN, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ANDRE SPENCE AND MARLON SOLOMON.
THOSE ARE THE IF YOU IF YOU ARE HERE AND HAVING TESTIFIED I WANT TO TESTIFY, PLEASE SIGN UP AT THE ENTRANCE. DR. KLEIN, I THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH COUNSELOR SANTANA AND COUNSELOR WEIL FOR HOSTING THIS DISCUSSION. I THINK IT'S OBVIOUSLY VERY TIMELY FROM THE LEVEL
OF PARTICIPATION YOU'VE HAD BOTH ONLINE AS WELL AS HERE. AND IT'S ONE THAT DEEPLY
CONCERNS ME AS A RESIDENT OF OUR COMMUNITY FOR SEVERAL DECADES HERE HAVING COME TO
BOSTON SOME ALMOST 40 YEARS AGO NOW AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS, BOSTON. AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DR.
JEFFERSON, FOR YOUR. I THINK THEY'RE VERY TIMELY AND APPROPRIATE GIVEN THE CONTEXT OF WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING.
I WOULD TRY TO BE BRIEF EVEN THOUGH I HAVE A LOT TO SAY ON THIS ISSUE. BUT THE NOTATIONS THAT DR.
JEFFERSON MADE WITH REGARD TO RCC I THINK ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AS WE'RE ENGAGING A CONVERSATION ABOUT HBCU'S AND
THE GREATER BOSTON COMMUNITY AND THE FACT THAT WHEN WE SPEAK ABOUT HBCU WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A LEGAL ENTITY A LEGAL ENTITY
THAT IS DEFINED BY KIND OF CRITERIA THAT EXIST IN OTHER PLACES THAN HERE. AND THEREFORE BUILDING BRIDGES
WITH THOSE TO HAVE SUCH AN ENTITY HERE BECOMES THE CONTEXT OR THE FRAMEWORK WITHIN WHICH WE WOULD OPERATE WITH REGARD TO USING THAT LANGUAGE.
BUT THERE'S OTHER LANGUAGE THAT WE CAN UTILIZE TO ENGAGE THE CONVERSATION. FOR ME THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENT
OF THE CONVERSATION IS AROUND THE ISSUE OF FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION WHAT IS IT THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE?
THAT MUST BE THE THE FOCUS OF THE CONVERSATION AND THE DISCUSSION FROM THAT AND THE ANSWERS TO MANY OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE BEING RAISED EARLIER. THEN WE SHOULD STEP BACK AND
SAY WHAT IS THE FORM OF A STRUCTURE, AN INSTITUTION THAT WILL ALLOW US TO ACHIEVE THOSE OBJECTIVES HIGHER EDUCATION SERVES THREE CRITICAL FUNCTIONS.
I AS I SUGGESTED HAVE TAUGHT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS FOR ALMOST 40 YEARS. I CAME HERE FROM A PREDOMINANTLY WHITE INSTITUTION TO SERVE AS THE DEAN OF THE
COLLEGE OF PUBLIC AND COMMUNITY SERVICE, AN INSTITUTION THAT HAD BEEN SET UP AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS FOR ALMOST 40 YEARS.
AND I CAME FOR ONE REASON BECAUSE THE COLLEGE WAS SET UP PEDAGOGICALLY IN THE FRAMEWORK OF BEING ABLE TO REACH OUT AND
TO TEACH PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITIES FROM ACROSS THE GREATER BOSTON AREA USING PEDAGOGICAL FRAMEWORK THAT HAD NO GRADES. IT WAS STRUCTURED AROUND A
MODEL OF COMPETENCY BASED EDUCATION. THE FOCUS WAS ON WHAT WHEN YOU LEAVE THIS INSTITUTION WHAT YOU DO.
AND WE BEGAN TO TEACH TO A SET OF SKILLS ACROSS SKILL AREAS THEN USING WHAT BODIES OF KNOWLEDGE GENERALLY AN
INSTITUTIONS WE CALL THOSE DISCIPLINES THROUGH WHAT BODIES OF KNOWLEDGE CAN YOU TEACH TWO SETS OF SKILLS SO THAT STUDENTS WHO ARE GRADUATING CAN DO SOMETHING IN THE ACQUISITION
OF THOSE SKILLS LEADS TO CERTAIN CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN ASSESSING WHAT THOSE ARE TRANSITIONS OVER HISTORICAL TIME, THE CONVERSATION OF EDUCATION WITHIN OUR
COMMUNITY IS ONE THAT HAS GONE ON FOR SEVERAL CENTURIES ACTUALLY. AND WE'VE OFTEN PITCHED THE NOTION OF BOOKER T'S MODEL
VERSUS W.E.B. DUBOIS. DUBOIS TALKED ABOUT THE CREATION OF A TALENT TO TEN BASED UPON A LIBERAL ARTS FRAMEWORK. WELL, BOOKER T TALKED ABOUT
SKILL ACQUISITION IN INSTITUTIONS THAT HAD BEEN SET UP AFTER THE CIVIL WAR AND SO FORTH. BUT THE FRAMEWORK OF THE CONVERSATION SHOULD NOT BE
EITHER OR. IT IS BOTH AND AND AS WE ARE ENGAGED IN THE 21ST CENTURY HERE IN BOSTON IN A IN A IN A
CITY THAT HAS SOME 60 INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION, WE HEAR THE CRY FROM OUR COMMUNITY FROM STUDENTS,
FROM COMMUNITY RESIDENTS TO CREATE A CULTURAL POOL AND AN ENVIRONMENT EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT TO NURTURE OUR STUDENTS. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HEARING.
THE NOTION OF REACHING OUT FOR AN HBCU. WE'VE HEARD TODAY IS BEING MUCH MORE THAN JUST A BLACK CAMPUS. IT'S ABOUT CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT THAT SUPPORTS THAT
NURTURES OUR STUDENTS AND OUR COMMUNITY. BUT IN THE CONTEXT OF LOOKING AT AN EDUCATIONAL STRUCTURE, THERE ARE OTHER DIMENSIONS.
TEACHING IS ONE. AND I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THERE IS A RANGE OF TEACHING OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT. AND COMPETENCY BASED EDUCATION
IS ONE AND I CAN GO INTO A LONG DISSERTATION ABOUT WHAT THAT IS . BUT THE NOTION OF COMPETENCY EDUCATION REMOVES THE STIGMA OF FAILURE. IT IT ALSO INCLUDES NOT JUST
STUDENTS COMING OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL BUT IT INCLUDES ADULT LEARNERS WHO ARE COMING BACK TO SCHOOL AND IT IS ASSUMED THAT YOU ARE BRINGING SOMETHING WITH
YOU NOT SOME VACUOUS BODY BUT RATHER YOU HAVE A WHOLE SERIES OF EXPERIENCES THAT YOU ARE BRINGING AND THAT THOSE SHOULD BE VALUED BY THE INSTITUTION
AND THAT THE EVALUATION OF YOU AS YOU MOVE FORWARD IS BASED UPON YOUR DEMONSTRATION OF BOTH SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE. AND THERE ARE WAYS THAT YOU CAN
DO THAT PEDAGOGICALLY. SO THE PEDAGOGICAL CRITERIA IS ONE THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT IN WHATEVER STRUCTURE WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE. SECONDLY IS THE QUESTION OF RESEARCH.
ANY INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION NOW HAS ITS GENERAL RESEARCH. THAT IS ONE OF THE SOURCES OF REVENUE THAT COMES IN.
AND WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN OUR COMMUNITY RIGHT HERE IN BOSTON IS THAT WE HAVE INSTITUTIONS FROM ALL AROUND THE GREATER BOSTON AREA, MASSACHUSETTS AND
BEYOND WHO COME AND RESEARCH OUR COMMUNITY GENERATE EXTERNAL DOLLARS WHEN THEY GET THE DOLLARS, THE DOLLARS DON'T COME TO OUR COMMUNITY. THEY GO TO THE UNIVERSITY.
THE UNIVERSITY TAKES X PERCENT OFF THE TOP, COME IN SPIRIT, SEND A TEAM OF PEOPLE INTO OUR COMMUNITY, RESEARCH THE PROBLEM AND GO BACK WITH A REPORT AND
WE'RE LEFT WITH THE PROBLEM. WHAT KIND OF AN INSTITUTION ARE WE TO PROPOSING TO TO ESTABLISH AND WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN THE PROCESS OF ENGAGING RESEARCH WITH FACULTY, WITH AN INSTITUTIONAL ADMINISTRATION AND THE COMMUNITY THAT IT IS
SERVING AND WORKING WITH? THAT IS A CENTRAL ISSUE WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT IN RELATIONSHIP TO WHATEVER FORM OF ENTITY WE WISH TO TO CREATE.
THIRDLY IS THE NOTION OF SERVICE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS BOSTON AS PART OF THE AFRICAN STUDIES
DEPARTMENT WE HAVE A CENTER FOR AFRICAN CARIBBEAN AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT THAT HAS BEEN IN EXISTENCE FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS. WE CURRENTLY HAVE A BILL IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE TO RENAME THE
CENTER FOR SENATOR BILL OWENS WHO SERVED IN THE CENTER FOR MORE THAN A DECADE AFTER HE LEFT THE SENATE. THE BILL WOULD ALLOW US TO
BRING BOTH RENAME THE CENTER BUT TO BEGIN TO ENGAGE PAGE WORK ON THE BUILDING AND SHAPING OF SOMETHING WE CALL A
COMMUNE OF OUR CITY AN ENTITY THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO ENGAGE AND WORK WITH A NETWORK OF COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND INSTITUTIONS
TO BEGIN TO PROVIDE SERVICES ACCESS TO RESEARCH AND TRAINING FOR STUDENTS. I WOULD SUGGEST THERE ARE A NUMBER OF MODELS THAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT IN ORDER TO
ANSWER THE INITIAL QUESTION FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION AND WHAT IS THE MOST APPROPRIATE FORM THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO ENGAGE THE NEEDS THAT WE'RE HEARING
FROM OUR COMMUNITY AS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD. I SUPPORT THE BILL THAT HAS BEEN PROPOSED BUT IT IS WITH THIS BROADER DISCUSSION THAT I
THINK OUR COMMUNITY IS LONGING TO ENGAGE IN AND I LOOK FORWARD TO BEING ABLE TO WORK WITH YOU AND TALK ABOUT THIS IN MORE DETAIL. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, DR. CAMARA. WE HAVE TWO MORE PEOPLE WHO ARE TIED UP FOR IN-PERSON TESTIMONY AND THAT WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK TO VIRTUAL THING. WE HAVE THREE PEOPLE WHO ARE
STILL WAITING FOR US. OH, SO NEXT UP WE HAVE ANDRE SPENCE AND MARLON SOLOMON AS WE WANT TO RECOGNIZE CHIEF ALL FOR
BEING HERE. UM, I KNOW YOU'RE YOU'RE HEADING OUT RIGHT NOW, BUT THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU, CHIEF.
UM, SO ANDRE SPENCE AND MARLON SOLOMON DO WE HAVE ANY ANDRE
SPENCE IN THE CHAMBER? OMAR SOLOMON. OKAY.
SEE YOU LATER. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. THANK YOU, COUNCILORS, FOR HAVING THIS MEETING. GOODNESS. I DON'T BLAME ANDRE BECAUSE AFTER THOSE TWO PROFESSORS
SPOKE IT'S KIND OF LIKE BIG SHOES TO FILL. BUT WE THANK THEM FOR THIS SERVICE. AS USUAL, THOSE ARE YOU KNOW ME. MY NAME IS MARLON SIMON. I'M WITH THE AFRO-AMERICAN ACADEMY, THE SENIOR PROJECT
ENGINEER THERE AND FOUNDER ORGANIZATION DOES A LOT OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AROUND AFRICAN-AMERICAN CULTURE HERE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON. WE SERVE MOSTLY UNDER CULTURE A MULTI CULTURAL COMMUNITIES.
WE HAVE A SUMMER PRESCHOOL PROGRAM AND AN AFTERSCHOOL WHERE I'M DEALING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE TODAY SO YOU KNOW, WHEN WE PUT OUT OUR APPLICATIONS WE
GET ABOUT 100 AND WE ADDED THIS YEAR LAST YEAR ABOUT 156 YOUNG PEOPLE THAT APPLIED AND YOU KNOW WHEN YOU HAVE THE AFRO AMERICAN ACADEMY NAME THEY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GETTING SO BUT WE
ONLY ALLOWED 10% ABOUT 16 TO ATTEND. THIS OVERWHELMING GROUNDSWELL OF YOUNG PEOPLE THAT ARE APPLYING TELLS ME ONE VARIABLE THING THAT THEY ARE LONGING FOR
THE CULTURAL GROUNDING OF THE AFRO-AMERICAN ACADEMY BECAUSE AS WE SAY WE HBCU, PWI IS HERE IN BOSTON. WE DO THIS IN OUR LARGER
MISSION AROUND REPAIR AND THE CULTURAL ERASURE OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES HERE IN BOSTON. AND I'M SPEAKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND NOT
BLACK IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES WHICH I AM ALSO HALF A PART OF AS AND A HALF NIGERIAN HALF ARE AFRICAN-AMERICAN. MY MY STUDENTS OF COLOR LEON SPELMAN, LINCOLN CLARK
UNIVERSITY AND OF COURSE I CAME OUT HERE TO RCC AND DEFINITELY FINANCE IS A MAJOR ISSUE. I'VE HAD STUDENTS HAVE TO GO TO PWI DESPITE WHAT THEY BECAUSE
OF THE FINANCIAL ISSUES AND THE ADVANTAGE IS GOING TO PWI METCO STUDENTS FACE PARTICULAR NEED FOR MY ORGANIZATION. A LOT OF TIMES WHEN I SAY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES YOU
THINK OF KIDS THAT MAY BE PERCEIVED TO NOT HAVE WHAT THEY WANT, WHAT THEY NEED AS FAR AS EDUCATION. BUT THE MEDICAL STUDENTS THAT LEAVE THEIR COMMUNITIES EVERY DAY ON ABOUT THREE HOUR ROUND
TRIP EVERY DAY THEY ARE COMPLETELY DISCONNECTED FROM THEIR COMMUNITIES AND WHEN THEY GET THE EDUCATION THAT THEY THAT WE'RE SENDING THEM ACROSS TO THE GREATER BOSTON AREA TO
GET WHEN THEY COME BACK THEY DON'T HAVE AS MUCH CONNECTION TO THE COMMUNITY THAT WE ARE HOPING THAT THEY WOULD INFLUENCE WHEN THEY GET BACK WITH THIS GREAT EDUCATION. SO THAT'S A BIG ISSUE. THEY'RE DOING EVERYTHING FROM
REPRESENTING THEIR WHOLE RACE TO EDUCATING THEIR WHITE TEACHERS ON BLACK ON BLACK CULTURE. I ALWAYS YOU KNOW, AS PEOPLE
MAY KNOW ME A LOT ABOUT THE RED AND URBAN RENEWAL AND I DO THAT BECAUSE I DO BELIEVE THAT THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT ARE INCUBATORS OF CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT AND WHEN YOU DO NOT
HAVE ANY SPACES THAT WHO YOU ARE THEN THAT ALSO SAYS A LOT. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY. SO WHEN WE SAY THESE THINGS ABOUT AFRICAN-AMERICAN CULTURE
YOU HAVE TO REALIZE THAT IN BOSTON THERE ARE NO AFRICAN-AMERICAN CULTURAL HUBS THAT STILL EXIST IN THEIR FULL FASHION AS THEY DID BACK IN THE FIFTIES AND SIXTIES. THERE'S A REASON WHY THE RCC
HAPPENED AT THE TIME THEY DID WAS BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY THAT I STUDY THE COMMUNITY I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE ROXBURY COMMUNITY, LOWER ROXBURY COMMUNITY PART OF ME WHICH IS THE MADISON PARK FIELD AND THE
SURROUNDING AREA. THAT COMMUNITY HAD ABOUT 6 TO 7 AFRICAN-AMERICAN RUN SCHOOLS AS OFTEN NOT MENTIONED. SO ARE WE REALLY STARTING SOMETHING NEW OR IS RCC
BASICALLY AN OUT STRETCH OF THE FEELINGS THAT PEOPLE HAD LAW SCHOOLS THAT WERE IN THOSE COMMUNITIES FROM THE SHORE HOUSE TO THE NORFOLK HOUSE TO FREEDOM HOUSE, ALL THOSE THOSE ARE AFRICAN-AMERICAN SCHOOLS THAT I BELIEVE WOULD HAVE
DEVELOPED INTO OUR OWN HBCU. IT'S ACTUALLY IRONIC THAT IN A COMMUNITY IN A IN THE CITY OF BOSTON, AFRICAN-AMERICANS HAVE BEEN HERE SINCE 1638 AND THERE'S NO COMMUNITY THAT WE CAN SAY OH, THAT'S AN
AFRICAN-AMERICAN MAN. THERE'S A THERE. EGGLESTON IS DOMINICAN. THEY HAVE HAITIANS AND I LOVE MY BROTHER AND THIS IS NOT ABOUT THAT TRYING TO SAY THAT THERE IS A THERE IS SHOULD BE A PRIORITY FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN
CULTURE AND IT'S NOT JUST FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN CULTURE. IF YOU COME HERE AS AN IMMIGRANT, YOU DRAW HONORS THEN THAT THE REASON WHY YOU'RE ABLE TO ENJOY THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE ENJOYING IS BECAUSE THE SACRIFICES OF A PARTICULAR
GROUP THEN YOU DON'T YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO INTERACT WITH THAT GROUP. YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO BE COMPASSIONATE. PEOPLE SHARE YOUR CULTURE WITH THAT GROUP AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I FEEL THAT IS OFTEN
OVERLOOKED. I LIKE GOING BACK TO THE RESEARCH THAT DR. ROMERO TALKED ABOUT THIS RESEARCH THERE'S NO SUBSTITUTE FOR US RESEARCHING OURSELVES. LIKE I ALWAYS SAY, THIS
BUILDING THAT WE LOOK HERE IN THE BRUTALIST BRUTALIST DESIGN NO AFRICAN-AMERICAN ONE ARE DESIGNED AS UGLY THING. THEY JUST SIMPLY DOESN'T HAVE THE SEASONING AND THE SPACE
THAT WE DESIRE IN OUR LIVES. AND SO WHEN YOU THINK OF THE LOST CULTURAL COMMUNITIES YOU HAVE TO REPRESENT UNDERSTAND THAT THE RCC COMES FROM A
CULTURE THAT A COMMUNITY THAT WAS LITERALLY THAT'S THE LONGEST THAT AFRICAN-AMERICANS HAD EVER BEEN IN ONE PLACE IN BOSTON WAS IN ROXBURY FROM DAY
TO EIGHT FROM EARLY 1900S TO WHEN IT WENT DOWN. AND THAT CONTINUITY MAKES IT SO IMPORTANT THAT THIS IS A REPARATION.
I'M NOT I DON'T I DON'T SEE REPARATION AS A CHECK IS ABOUT IF WE HAVE OUR CULTURE WE DON'T NEED MUCH ELSE. WE GOT AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN CHINATOWN BASICALLY ALONG RUGGLES STREET AROUND VERNON
AND THAT COMMUNITY HAD 500 BUSINESSES THAT WERE NOT REPLACED WITH COMMERCIAL ZONING. THEY WERE REPLACED WITH RESIDENTIAL ZONING. HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO MAKE MONEY? HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO EAT? WE HAVE 78 JAZZ CLUBS IN THE AREA.
WE HAVE KNOWN WE HAD A MUSIC VILLAGE NEARBY. ALL THESE THINGS ARE THESE ARE THE PRACTICE SPACES. THESE ARE THE INCUBATORS FOR OUR CULTURE AND THAT'S WHAT THAT CULTURE MAKES MONEY. WE'RE IN THE WEST AND RIGHT NOW THE NORTH END IS MAKING MORE
MONEY THAN THE WEST END AND THE WEST END GOT RENEWED TO MAKE MONEY. SO THAT'S WHY I DO THIS WORK AND I DO WANT TO SAY THAT IF WE
CAN'T DO THIS RESEARCH WE CANNOT SUPPORT THE RCC AND THE OTHER INSTITUTIONS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD HERE. WE CANNOT TRULY HAVE THE KIND
OF EQUALITY AND EQUITY THAT WE ARE SO HUNGRY FOR IN THIS COMMUNITY. AND MY STUDENTS I'LL SAY AND ON THIS MY STUDENTS I'VE HAD STUDENTS AFRICAN-AMERICANS TRANS I DON'T THINK THAT JAZZ
IS A WHITE ART FORM. WE INVENTED IT. IT'S OURS. WE CANNOT PLAY IT BECAUSE OF CULTURAL ERASURE, BECAUSE OF LACK OF SPACES TO PRACTICE
THE INFORMAL LEARNING SPACES THAT WERE IN THIS COMMUNITY CANNOT BE DUPLICATED BY ANY INSTITUTION. THERE ARE PARKS THEIR CHURCH CHOIRS THERE THE CHITLIN
CIRCUIT WE ONLY HAVE ONE AS WELL THESE JAZZ CAFE THAT'S THE LAST FAMILY ALL AFRICAN-AMERICAN JAZZ CLUB THAT'S STILL IN EXISTENCE. THAT'S A SHAME.
BOSTON IT'S A BIG SHAME I'M NOT EVEN FROM BOSTON BUT I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE COMMUNITY. I'M HERE TO FIGHT FOR IT SO PLEASE LET'S GET THIS HBCU GOING AND ALSO THIS SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE ALREADY
HERE ON GROUND. WE ARE ALREADY HERE DOING THE WORK. WE ARE BEING DEFUNDED RIGHT NOW WE'RE TRYING TO SURVIVE RIGHT NOW THE HARRIET TUBMAN HOUSE TRY TO SURVIVE RIGHT NOW IS
GONE AND THAT'S A TRAVESTY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS TIME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MARLON. SO YOU BEING WITH US, WE'RE GONNA GO BACK TO VIRTUAL
TESTIMONY AGAIN IF ANYONE WAS IN THE CHAMBER AND WANTS TO TESTIFY, PLEASE SIGN UP AT THE FRONT OF THE CHAMBER. BUT THAT'S THE LESSON I RECEIVED FROM IN-PERSON. SO WE'RE GOING TO GO TO VIRTUAL.
WE HAVE WITH US JACQUELINE
FONSECA, AYANNA HINDS AND WE
HAVE DIANE ALL RIGHT, GOOD
EVENING OR GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US, COUNSELOR AND FOR EVERYONE THAT TESTIFIED I LEARNED A LOT TODAY . MY NAME IS JACQUELINE FONSECA.
I'M A PROUD BLACK WOMAN OF CAPE VERDEAN DESCENT, A BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL GRADUATE AND AN ADVOCATE FOR EDUCATION AS THE ESSENTIAL TOOL TO DISMANTLING STRUCTURAL RACISM AS AN ADVOCATE FOR OUR WRONGFULLY
INCARCERATED COMMUNITY, I HAVE LEARNED THAT IT COSTS OUR TAXPAYERS AN AVERAGE OF $131,000 PER YEAR TO HOUSE JUST ONE PRISONER IN MASSACHUSETTS MAJORITY BLACK
AND BROWN. IMAGINE IF WE REDIRECTED HALF OF THAT ANNUAL FUNDING TO SENDING OUR YOUTH TO AN HBCU IN OR OUTSIDE OF BOSTON INSTEAD.
BOSTON IS MY HOME ONE OF AMERICA'S OLDEST CITIES A PLACE OF HISTORICAL FIRSTS. IT'S WHERE CRISPUS ATTUCKS, A BLACK MAN, BECAME THE FIRST TO GIVE HIS LIFE IN THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION DURING THE BOSTON MASSACRE.
IT'S WHERE WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON AND FREDERICK DOUGLASS ORGANIZED AGAINST CHATTEL SLAVERY. AND IT'S WHERE THE BLACK COMMUNITY OF BARS OF BEACON HILL THOSE SCHOOLS AND FOUGHT FOR EQUALITY AND EDUCATION LONG
BEFORE IT WAS THE LAW. BOSTON HAS LONG BEEN CONSIDERED A BLACK MECCA AS WE'VE HEARD BEFORE. TODAY WITH DORCHESTER AND ROXBURY AT ITS HEART AND WHERE BLACK FAMILIES, CULTURE AND LEADERSHIP HAS FLOURISHED AND
YET TOO OFTEN PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF BOSTON ARE SHOCKED TO HEAR THAT WE EVEN HAVE A BLACK COMMUNITY HERE AT ALL. I ALSO KNOW THE DARKER HISTORY OF OUR CITY'S FIGHT FOR EDUCATIONAL EQUALITY. I GRADUATED FROM SOUTH BOSTON
HIGH SCHOOL, THE VERY SCHOOL AT THE CENTER OF THE BOSTON CRISIS . WALKING THOSE HALLS I LEARNED HOW JUST ONE GENERATION BEFORE ME BLACK CHILDREN FACED VIOLENCE, HATRED AND TERROR SIMPLY FOR PURSUING AN EQUAL
EDUCATION. THAT HISTORY IS STILL SILENTLY WITH US HIDING BEHIND THE SCHOOL TO PRISON PIPELINE. AND IT REMINDS US THAT EDUCATION IN BOSTON HAS ALWAYS BEEN TIED TO THE STRUGGLE FOR
RACIAL JUSTICE. AS A GRADUATE MY DREAM WAS TO ATTEND CLARK ATLANTA OR HOWARD UNIVERSITY. I WAS ACCEPTED INTO CLARK ATLANTA AND I WAS THRILLED. BUT AS A FOSTER YOUTH A WARD
OF THE STATE AT THE TIME I WAS URGED TO STAY IN STATE TO ACCESS EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS. RELUCTANTLY I STAYED AND WHILE I PURSUED MY EDUCATION I MISSED OUT ON THE HBCU EXPERIENCE A
PLACE THAT AFFIRMS BLACK EXCELLENCE. BLACK HISTORY AND BLACK COMMUNITY. THAT OPPORTUNITY IS WHAT I WANT FOR THE NEXT GENERATION. FOR MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER WHO STARTED IN HER FRESHMAN YEAR
OF HIGH SCHOOL AND FOR EVERY YOUNG BLACK STUDENT IN THE CITY TODAY MY DAUGHTER IS A PROUD MEDICAL STUDENT. SHE CARRIES FORWARD BOSTON'S LEGACY OF FIGHTING FOR EQUAL ACCESS TO EDUCATION.
THIS YEAR SHE WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TOUR HBCUS WITH HER MEDICAL CLASSMATES AND I'M SUPER EXCITED FOR HER. BUT WHAT WE'RE STILL MISSING IS THE LAST PIECE OF THAT PUZZLE IS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR
STUDENTS TO SEE REPRESENTATION AND ATTEND HBCUS RIGHT HERE AT HOME IF THEY CHOOSE TO DO SO. RIGHT NOW THE ONLY ALTERNATIVE OUR STUDENTS HAVE ARE BLACK STUDENT UNIONS WITH THEM PREDOMINANTLY WHITE INSTITUTION
. THOSE SPACES ARE VALUABLE BUT THEY ARE NOT THE SAME AS A COLLEGE BUILT FROM THE GROUND UP TO CENTER AND AFFIRM BLACK IDENTITY CULTURE AND SCHOLARSHIP. WE ALREADY HONOR HISTORICAL
BLACK FIGURES BY NAMING SCHOOLS AND COLLEGE HALLS AFTER THEM LIKE THE JOHN DOE BRYANT AND THE MELVIN H. KING'S SOUTH END ACADEMY. BUT NOW IT'S TIME TO TAKE IT TO
THE NEXT STEP TO EXPAND THE EFFORT INTO A FULL HBCU. IMAGINE A JOHN DOE BRYANT HBCU OR MEL KING HBCU IN BOSTON AN
INSTITUTION CARRYING OUR LEGACY FORWARD INTO THE FUTURE AND WE NEED THAT NOW MORE THAN EVER. ACROSS THE COUNTRY WE ARE WITNESSING ATTEMPTS TO ERASE BLACK HISTORY FROM CLASSROOMS AND CURRICULUMS.
THAT MAKES IT EVEN MORE URGENT FOR BOSTON, A CITY WITH SUCH A RICH BLACK HISTORY TO LEAD BY EXAMPLE. BOSTON IS ALREADY THE MECCA OF EDUCATION. WE ARE HOME TO SOME OF THE MOST
RENOWNED COLLEGES IN THE WORLD BUT THE ABSENCE OF A HBCU IS A GLARING GAP. BRINGING ONE HERE IS NOT JUST ABOUT SYMBOLISM IT'S ABOUT EQUITY REPRESENTATION, FUN AND OPPORTUNITY.
IN FACT, BRINGING AN HBCU TO BOSTON IN ANY FORM WOULD ITSELF BE A FORM OF REPARATIONS. A TANGIBLE INVESTMENT IN REPAIRING GENERATIONS OF EXCLUSION AND SYSTEMIC INEQUITY THAT BLACK BOSTONIANS
HAVE FOREVER ENDURED. THIS WILL HONOR OUR HISTORY, STRENGTHEN OUR IDENTITY AS A MULTI-CULTURAL CITY OF EDUCATION AND JUSTICE AND ENSURE THAT OUR YOUNG PEOPLE
CAN THRIVE IN AN INSTITUTION BUILT FOR THEM. I URGE YOU TO SUPPORT THIS INITIATIVE. THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR TESTIMONY. AWESOME. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
REALLY APPRECIATE YOU TESTIFYING. NEXT UP WE HAVE AYANNA HINDS AND SO I THINK THE NAME JUST
MAKES ME LOOK SO HEAVY ON A HINDS. THEN WE ALSO HAVE SOMEONE WITH THE NAME PRECIOUS NAILS ON THE
ZOOM THAT EVENING EVERYONE. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YEP, WE CAN HEAR YOU. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR THE
OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AND THANK YOU FOR HOLDING THIS SESSION. ONE I INTRODUCE MYSELF AYANNA HINDS I AM A GRADUATE OF HOWARD UNIVERSITY.
I COME FROM A FAMILY RICH AND DEEP IN THE HBCU TRADITION. SIX OF US ARE HOWARD GRADS, THREE ARE SPELMAN, TWO ARE GRAMBLING TWO OR TOUGALOO COLLEGE ONE EACH AT ALABAMA A&M
MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY, FISK CLONE COLLEGE AND THE THIRD GENERATION JUST STARTED LAST WEEK AT WINSTON-SALEM UNIVERSITY. TO SAY THAT I AM INVESTED WOULD
BE AN UNDERSTATEMENT. I AM HAPPY THAT THE CONVERSATION HAS COME UP BUT I THINK ECHOING YOU KNOW, MY BROTHER BICE AND I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
ONE QUESTION I HAVE IS WHAT DATA DO YOU HAVE THAT SAYS THAT THIS IS A NEED READING THE ORDER? I READ THAT THERE IS A NEED FOR MORE CULTURALLY SENSITIVE SCHOOLS. HAS GROWN AND I QUESTION THAT
BECAUSE TO ME A MORE ACCURATE STATEMENT MIGHT BE THAT STUDENTS AND FAMILIES NOW WANT AN EXPERIENCE THAT IS MORE REFLECTIVE OF WHO THEY ARE AND A PLACE WHERE THEY CAN BE AND JUST BE.
HBCUS HAVE BEEN THAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING THAT AND I DON'T SEE A NEED TO RECREATE THAT LOCALLY . I ALSO WANT TO JUST POINT OUT ALSO IN THE ORDER I WAS READING ABOUT THE OFFICE OF BLACK MALE
ACHIEVEMENT AND A NUMBER OF OTHERS WHO HAVE BEEN DOING HBCU TOURS AND THAT IS TO BE COMMENDED. BUT I DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE OUT THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF BOSTON WHO HAS BEEN DOING IT
FOR OVER A DECADE AND LEGIONS OF STUDENTS FROM THAT THE ROXBURY CLUB HAVE GONE TO HBCU AS A RESULT AND MADISON PARK DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION HAS RECENTLY LAUNCHED A TOUR AS WELL.
THEY ACTUALLY HAVE APPLICATIONS OPEN NOW FOR THEIR NEXT TOUR NEXT YEAR. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANT TO BRING UP IS WE ARE USING SCHOOLING AND EDUCATION INTERCHANGEABLY.
AND TO ME THEY ARE VERY DIFFERENT THINGS. SCHOOLING IS VERY STRUCTURED. IT IS INTENTIONAL. IT IS TYPICALLY PRESCRIBED BY SOMEONE ELSE MEANING YOU HAVE A
SCHEME FOR YOUR PROGRAM, YOU DO ALL THESE COURSES AND YOU EARN YOUR DEGREE. EDUCATION IS LIFELONG AND IT HAPPENS IN THE PROCESS OF SCHOOLING. AND TO THAT END I DON'T THOUGH
I'M NOT CONVINCED THAT A SATELLITE CAMPUS IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO REPLICATE THE ACTUAL ON CAMPUS HBCU EXPERIENCE.
AS OTHERS HAVE ALREADY SAID, IT IS NOT JUST ABOUT THE ACADEMICS . IT IS ABOUT THE LIFE THAT YOU LEARN TO BUILD AS A YOUNG PERSON IN THAT CITY AND FOR EXAMPLE, WASHINGTON D.C. HAS A
CULTURE UNTO ITSELF. IF I HAD DONE A SATELLITE PROGRAM I WOULD NEVER KNOW ABOUT GO-GO MUSIC. I WOULD NEVER KNOW ABOUT MARION BARRY BEING THE MAYOR FOR LIFE BECAUSE I WAS THERE DURING THAT
TIME AND I COULD SEE AND WITNESS WHY HE HOLDS THAT MONIKER. SO THAT THE EDUCATION IS NOT JUST ABOUT THE SCHOOL, IT IS ABOUT THE COMMUNITIES AND THE CITIES THAT HAVE HOSTED THESE
SCHOOLS FOR DECADES. THE CHURCHES, THE JANITORS, ALL OF THESE FOLKS KIND OF BECOME THE COMMUNITY THAT STUDENTS REALLY ARE ABLE TO LEARN FROM AND GROW FROM.
I'VE HEARD A NUMBER OF PEOPLE ALSO SPEAK ABOUT BEING ABLE TO HAVE FACULTY THAT LOOK LIKE THEIR I GRADUATED FROM THEIR ACADEMY HERE I WAS ONE OF FOUR BLACK STUDENTS IN MY CLASS AND
THE ONLY ONE TO GO TO AN HBCU. HOWARD GAVE ME THE MOST DIVERSE EXPERIENCE OF PROFESSORS I HAD MY FIRST ASIAN PROFESSOR, MY FIRST CONTINENTAL AFRICAN
PROFESSOR, MY FIRST PROFESSORS FROM THE CARIBBEAN. SO IT IS NOT JUST ABOUT BLACKNESS BUT REALLY ABOUT A WORLDVIEW. AND I WOULD SUBMIT THAT THAT IS PROBABLY THE CASE AROUND HBCU
BECAUSE A LOT OF THESE FACULTY MEMBERS ARE ALSO UP AGAINST A WALL TRYING TO GET INTO YOU GUYS AS FACULTY MEMBERS.
SO THAT CANNOT BE LOST. OTHER THINGS THAT YOU CANNOT DO PLACATE LA AND AGAIN I SPEAK FROM MY OWN EXPERIENCE. I HAD A COLLEGE MATE FIRST IN
HIS FAMILY FROM NEW YORK TO GO TO COLLEGE AND HE CAME TO HOWARD AND SAID I CANNOT LEAVE WITHOUT GOING HOME WITHOUT HAVING A DEGREE BEFORE I GO HOME.
THIS YOUNG MAN SOLD HIS CAR. HE SLEPT ON A COUCH. HE TOOK A BATH IN THE GYM FOR HIS LAST SEMESTER. THAT IS HOW HUNGRY HE WAS FOR THIS DEGREE AND I THINK THAT TYPE OF EXPERIENCE TO WITNESS
THAT TO SEE A CONTEMPORARY REALLY GO FOR IT IS SOMETHING THAT AGAIN CANNOT BE REPLICATED AND IT DOES HELP YOU TO GROW AS A PERSON TO SEE OUTSIDE
OF YOURSELF AND TO SEE WHERE YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO PUSH YOURSELF IN WAYS THAT YOU MIGHT NOT TYPICALLY DO. I WILL KIND OF WRAP UP WITH THIS. YOU KNOW BOSTON WE PICTURE
OURSELVES AS A CULTURE CITY OF OF INNOVATION WITH DR. JEFFERSON TALKING ABOUT THE ARTICULATION AGREEMENT THAT IS ALREADY IN PLACE AT RCC AND THE ONE THAT IS FORTHCOMING AND IF
MY MEMORY SERVES ME CORRECTLY, I BELIEVE THERE WAS A TIME WHERE BUNKER HILL ALSO HAD SOME ARTICULATION AGREEMENT WITH HBCU AND PERHAPS UMASS BOSTON AND THAT'S BEEN BEEN A WHILE.
I WOULD SUPPORT HIM IN MOVING THIS EFFORT FORWARD THROUGH RCC AND ARTICULATION AGREEMENTS THAT MIGHT ALREADY BE IN EXISTENCE. BUT TO THAT END AND I WILL SAY
THIS WHEN I WORK AT SCHOLAR ATHLETES WHICH I OVERSAW PROGRAM IN ALL OF BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE CAREER READINESS BACK AND HEALTH AND WELLNESS AND COLLEGE READINESS OR A
THREE PROGRAM AREA IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I FOUND INCREDIBLY ALARMING IS THAT THE PEOPLE WHO WORK IN THE PROGRAM WERE VERY UNINFORMED ARMED THEMSELVES ABOUT HBCU'S. SO I DON'T THINK THAT STUDENTS
ARE UNAWARE BUT IT'S THE ADULTS WHO HAVE THE INFLUENCE WHO THEMSELVES ARE UNAWARE. AND WHAT I WOULD OFFER AS SOME CONSIDERATIONS IS TO ONE WITH
SCHOOL LEADERS OFFERING A TOUR OF THAT SCHOOL LEADERS ARE ACTUALLY GOING ON OF THE HBCU'S. MY DAUGHTER IS 13. SHE'S ENTERING EIGHTH GRADE IN
THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL. HER HEAD OF SCHOOL HAS A BIAS FOR IVY LEAGUE SCHOOLS. I'VE HAD TO TALK TO HIM ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS ABOUT THAT BECAUSE IT'S NOT IN MY REALM OF WHAT I WOULD WANT MY
DAUGHTER TO BE LOOKING AT. AND AGAIN, I THINK THAT JUST COMES FROM A PLACE OF NOT KNOWING. SO THAT WOULD BE ONE RECOMMENDATION IS IT'S IN ADDITION TO TAKING STUDENTS ON
TOURS YOU SHOULD ALSO BE INFORMING THE HEADS OF SCHOOLS AND PERHAPS COLLEGE COUNSELORS BECAUSE I THINK THERE IS A GAP IN TERMS OF THEIR OWN AWARENESS AND APPRECIATION FOR THE INSTITUTIONS.
I WOULD ALSO ADD THAT MANY OF THESE TOURS DON'T INVOLVE PARENTS AND MANY OF THESE STUDENTS ARE FIRST GENERATION AND CAUSE NEED TO INVOLVE PARENTS IN PARENTS ARE SCARED
THAT THEIR YOUNG PERSON IS GOING TO UNKNOWN TERRITORY THAT IS A VALID FEAR. AND I THINK THE THE SCHOOL SYSTEMS OF WHOEVER ARE DOING THE TOURS REALLY NEED TO ENGAGE PARENTS SO THAT PARENTS ARE
ALSO LEARNING IN THE PROCESS WITH THEIR YOUNG PERSON AND CAN BE SUPPORTIVE WHEN THEY'RE YOUNG WHEN AND IF A YOUNG PERSON DECIDES THAT AN HBCU IS WHAT THEY WANT TO PURSUE.
I WOULD ALSO SUGGEST THERE ARE A NUMBER OF NONPROFITS WHO ARE IN THE COLLEGE READINESS SPACE WHO DO FIND THAT STUDENTS GOING TO COLLEGE WITH THE CAVEAT THAT
STUDENTS GO TO THE COLLEGES THEY CHOOSE LEAVING THE STUDENTS WITH NO AGENCY TO SELECT A COLLEGE THAT IS DESIGNED FOR THEIR SUCCESS. SO I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT SOME
CONVERSATIONS BE HAD WITH THOSE NONPROFITS THAT ARE DOING THAT TO ME THAT IS PREDATORY AND OUR STUDENTS DESERVE BETTER STUDENTS WHO OFTEN STRUGGLE
WITH OPTIONS OF YOU CAN CONTINUE LIMBO BUT WE STILL DO . ONE MORE PERSON AFTERWARDS I WANT TO MAKE SURE TO GET YEAH OKAY. STUDENTS WHO STRUGGLE WITH
OPTIONS AT HBCU WHOSE MAYBE THEY'RE NOT ACADEMICALLY READY AGAIN. THESE SCHOOLS WERE DESIGNED FOR ALL LEARNERS OF ALL TYPES. THERE ARE HBCUS THAT HAVE
PROGRAMS THAT WILL ACCEPT STUDENTS WHO ARE DEEMED STUDENTS. AGAIN, THESE SCHOOLS HAVE EXISTED FOR US AND THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT SOME STUDENTS ARE COMING WITH AND THEY OFFER
THE PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT THAT. BUT AGAIN I THINK THERE IS A LOT OF LEARNING THAT HAS TO HAPPEN. AND THEN FINAL TWO FINAL THINGS.
ONE, IF IF THERE IS FEAR ABOUT GOING TO THESE NEW CITIES I HEARD I THINK IT WAS MS. HINTON MENTIONED THAT STUDENTS WERE COMING BACK FROM THE SOUTH BECAUSE OF THE CULTURAL SHOCK. AS A NATIVE MISSISSIPPIAN I
FIND THAT INTERESTING BECAUSE I HAD A CULTURE SHOCK COMING HERE BUT I DIDN'T LEAVE. ARE THERE OPPORTUNITIES AGAIN WITH INNOVATION WHERE BOSTON COULD SET UP SOME PROGRAMS ON
SOME HBCU CAMPUSES THAT ARE LIKE UPWARD BOUND THAT WOULD GIVE BOSTON BASED STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEND SOME SIGNIFICANT TIME ON THE CAMPUS TO KIND OF GET THE ACCLIMATION BEFORE ACTUALLY GOING.
AND THEN FINALLY I WOULD SIMPLY SAY I AM I DO NOT SUPPORT A SATELLITE CAMPUS AND THAT IS MAINLY BECAUSE THERE IS SO MUCH OF THE RICHNESS OF THE EXPERIENCE THAT STUDENTS WOULD
BE ROBBED OF. AND I THINK IF YOU'RE GOING TO GO FOR THAT EXPERIENCE, GO AT IT FULL THROTTLE AND NOT A WATERED DOWN VERSION. THANK YOU. AWESOME. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
TESTIFYING. NEXT UP WE HAVE SOME PRECIOUS
NAILS. OH, OKAY. UH HUH.
THAT'S UH I BELIEVE. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE IN IN THE CHAMBER WHO WANTS TO PROTEST? WHO WANTS TO TESTIFY? THIS WOULD BE THE CHANCE TO
RIGHT NOW SEEING NO ONE. ALL RIGHT, WELL, I WOULD LIKE TO WANT TO CENSORSHIP. ALL RIGHT. I WON'T ALLOW THE LEAST QUARTER TO DO CLOSING STATEMENTS THAT WILL ADJOURN.
THANK YOU AGAIN, CHAIR, FOR SCHEDULING THIS HEARING AND THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO SHOWED UP TO TESTIFY ALL THE RESIDENTS, THE ALUMNI, THE
STUDENTS TO PARENTS, TWO INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE CURRENTLY DOING THIS WORK ALONG WITH THE GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE INVESTED IN OUR YOUNG PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL.
THIS IS THE VERY BEGINNING OF A CONVERSATION. WE CANNOT DO THIS WITHOUT HEARING FROM COMMUNITY FIRST IN ORDER TO SHAPE WHAT THIS SATELLITE CAMPUS OR HBCU
PRESENCE SHOULD LOOK LIKE HERE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON. SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT CONTINUE ON THIS CONVERSATION AND I'VE TAKEN A LOT OF NOTES AND HEARD
LOUD AND CLEAR ON A FEW DIFFERENT THEMES. SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT STEPS WHICH WE WILL BE HOPEFULLY PUSHING OUT IN THE NEAR FUTURE BUT DEFINITELY WANT
TO DIGEST AND POINT OUT WHAT WE'VE HEARD AND THEN TAKE THE NEXT STEPS FROM THERE. SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR EVERYONE WHO TOOK THE TIME OUT TO LEND THEIR VOICE TO THIS VERY
IMPORTANT CONVERSATION AND AGAIN THANK YOU CHAIR IDR MY TEAM AND EVERYONE WHO ATTENDED. AWESOME. THANK YOU COUNSELOR.
I'LL TAKE IT OUT OF CONTROL FOR THEM FOR STAYING ALL THE WAY THROUGH HERE AND THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES AND THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO CAME AND TESTIFIED TODAY. IT WAS REALLY BEAUTIFUL TO JUST
AND VERY REALLY INFORMATIVE AND EDUCATIONAL JUST TO HEAR DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES AND SEEING YOU KNOW, WHAT'S IN STORE IN THE FUTURE. SO APPRECIATE EVERYONE BEING
HERE AND THANK YOU AGAIN TO THE LEAD SPONSOR FOR BRINGING THIS ISSUE FORWARD. THIS HEARING ON DOCKET NUMBER 1
TO 8 THREE IS ADJOURNED