Basic Black: Will Greater Boston’s next generation of leaders break barriers?

Lawmaker's table topped with gavel, legal books, and scales of justice.

Produced live at WGBH Studios in Boston, Basic Black is the longest-running program on public television focusing on the interests of people of color. The show, which was originally called Say Brother, was created in 1968 during the height of the civil rights movement as a response to the demand for public television programs reflecting the concerns of communities of color. Each episode features a panel discussion across geographic borders and generational lines with the most current stories, interviews and commentaries.

Kenrick Mercado is the Associate Producer for Basic Black at GBH.

January 27, 2023

Updated August 28, 2023

This is the most diverse of class of lawmakers ever elected to the Massachusetts State House.

They may be young and newly elected, but they are already well-known faces in their communities of color — communities facing some of the most challenging problems in the state, from lack of affordable housing to high health care costs. How will this next generation of local political leaders navigate their first terms, and will they be able to break barriers their predecessors could not?

Host Callie Crossley be joined by: State Rep. Judith García, for Suffolk County’s 11th District comprising of Chelsea and parts of Everett; State Rep. Christopher Worrell, for Suffolk County’s 5th District, which includes parts of Boston’s Roxbury and Dorchester neighborhoods; and State Rep. Sam Montaño, for Suffolk County’s 15th District, which makes up a majority of Jamaica Plain, parts of Roxbury and the back of the hill section of Mission Hill.

Watch the latest episode of Basic Black tonight at 7:30 p.m. on GBH 2 or live at the stream below. You can also watch on the GBH News YouTube channel. Subscribe to get notifications for future premiere episodes.