The 114th NAACP National Convention is now underway in Boston.
In 1982, the last time the NAACP gathered here, the city was grappling with the aftermath of the busing crisis and an ongoing a series of hateful, violent attacks of Black residents.
Today, Boston's reputation isn't much better nationally: witness comedian Michael Che's declaration in 2017 that Boston is "the most racist city [he's] ever been to."
Locally, though, the perspective may be different. NAACP Boston head Tanisha Sullivan has said she's hoping this convention will
serve as a chance to reintroduce Boston to Black America. And former state Rep. Byron Rushing, who became one of Boston's best-known Black political figures during a career that spanned nearly four decades and now heads the Roxbury Historical Society, says the city has changed substantially since the NAACP's last visit. He joins Adam Reilly to discuss gains that have been made and problems that still need to be addressed.
Do you think Boston has progressed when it comes to race and race relations? Email us your thoughts at TalkingPolitics@wgbh.org, or share them via the Talking Politics page.
You can watch this discussion right now or catch the full show at 7 p.m. on GBH 2. Subscribe to the GBH News’ YouTube channel to get updates on future segments and episodes.
