October 1997
Civic Forum Focuses on Boston's Racial Divide
One of the few things all five panelists at the Forum for the 21st Century agreed upon was the existence of a racial divide in Boston. Their philosophies on the core of that divide, however, were as varied as their comments on busing, economic and class structure, and government involvement in race relations.
More than 200 people attended "Boston's Racial Divide: What Is It and How Can It Be Overcome," held Sept. 22 at Jordan Hall in Boston. The event was sponsored by UMass Boston in cooperation with the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts.
Moderated by James Jennings, director of the William Monroe Trotter Institute and professor of political science, the forum featured the following speakers: Jose Duran, executive director of the Hispanic Office of Planning and Evaluation; James M. Kelly, president of the Boston City Council; Patricia Smith, columnist for The Boston Globe; Byron Rushing, Boston City Council; and Diane J. Modica, Boston City Council.
"The issue of race seems to be one of the city's most interesting challenges," Jennings said in his introduction. The discussion should be one of many, he added, noting that several ethnic communities, including black immigrants and Asian Americans, were not represented in the Forum.
The first panelist to speak, James Kelly's initial remarks that Boston's racial divide exists because of government programs quickly sparked the two-hour discussion several guests described as too short. Government programs including forced busing, affirmative action and housing developments are the root of racial divisions in Boston, Kelly said.
Government is involved in the racial divide, but more so historically, was Byron Rushing's reply. Housing started out segregated and the school district made conscious decisions to segregate, he said. Jose Duran said government is not the cause of the racial divide, though it exacerbates existing attitudes.
In her comments, Diane Modica, who represents East Boston and its 25 percent Latino population, said we should concentrate on the principles on which the nation was founded. "I'd rather focus on ways in which we can find commonalities than focus on divisions," she said.
A newcomer to Boston, Patricia Smith shared attitudes she has run into during her writing career. "I actually have really heard a lot about 'Why bother? This is Boston. Nothing is going to change,'" she said.
At one point the discussion turned to the lack of a diversified turnout at cultural events in the city. Smith said some African Americans previously told her going into town was too much hassle, saying they were often pulled over by police or forced to show additional identification. "I was warned not to go into Fenway Park. I was warned not to go to the Garden," she said.
Kelly blamed segregated cultural and social events on economics. "I'm not sure there are too many working class families across the city of Boston that can afford to go to those types of events," he said. Kelly went on to question why people look for diversity at some events. "So what?," he said. "People have different tastes."
"If you make it friendly, people will attend," responded Leonard C. Alkins, president of the Boston branch of the NAACP. "If you make it unfriendly, people will choose whether or not they want to attend."
The discussion on economics continued with the topic of "white flight," white members of the middle class leaving cities to live in the suburbs. The "realities" are that the white middle class has fled the city to avoid the poor schools and crime that result from racially mixed neighborhoods, Kelly said, gathering audible disappointment from the audience.
"The rationale of white flight having something to do with black people is an invention of the 1960s," Rushing responded. Whites who left the city between 1950 and 1960 did not leave because five percent of Boston was black, they were "subsidized out," he said. "Black people don't need to take that weight -- ever," he said to an applauding audience.
"I think we need to reject out of hand the notion that people bring crime and fear into the neighborhoods with them," Duran added. "We really need to look beyond the new residents as being the source of these problems."
The middle class moves to the suburbs in search of a better education for their children, one panelist said, shifting the discussion to a debate on busing and inequities in public schools.
Members of City Year, a group of 17 to 22-year-old volunteers from various backgrounds, were among audience members who shared their opinions. Ira Jackson, senior vice president of BankBoston, offered the Forum's closing remarks, synopsizing some of the speakers' points.