Media Library

Video Library

COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS SERIES:

January 2025: Thomas Plant and Cheryl Brown-Greene, Hidden Heroes: Stories of African American Veterans
November 2024: Thomas Plant and the Roxbury Collaborative, Revolution in Roxbury
April 2024: RYP Takeover (Lasarah, Laniya, Nyia, and Zyaire), The Importance of Affordable Housing
March 2024: UU Mass Action and Homes for All Massachusetts, Fighting the Fight
February 2024: Dr. Neenah Estrella-Luna and Maria Latimore, Restorative Homeownership
January 2024: David Harris, The Right to Stay
December 2023: Aja Kennedy, A Long Road Home: Roots of Homeownership Inequity
November 2023: Byron Rushing, Housing and Racism in Boston: A History
April 2023: Dr. Karilyn Crockett, A New Path to Closing the Racial Wealth Gap
March 2023: Roxbury Youth Programs Interns present, "Policing in Schools: How it affects young people and contributes to the racial wealth gap
February 2023: Jackie Jenkins-Scott, "Education: Do access and affordability level the playing field?"
January 2023: Mark Watson, "Resolving to do Better: Banks and Black-owned Business"
December 2022: Rev. Willie Bodrick, II, "Supporting Small Business in the City: Barriers and Opportunities"
November 2022: Byron Rushing, "Why the Gap?: Racialized Property and Wealth in Boston"
April 2022: Community Conversations & Roxbury Youth Programs presents... "Gang Violence Without Silence"
March 2022: Karla Baehr and David Harris, "Mission and Vision: UU Urban Ministry leaders talk about achieving a new mission and how we will get there"
February 2022: City Life/Vida Urbana, "Gentrification: Root Causes | Impact on Individuals & Families | Efforts to Combat It"
January 2022: Ashe Gordon and Bithyah Israel, "Artist as Activist"
December 2021: Boston Ujima Project, "Economic Justice and Closing the Wealth Gap"
November 2021: Byron Rushing, "Black Flight: The recent census shows that Black Bostonians are steadily leaving the city. Why, and what are the implications?
June 2021: Byron Rushing, "Facing Yesterday to Face Today - and Tomorrow"
May 2021: Rev. Mariama White-Hammond, "Black People and the Land: Rural Farming, Urban Farming, and Connecting to the Earth"
April 2021: Dr. Atyia Martin, "Creating Conditions for Well Being in Communities of Color"
March 2021: Dr. Angela Cook and The Rev. Joseph Cook, "The History of Paige Academy and a Culturally Responsive Education"
February 2021: Joseph D. Feaster, Jr. Esq., "Equity in Education"
January 2021: Marisa Luse, "What's Happening to Roxbury: A Conversation on Gentrification and Displacement"
December 2020: Toy Burton, "Mental Health and the Holidays in the Black Community"
November 2020: Imari K. Paris Jeffries, "Closing the Racial Wealth Gap In Boston"
October 2020: Byron Rushing, "The History of the Meetinghouse"

We Speak Now: Race & Enslavement at the First Church

in Roxbury

Aabid Allibhai and Byron Rushing joined us for a virtual event to discuss "Race & Slavery at the First Church in Roxbury (The Colonial Period 1631-1775)", authored by Aabid and released in early-2023. This report tells the story of at least fifty-eight human beings—Black and Indigenous men, women, and children— who were enslaved by First Church’s white parishioners.

Aabid's report is part of our commitment to an accurate look at our history in order to work for a more just future. And it is not a one-and-done project, but the beginning of our work. The video of the virtual presentation is available by clicking on the image (right).

If you would like to read Aabid's report, it is available on the History of First Church in Roxbury page of our website.

Our monthly Community Conversations webinar series was created to highlight and discuss issues of concern to Boston’s communities of color, which also were educational for suburban communities, such as Gentrification, closing the racial wealth gap, and the role of our Meetinghouse in Roxbury.

Please see the video library of our past Community Conversations, as well as other virtually-hosted programs below.

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Theme

March 2021: Dr. Angela Cook and The Rev. Joseph Cook, "The History of Paige Academy and a Culturally Responsive Education"
February 2021: Joseph D. Feaster, Jr. Esq., "Equity in Education"
January 2021: Marisa Luse, "What's Happening to Roxbury: A Conversation on Gentrification and Displacement"
December 2020: Toy Burton, "Mental Health and the Holidays in the Black Community"
November 2020: Imari K. Paris Jeffries, "Closing the Racial Wealth Gap In Boston"
October 2020: Byron Rushing, "The History of the Meetinghouse"

Wealth Gap

April 2023: Dr. Karilyn Crockett, A New Path to Closing the Racial Wealth Gap
March 2023: Roxbury Youth Programs Interns present, "Policing in Schools: How it affects young people and contributes to the racial wealth gap
February 2023: Jackie Jenkins-Scott, "Education: Do access and affordability level the playing field?"
January 2023: Mark Watson, "Resolving to do Better: Banks and Black-owned Business"
December 2022: Rev. Willie Bodrick, II, "Supporting Small Business in the City: Barriers and Opportunities"
November 2022: Byron Rushing, "Why the Gap?: Racialized Property and Wealth in Boston"

Theme

April 2022: Community Conversations & Roxbury Youth Programs presents... "Gang Violence Without Silence"
March 2022: Karla Baehr and David Harris, "Mission and Vision: UU Urban Ministry leaders talk about achieving a new mission and how we will get there"
February 2022: City Life/Vida Urbana, "Gentrification: Root Causes | Impact on Individuals & Families | Efforts to Combat It"
January 2022: Ashe Gordon and Bithyah Israel, "Artist as Activist"
December 2021: Boston Ujima Project, "Economic Justice and Closing the Wealth Gap"
November 2021: Byron Rushing, "Black Flight: The recent census shows that Black Bostonians are steadily leaving the city. Why, and what are the implications?

Housing

April 2024: RYP Takeover (Lasarah, Laniya, Nyia, and Zyaire), The Importance of Affordable Housing
March 2024: UU Mass Action and Homes for All Massachusetts, Fighting the Fight
February 2024: Dr. Neenah Estrella-Luna and Maria Latimore, Restorative Homeownership
January 2024: David Harris, The Right to Stay
December 2023: Aja Kennedy, A Long Road Home: Roots of Homeownership Inequity
November 2023: Byron Rushing, Housing and Racism in Boston: A History

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Check out videos created by the young people in Roxbury Youth Programs. Below is a selection of videos created by RYP Interns where they tell stories that examine local issues and history. Through interviews with Roxbury-area elders like Hakim Raquib, and in-depth looks at social issues that they face, these videos are an example of our students living into the program's motto, "Learn History, Make Change".

Part of the UU Urban Ministry’s Roxbury Artist Amplification Project

These 45-minute events, hosted by UUUM Social Justice Fellow Bithyah Israel, when we connect with a local, featured artist. Together, we will look at their virtual gallery and hear more from them about their work.

Other Programs

Lunch with an Artist

April 2022: Roxbury Patriot's Day

April 2021: Roxbury Patriot's Day

April 2021: Making Art and Making Change: A Conversation with Roxbury Artists

March 2021: Henry Hampton Stories: His Life, Work, and Legacy In Roxbury and Beyond

Roxbury Youth Programs (RYP) Creations

"La Adventura"

A short film by Francisco, RYP Community Artist

"Social Justice - Mattapan"

A short film by Funmilayo and Sabrina, RYP Community Artists

"Hakim Raquib"

A short film by Siye and Carlie, RYP Community Artists

March 15, 2023: Lunch with an Artist (feat. Lisa Lee)

February 15, 2023: Lunch with an Artist (feat. Ayana Mack)

January 25, 2023: Lunch with an Artist (feat. Candelaria Norma Silva)

March 2, 2022: Lunch with an Artist (feat. Christle Rawlins-Jackson)

March 30, 2022: (Lunch with an Artist (feat. Hakim Raquib)

Wednesday, January 25 Candelaria Norma Silva.jpg

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"A Love Letter to You"

A short film by Sarah-Simone and Sofia, RYP Community Artists

Community Commercials

The UU Urban Ministry is committed to our neighborhood and neighbors. When the pandemic hit, all businesses suffered - and minority-owned businesses were affected in a disproportionally adverse manner. We began to reach out to businesses and worked with them to create these community commercials.

Take a look at the ads for some wonderful local businesses below. We look forward to continuing this effort and promoting Roxbury businesses.