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Boston Neighborhood Network News

Boricua Culture Celebration, 20th Anniversary of The Revere Sand Castle Building Competition at Revere Beach, Boston While Black's Annual BWB Family Reunion at Seaport, Goya Annual Food Drive at Boys & Girls Club of Dorchester, Boston Disability Commission event to commemorate the 34th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Interview with Mother Caroline Academy's new Head of School Dr. Carla Haith.

Duration:: 29m
Broadcast on:: 26 Jul 2024
Audio Format:: mp3

[MUSIC PLAYING] Good evening, Boston. Welcome to BNN News. I'm your new host, Natalie Kanler. Thanks for tuning in. On Saturday, the lively spirit of the Puerto Rican people took over Boston and brought the culture of Boriqua to Southie. On Saturday, Puerto Rican residents and families from all over Boston gathered at the Botancin Hospital to celebrate Boriqua culture and cultivate greater community parks. Events like this, like at Petival Betancis, in the right hand, the heart of Villa Victoria, in the south end, this builds community. This brings people together, not only of the Puerto Rican heritage, but people from different cultures, too, so that they can learn what it means to be Boriqua, what it means to be Puerto Rican, what it means to celebrate this culture, because sometimes we forget that Boston is such a beautiful, diverse city, and it has so much to offer. And it's why it's so important to make sure that we are emphasizing these kind of events to make sure that we all learn it from one another. The festival kicked off with a parade of proud Puerto Rican Bostonians, eating their drums as they marched through the streets of the South End. Community organizations and dancers joined along in the parade and moved their bodies to the beat of the traditional music. It's festivals like this that really bring everyone together. As Puerto Ricans, there's not one specific type of Puerto Rican where a combination of so many different cultures. So I think that's really important to highlight, and also just living in a city that has so many different types of ethnicities and communities that we come together and celebrate each other. The live performances were a highlight, with local Boriqua artists taking the stage to perform a variety of Puerto Rican songs, with audience members invited to join in on the dance. The arts in general are a great tool to build community and to bring people together. And that's one of the features of festival band dances, bringing people from all walks of life together to celebrate, to have fun, and to find joy. So today, we're doing that here. And we hope that, literally, we celebrate our culture, but it might others who are not Latino or Puerto Rican to come and celebrate our culture with us. But the festival was about more than music and dancing. It was about the importance of the community passing on the traditions of Puerto Rican culture to the next generation. It's important to keep these traditions going because they're not going to keep going on their own. It really takes somebody to pick up the torch and pass it on to the next generation. So this is a way for the current leadership to demonstrate to the next generation the beautiful traditions and the cultures that we're trying to keep alive. And just making this a staple every summer is a great way to pass that torch on to the next generation and keep promoting our culture. - And this is a great example of a cultural tradition that continues because of the community coming together and bringing us together every year. And that's the case here, the Puerto Rican community. It's the case in the Caribbean community. It's the case of the Irish-American community. And it requires us to remember our history, celebrate that and use it to better our future. And our next generation needs to see that, needs to see why the pride in the community and the culture remains, why that's the case and how we can come together annually to celebrate that so it continues. - The day served as a powerful reminder of the strength and resilience of the Puerto Rican community filled with love and love. (crowd chattering) - Over the weekend, the 20th anniversary of the Revere Sandcastle Building Competition popped off at Revere Beach. - Building sand sculptures is no piece of cake, but these master artists make it look easy at the Revere Beach International Sand Sculpting Festival. The three-day event which started Friday celebrates 20 years of sand artistry on America's first public beach. - We have a big drum roll for our first place winner of the 20th year 2024. (crowd cheering) Joby Bouchard. - Canadian sculptor, Joby Bouchard, won two more medals for being the people and his peers' choice, as well as $5,000 for his sculpture, blend in. - I had the idea of making chameleon, but at first I didn't really know what to do with it. So I just started it, find a style to fit with it. And it was kind of a work in progress. I don't think a lot of carvers do that, but I like to improvise a lot. - People enjoyed the visual feast, sharing some of their personal favorites. Like dinner, by third place winner, Suzanne Rusler from the Netherlands. - I'm a really cat person. I love cats. Anything with cats, I love it. Like pencil case, like a mouse, a cat, or cups. (laughs) - My favorite thus far is I think this, this pray for, pray for one, just the detail and, you know, seeing the facial details there. It's, it's really nice, very impressive. - This piece from Polish sculptor and second place winner, Slavian Bureki, made quite an impression. It looks like maybe connect the sculptor with mermaid and then look at her, she embraces herself. And sometimes we just have to embrace ourselves because, you know, we cannot always have understanding from others, but we understand ourselves. Arts talk to people's hearts directly without language barrier. That's why it's international. - Festival organizers say this year's competition showcase works from 17 sculptors from seven countries. With the Saturday fireworks, closing out a magical day. Reporting from Revere Beach, I'm Faith Famathadon for BNN. - In seaport, Boston, while black, united the community at their annual BWB family reunion. (upbeat music) - The heart and soul of the black community was on display in seaport to celebrate Boston, while black's fourth annual family reunion on July 20th on La Nondie. The summer event is quickly becoming a staple in Boston, a city that is filled with rich African-American culture and long-standing traditions, which was highlighted through live music, food, games, and other interactive activities. Founder and CEO of Boston, while black, Sheena Koleir, says that she was inspired to give the same joy and empowerment that her childhood family traditions gave her back to black Bostonians. - Well, one, we're in the seaport, which we know is historically south Boston and not an area where black people have always felt welcome. So I thought it was really important in such a beautiful space like the La Nondie for us to have an opportunity for black people to take up space here. The family reunion theme, I just think is, my family's from the south, and I think it's a big part of the tradition of black people. It's to come together in the summers when you see people you haven't seen all year and just a chance to reconnect. I'm personally from New York with my families from Georgia, and so it was a big part of my family tradition. Once we spread around the country, we come back together every summer. It's just an ethical part of who black folks are. And I think it's really important, particularly in a city like Boston, where people tend to feel isolated for people to have this opportunity to see each other. - The theme of this year's gathering was back in the day to celebrate black nostalgia from the 1980s and 90s. And along with the retro theme, the event unified a multi-generational community through activities that portray the many black experiences. - I definitely hope that they can take this and the father is teaching, learning how to break his daughters here. He's gonna learn how to do his older daughter and then the older daughter is gonna know how to do the younger. So it's just gonna pass down and it's just gonna build a stronger community. - It makes me feel happy and it's because when I meet new people, I'm kind of shy at first, but then I get to know them more. - To onlookers, the day was filled with fun, community bonding, and laughter, yet attendees recognized the deeper meaning and significance of the gathering as it showed the importance of preserving African-American culture, which in itself is a form of resilience against centuries of oppression. So this is actually my first summer in Boston. I'm from DC and so it's been a little bit of a culture shop coming from a place that has so many black people to a place that has seemingly a little bit. And so being in the city, I was looking for opportunities to find that community and I was presented with this one and it's on a Saturday, I don't have anything else to do. So I can't move. - I wanted to come out today because I wanted to see a lot of black and brown people. I wanted to be surrounded by an energy of people of color, of a sense of community, a sense of family, a sense of pride, you know, Boston's very spread out and to see people in a group and a concentration just makes you feel like you're part of something. But I think the black community, we get our strength through our communion. We get our strength through our sense of oneness and our sense of wholeness. And so this reunion really brings people of all generations together, kids and elders and people from all walks of life. And we get a chance to like intermingle and to, you know, have joy with one another and learn from one another. And, you know, if you find people who you could do business with, that's even better, you know, that kind of thing. You make connections. - Around me, about 10,000 people and 25 vendors came out to celebrate the day-long event all together. The organizer, she, Nicole here, says that while along with smiles and dancing, she hopes that this gathering makes people recognize the strength of the black community in Boston. For B&N News, I'm Kua Devau. - For decades, Goya Foods has given back to the Boston community. They're their annual food drive, feeding hundreds of disadvantaged people in the city. - It was all hands on deck outside the Boys and Girls Club in Dorchester on Monday. Goya Foods donated 30,000 pounds of food, partnering with volunteers from seven Boston organizations, leading up to the Weeknd's Puerto Rican Festival. - We had about over 100 volunteers from all the neighborhood. That includes some people from the Puerto Rican Festival. We had also Yago Boston. We had Boston PD. We also had kids from the fire department. We have kids from the sheriff's office. Every neighborhood was covered. So I was excited to have that many volunteers come in and help us distribute this amount of food, which was over 30,000 pounds of food. - Volunteers helped fill 3,000 Goya bags for Boston families and seniors in need, learning valuable lessons in the process. - It gives us a sense of being together with our community. So many people are separated, and people are based off of the class what they have, and like so many judgments between people. And I feel like this gives us like a sense of like, oh, we're the same, no matter what each other, like what you have, no matter what I have, we're the same people. We're just going through different stuff. - Boston police played a big role, loading their vans with the assembled bags for personal delivery throughout their districts. Officers say it's a chance to positively engage with the residents they serve. - The officers from 11 districts came today to pick up the food. The officers know who the families are. They've already identified the families or the food bank or the food's going. It just makes it a little bit easier, a little bit more convenient, because it's hard sometimes going to store when you've got family, children, sometimes it makes it a little bit easier to be able to deliver it door to door. And also it gives the officers an opportunity to see that family, see if there's anything else that we can help us support them with as well. - I always want to create a relationship that outside of uniform, I'm just like everybody else, and I care about the community. So again, my police position helps to be proactive in terms of dealing with some of the issues that are in the community. But in order to do that, sometimes you got to see the other side of me to feel that you can trust us. - Boston Police Department says over 40 families will enjoy bags just like this, thanks to Goya Gibbs. Reporting from Dorchester, I'm Faith Famafidon for BNN News. - To celebrate the 34th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, activists came together to advocate for the disabled. Last week, the Boston Disability Commission, community members, and advocates banded together to commemorate the 34th anniversary of the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. - It was only 34 years ago, where you didn't see a ramp at every curb so that people in wheelchairs like me could get on sidewalks. It was only 34 years ago, where people were discriminated from jobs just because they were disabled. So the communities out here celebrating that landmark legislation that protected them from discrimination. And our office here in City Hall, the City of Boston's Disabilities Commission, ensures that Title II reaches its full promise in Boston. And what that means is any city program service or activity is accessible to people with disabilities. - It's so important for us to really be a home for everyone. That means Boston has to be reaching out to every single community and creating the spaces for people to come together. There is so much diversity within the disability community. And together, all of the advocacy that we saw under this tent has led to a lot of changes around the city. And obviously, there's a lot more to be done, but we know that we just have to follow the community's lead. - The ADA was a world-altering achievement for the disabled community. And in the 34 years since its passing, disabled community has been fully accepted into society. But with the changing times, there is a need for more advocacy and inclusivity. On the 4th of July, I was at a playground and I was on a merry-go-around and it was ADA accessible. And I loved that I was able to see a child on a wheelchair be able to enjoy the playground. And I think that that is one very core example of what we can do specifically for the youth that are part of the ADA community to make sure that they are part of the community. When we're talking about our sidewalks to make sure that they're wide enough to make sure that they are accessible, to make sure that there are no cracks in the ground so that people are able to use them safely. It's the little things that matter. You know that when people on a day-to-day basis are able to live comfortably without having to think twice about what they're going to do, I think that that's when we can truly say that the city of Boston has become an inclusive city. - Disability is the one demographic that knows no boundaries. Anybody can become disabled at any time. Not everyone is born with a disability. And if most people are lucky enough to make it to an advanced age, they may experience some disabilities themselves. So really, when we make things accessible and inclusive, it benefits everyone, whether they're disabled or not. And we all know it's the right thing to do. We need to provide equity and also dignity for people with disabilities and all the work that we do. - With the protection of the Americans with Disabilities Act, along with the support of advocates, living as a disabled individual in 2024, allows people to have more independence and live their lives with limitless possibilities. - So dignity means being able to present in the way that you feel most comfortable and live a life that you feel most in control of. You know, I'm a power chair user and I love having use of my power chair because it allows me to live a dignified life. I'm able to present physically in a way that is comfortable to me and I'm able to focus on, you know, being articulate and getting my point across and advocating for other folks with disabilities. So again, dignity is being able to live a life that you feel most in control of and at the end of the day, I'm happy with it. - The city of Boston says that about 78,000 people identify as having a disability in Boston. For BNN News, I'm Makua DeVal. - Just a few weeks ago, BNN got a special look at the Mother Carolina Academy graduation where eight young POC women took the next step in their education. And now, MCA is ready to introduce their new head of school. Dr. Carla Hayth is a longtime educator with a passion for fostering a positive relationship between students and their education. She joined Faith in Studio to discuss what the future holds for Mother Carolina Academy. Enjoy the interview. - Dr. Hayth, I'm so excited to have you here in the studio today. Thank you for your time. - Thank you for having me. - Oh, absolutely. So as a fellow Dorchester girl and a Dorchester native right here in front of me, you grew up right across the street from Mother Caroline Academy. Can you talk a little bit about what it means for you to be able to come back and to lead the school as the new head of school? - That's a great question. Yes, Dorchester native. And so when I say that I grew up across the street, my grandmother lived right across the street from the school. And so I pretty much watched it be built. And I often said like, "Oh, I wonder what that school is about. "I want to go to that school." Unfortunately, when Mother Caroline opened its doors, I was in high school. So I was already too old for the school, but to lead Mother Caroline is truly a dream. It feels like a homecoming. I've worked in lots of different schools all around Boston and in the suburbs of Boston, but to come back home to Dorchester, to be able to lead a school with black and brown girls, a school full of girls that looks like me. It feels really good. And I'm also the youngest of four girls. And so to be in an old girls institution just felt like it was sort of a calling for me to come home. So it means the world to me to be able to lead such a phenomenal school. - Mother Caroline Academy is a hidden gem. I'd love to know what attracted you to this position and what do you hope to accomplish in your future years of leadership there? - Great question. It is a hidden gem. And I often say to people, "If you're a gem, you shouldn't be hiding." And so in my future leadership there, I hope to have it be a well-known institution. Being a hidden gem, it has sustained itself over the years. However, I think that it's such a phenomenal institution that I wanna make sure that everybody in the city of Boston and beyond knows about it. So in my future there, I just wanna shout from the raptors so that everybody knows about it. And I decided to pursue this position because I had finished up my doctorate degree and I really was yearning for more leadership opportunities. And something about being able to serve the community where you're from and with girls that look like you spoke to my spirit. And the funny thing is I actually was given the position description by my mentor who's in California. She sent it to me and she's like, "Hey, I saw this thing online. I know you're from Dorchester. Do you know this school?" And I was like, "Do I?" Yes, I know that school. And I would love to pursue the opportunity to work there. So again, she's a Massachusetts native from Cambridge. She had never heard of the school. She simply was perusing online and she knew that I was interested in a leadership opportunity. And I had pursued other ones, but some of the other schools that I was in the race for to be the head of school, they just didn't feel like the right fit at the end of the day. And then when I stepped on campus at Mother Caroline, I could tell that that was absolutely where I belonged. - That's amazing. And what would you say sets apart Mother Caroline from other private schools in the city? - That is a question that I love to answer for people. The thing that sets Mother Caroline Academy apart from other private schools in the area is that we are the only tuition-free private school in the city of Boston for girls. And so the fact that we are able to educate the girls in the community at no or low cost, really to the families really speaks volume. So the girls wear uniforms and so the families pay the small fee to get the uniforms. But there is no tuition at Mother Caroline Academy. And so that is truly what sets us apart. We have a one to seven ratio for students and teachers. So really small class sizes to provide an intimate setting for girls to really be able to do their best learning and thinking with the faculty and staff that cares deeply about them. - That's amazing. And it sounds like the attention is really on helping these young women develop. And what do you find unique about an all girls education? - Yeah, so that was the thing that I was like, ooh, can I do all girls? I am the youngest of four girls myself. And so I feel like that was, you know, that was my experience at home. But an all girls education stands out because sometimes as girls, girls don't raise their voices, right? And so if you are in a class that boys are in, particularly really, it comes up in math and science spaces, you might know the answer, but you might not have the confidence to, you know, speak up in front of one of your male peers. So for us, the all girls environment allows every girl to be able to shine and be themselves and not worry about, you know, what they're wearing or some of the other distractions that you find in a coed environment. And then there's just a lot of research out there that proves that there are some professions that just lack females. And so we wanna be able to bridge that gap and prepare our women to go into any field that they wanna go into, whether it be STEM, whether it be a math position, whether, you know, they wanna be an astronaut. We want them to know that even if the field is predominantly male, at this point that, you know, they can be a first or they can be one of few and shine in those spaces. - I love that. And then in terms of like what you've seen in the education field, what are some of the challenges you would say are facing young women of color? And how do you hope that MCA can be of service? - Yeah, another great question, you know, I think that again, the challenges facing women of color is kind of a double whammy, right? I'm a female and I am a person of color and maybe I didn't grow up with, you know, a particular way of being that people expect. And so I think having the cultural difference and sometimes the racial difference can make girls feel alone or isolated. And the thing that we hope to do is have them raise their voice, right? Ask the hard questions, ask the questions that you really need answers to and not be afraid to be bold about it. And so we are a school that is true to our mission and we're raising girls to be bold and be authentic to who they are. And so I think that that is the way that we will fill in the gap moving forward in the city of Boston and beyond. - Okay, fearless young women. And of all of the things that are happening at Mother Caroline, what are you most proud of right now? - You know, I am most proud of our community partnerships. And so we have a lot of community partnerships step into art, EV kids, and most recently a connection with Boston Children's Hospital. And the girls were able to go and be at Boston Children's Hospital and really get hands on learning experiences in the medical field. And some of them have never even heard, you know, the word phlebot, phlebotomus. And then when they were like, they were just so excited to learn what it really means to be in the medical profession. And some of them that were a little freaked out by drawing blood and things of that nature. It was still an important experience for them as well 'cause they were like, oh, nope, I don't wanna do that. And it was okay for them to be able to say that. So I am most proud of our community partnerships. And we are always looking for more of those. So we encourage, you know, people in the community that have programming and are doing things where they feel like we can get involved. We're always happy to partner. - And what's very exciting? MCA just celebrated its 30th year anniversary, 30 years of educating young ladies. So what does it mean for you to honor this institution and for the many alums who are coming out of the school and honoring their contributions? - You know, it is a great time. I feel like I took the realm right at the right time because to sustain an institution for 30 years and as you referred to it and be a hidden gem, that is just beyond amazing to me. And so, you know, after celebrating 30 years, I think that the way we continue to honor the institution is having our alum come back to sit on a panel, to speak to girls about what they're doing and to really make sure that we are a more well-known institution in the city of Boston because I think that the way that we honor is to continue to do what we do and to take it to the next level. So we're not only educating girls when it comes to like reading, math, social studies, English language, art curriculum. We have art that we are offering. We are, you know, talking to the girls about what they wanna do, what they wanna see more of so that we can tap into not only education, but arts and athletics as well as public speaking because that's going to be really important. And we've been fortunate to have a alum come back and help us with that. And again, you know, our goal at Mother Caroline Academy is to absolutely educate the girls, get them into the high school that they wanna go to, but beyond that, we also wanna take care of them when they're in college and beyond. And so it is really a school that has a strong tradition and it's small enough to be family oriented. So we are one big family. And I think that the next, you know, 30 years we wanna continue to not only exist, but to thrive. - It's very exciting. And then for our viewers, how can they learn more and support the work that's happening at Mother Caroline Academy? - So we are on all social media platforms. People can check us out there. They can also go to the website. If you go to Mother Caroline Academy, you can find out what is going on. We are located at 515 Blue Hill Avenue in Dorchester. And we're very excited because for our first day of school this year is September 4th and we are doing a huge clap in. So we won't, we welcome everyone from the community to come and join us while we clap the girls into a new school year. - Oh, that sounds so fun. And I hope the community comes out for that of get a inside peak on the school. - As we approach the end of summer, Biana News wants to remind all of our viewers to register to vote for the upcoming presidential election. You can register to vote or check if you're registered at www.vote.gov. Thank you for tuning in Boston. As a reminder, you can stream or watch the news on demand@bnnmedia.org. Each episode will be re-broadcast at 9.30pm and 11pm on Xfinity Channel 9, Astound Channel 15, and Fios Channel 2161. And make sure to check out our BNN HD Xfinity Channel 1072. You can also hear us on the radio Friday at 7.30 and 9pm and Monday through Thursday at 9pm. And now you can watch BNN News on the go with the cable cast out. For BNN News, I'm Natalie Kimler. I'll see you soon. (upbeat music)