Transcripts For WHDH Urban Update 20161030

For Boston Public Schools to revise its Exam School Admissions policy so that boston latin, the crown jewel of make sure Education System here is more representative of this great stiff. The Lawyers Committee has also chimed in on ballot issue two in the up examining election. To tell us more abtheir positions weve invited ivan espinozamadrigal, connective director for Lawyers Committee for civil rightsnd matt cregor. He is the education project director for the lawyers completely gentleman, weather headline to urban update. Thanks for coming in. Maybe can i start with you, i van. Lets begin with the current situation. Give our viewers a beep synonymous of where he stand at boston latin. Well townships events at boston latin which have been dominating the air waves from time to time now started back africanamerican students congressmen commented on their experience, and if fact that School Officials were not really taking the complaints seriously, byron. And so once this information got out into the public, we along with many of our allies, including the naacp were very concerned about the quality of boston latin for especially students who are particularly vulnerable to this type of harassment and bullying. So we filed a complaint with the u. S. Attorneys office and that expect complaint was filed on behalf of a number of other organizations as well who joined us in that effort and the u. S. Attorney launched a federal investigation into these law. And so what we have here is actually a very rare instance of enforcing federal civil rightses compliance this far north of the stout and its happening like you said in our crown jewel. Now, matt cregor there are many different views on how this what are you thoughts on how this developed . As ivan mentioned, they brought to bear the weight of title four is civil rightses act of 1964, the same law it will department of justice used to litigate scores of little desegregation cases throughout the county. And what our courts are done as well as the department of justice has done is set a very high bar for what qualifies as actionable racial harassed in because in order for a court to see that or indeed for the u. S. Attorney to see it, no, maam do they have to see severe harassment but they also have to see that the school was deliberately indifferent in its response. That it practically under the a blind eye to it. And when the u. S. Attorney in conjunction with the department of justice found a violation of that civil rights law it suggests not only validating the concerns the child in particular was significantly racially harassed but also that the school could have done a lot more indeed, fell below the bar of our federal civil rights law in response. And we think our courts set that bar very high for a reason. Using the 1964 civil rights law to enforce, i finds that amazing. Theres another issue with boston latin a decrease in diversity of the student were now at this point, we have a district that is about 75 percent black in latino but boston latin the, the Oldest Public School in the country is approximately 20 percent black and latino. So our school doesnt reflect the great diversity of our city and perhaps somewhat as as disconcertingly there is practical a majority of students who are attenning from private schools and not percenting the rewards of long participation in our boston Public School system. I was going to say how does that happen . If you have a district, School District edistrict that is three fathers ha lee know p how does the school ends up 50 percent height . We see a couple of concerns. Latin, since the end of the voluntary integration efforts the school. One is participation in a high stakes exam and the other is your grades as sixth grader. Now, our concerns are twofold there. First we know there are a lot of families that paid a lot of money for test prep in order to do well on that test, something that families of slower social work economic status arent as positioned to do. Second theres a grail of variation in the way we grade our Students School another, and certainly from our Public Schools and Charter Schools and our parochial schools that comprise our city fortunate it makes it very hard to figure out what is the way that we make sure our best and brightest perform all over our city earn a seat in our flagship school. I guess the boston globe wrote that proving diversity at principles, how do you respond to that . Thats really upsetting because at the end of the day, byron, this conversation that were having, that matts talking about, its about having everyone in our city reflected in our institutions. And so this is this isnt about abandoning principles. This is about making these institutions even more democratic. And there are many models forked a miss that could be right. Matt just described the two things that this school takes into consideration. Why dont we go with a policy such as the one that the Supreme Court of the United States just upheld in terms of University Admissions in ut austin, where it said top ten percent students from High School High schools across texas system. Why cant we do that with high schools in boston and say if youre an excellent student at any Public School in boston, if you excel, you can earn a seat at boston latin. Or alternative base admissions on neighborhoods or zip codes. Use other methods of making sure that we are creating pipelines that actually reflect the rich diversity in o determined by grades and standardized tests. Isnt that the best way the keep an elite school at the highest standards . We have seen, especially in the Higher Education context in this country a holistic assessment of students and that has maintained the standards and prestige at universities and than what Boston Latin School likes like. This is not about maintaining the status quo. This is about using our creativity to make sure we are maintaining the same standards. Now, earlier this month superiority dismissed a lawsuit about the Charter Schools. Dismissed a lawsuit that of the Charter Schools in massachusetts. The Lawyers Committee represented the boston and regional naacp along with a group of students of the boston schools who said their possession would be harmed were the caps declared uncushional. Why dont these students in the naacp get involved in lawsuit and what effect does this suit have on ballot question two . Been the naacps. This has become such a Lawyers Committee for civil rights rod, so political to the point that we seem to be talking past each other even on the street. And what i think the court did in this case was cut through the saturation and look for plainly at our School Funding laws. Now, our education laws, be they state or federal were designed all comers. Make sure that any child shows up, gets a seat and gets an education. And we want that to be a quality education. What our School Funding laws were designed to do was to make sure that there would a baseline below which the funds that are needed to make that happen, things would not fall. When we filed a lawsuit that would eliminate the charter cap, that would have eliminated that safety net and destroyed the and thats particularly troubling in laces like boston and throughout massachusetts where indeed our english language learners and students with disabilities p particularly those with the most severe needs are diss proportionally underserved. At the end of the day weve seen that there are people who are trying to lift the cap by any means legislature, in court in the Ballot Initiative. And the court case they were not successful. And they tried to do this same thing theyre trying to do with the Ballot Initiative in court and they failed. We have to be careful here because obviously that is a hot button issue and there are many people, its on the ballot and we dont have anyone here in favor of raising the cap. And people say that it would give people more students more opportunities. And we dont deny that there are students who found schools. Thats a wonderful thing and as an organization we are not anticharter. The concern we have is that when we look for solution for all our students that we not find ways to put schools in competition with each other but find ways to support the learning of all our children. We have to leafiest there. And well see what voters say about question two until just two weeks from now. Thank you both for coming in. Thank you very much. When we come back, a respected mentor in boston for over 30 years opens his solo exhibition in nearly a decade. All the details right here on. Our next guest is a respected painter, educator and mentor in boston for over niter years. His paintings have been featured africanamerican artists in roxbury and the museum of fine arts in boston he has been commissioned to paint the portraits of senator Deval Patrick and chief Justice Roderick ireland. We now welcome africanamerican artist and bostonian Robert Freeman whose new works exhibition will be showned a adelson galleries on harrison avenue in the south ends. The exhibit will front runner from friday november 4 through this is freemans first solo exhibition in boston in almost a decade. Welcome to urban update. Bob. Thanks for coming in. Thank you. First of all tell me why do you describe yourselves as an africanamerican artist and not simply an artist . Well, you can see by my heritage im african and i like to have the africanamerican as a part of the title but beyond that, my family moved to the my dad was an insurance policy man. He opened up his oh insurance company. Several years later he was made state corporation of the state for all of the insurance for all of ghana. They stayed there for ten years, we lived there for ten years and my parents moved on and open up Insurance Companies in several countries. Before the money was going out to the swiss or lloyds of london. So by opening up the insurance the african federations can hold on to the money and the money can circulate within africa. So africanamerican is not just a title, its more like a home for me. Okay. Works a little bit. I guess what inspired new works and tell me about it. Its really what was going on in the old worse about 35 years ago. 35 years ago my wife and i went to a black tie dinner party and everyone in the dinner party looked at us. We came in late and we were very uncomfortable. We thought perhaps our clothed were rumpled or something was wrong. Later we realized they were probably questioning us. Back in the 1950s and africanamericans couldnt socialize with white groups in society. So they formed their own groups and within those groups they had elements of the same White Society groups of rejection and acceptance. So they really mirrored those groups. So i wanted the viewer of all these new black tie paintings to feel as uncomfortable as we felt when we approached that table. So most of the work as the eye pating. I was going to say how does your message about middle class frills in new works compare to the message in your black tie series 35 years ago . Its kind of the same message. But theres more of an inclusion of african motif. Im including gold leaf in the paintings this will time and its more a celebration of the african side as well as the american side. Lets take a look at some of the work of art and see if you can i guesscr each one. Like this one right here you can see. Thats a good one to start with because it shows the goal leaf which is a new element in the new paintings. The gold leaf is a part of the element that is also accepted as gold here in the United States worn by africanamericans. Gold not just represents status and wealth, it represents the sun, the sunshine, the warmth. Now we have got another one up here you can see. Thats a very different one. I approached the other canvas knowing what will what i was going to do. This particular canvas i approached not having a clue what was going to happen and i proffered with an abstraction and within the abstraction the figuring were formed the figures informed me as to what they were doing. Do we have one more . Yes. This one is probably tick call of the the ordinarily paintings looking at the viewer and the viewer now at least in the new paintings has to come to grips with whether these people are accepting them or rejecting the talk to me about how you approach an empty canvas. Its a strange process. When i was a kid i used to have a blank piece of paper and i would scribble on that paper until the entire paper was black. My parents didnt know what to make of this. Artwork. They didnt put it on the refrigerator. I approached the canvass in the same way. I have eight black canvass in the studio and ill begin to industrial on them at the same time. And from that i might see an arm or a leg or even a face or part of a face and ill begin to develop the people as they arrive in the painting. So there always is a surprise. As soon as i realize who they are i start to sound a little spooky here. I start to have conversations with the people so that i get to know them much like i think writers have conversations with their characters. So as they develop, theyre informing me and at the end of the day, as hemingway once said you have to have a pretty good 12 punch to send those cashes home so you can go home. You are an artist, ill tell you. Inspired by new works i guess and the life of an artist, what advise do you have for them . I think the advice is the advice that i was given which is be yourself. You can paint like someone else but nobody can paint like you. You have your story. Find your story and tell your story. And again your first solo exhibit in over a decade. When and where with folks see it . They can see it at gallery in boston and it will run november 4. Through december 18. And thats in the south end and we have the website up there as well. Bob freeman. Unbelievable artist. Thank you for coming in and good luck with the exhibition. Thank you for having me on the show. Coming up next ill tell you why im wearing thing pink tie. All the details right here on urban update. With plans starting as low as 0, youll have zero things stopping you from really doing what you love. So call now to learn more about our plans that offer everything from annual wellness visits to routine hearing and vision exams, and prescription drugs. We have new dental Coverage Options too. And we even offer plans with no medical deductible and no referrals. Plus, all our plans come with the peace of mind that you get when you have a health plan the next chapter of your life should be all about you. Thats why were here. To learn more, contact us for our free medicare guide with no obligations. You can call us at 18888008813 or visit us at bluecrossma. Com medicareguide. For the past 30 days lexus of watertown and susan g. Komen of southern new england have been working together during their Second Annual Pink Tie Guy Campaign the raise awareness, support and funds for families fighting Breast Cancer in southern new england. Throughout october, recognized nationally as Awareness Month men across massachusetts were invited to step up and join in the local fight against Breast Cancer. Pink tie guys a community of men committed to making an impact in the fight against Breast Cancer given the fact that one in eight women in the United States will be diagnosed with Breast Cancer in her lifetime according to the National Cancer Institute Massachusetts has the second cancer in the United States and this year more than 5,000 residents will be diagnosed with Breast Cancer. To tell us how they did this year p we have inviteed lori van dam whos the executive director of susan g. Komen of southern new england. Welcome to urban update. Thanks for coming in, lori. I guess everyone knows why im wearing the pink tie now. Why dont you tell us what youve been asking men to do all month. Well, thank you for being a pink tie guy along with the rest of our group one is to recognize the role that men play in supporting the women in their lives with with Breast Cancer. Of course men can be diagnosed with Breast Cancer. Thats about one percent of diagnoses but far more men are affidavitted by the women in their lives and we wanted to give them an opportunity to take some action to support those women. So the pink fie guys raise funds. We ask them to raise a thousand 8 which represents that one in about American Woman who will be diagnosed and those funds will go to support local programming for Breast Cancer both research and also support. So take me through the process of i guess how these men go about raising the money and what your goal your goal is 108,000 do you expect to make the goal . Well, thats a pretty good pretty big goal for us so youre not sure if were going to make it but well try. Typically this is the kind of thing where men getnv in their lives whose fought Breast Cancer and its easy for them to go their communities and ask them to support them. How do you describe these guys . What are they . Reporter theyre fathers of survivors, theyre husbands of survivors, children of survivors or women who have lost their fight with Breast Cancer so its really a brood variety of men. Partner in all this. Yes. Theyre a wonderful part of for us. We worked with them last year. They have some of their staff who are raising money and theyre helping us spread the word about the importance of getting screened and being aware of your own health. Tell me about if you can give your viewers a reminder of the susan g. Komen of southern new england founds. So were the local aff when where he raise funds 25 percent of those go to our National Research pool to support that research thats going to find the cures and the causes for Breast Cancer. And 75 percent stays here locally to support families and one of the big initiatives weve is patient navigation to make sure that women get into screening and get into treatment if they need it because our experts tell us that up to saved with current treatments. Its just getting women into the screening in time and then getting them the timely treatment they need. Earlier this month you released your Community Profile of Breast Cancer in massachusetts. Tell us more about that. Thats an evaluation that we do every four years for all of the areas that we work in across the nation to understand what the services are that are available and also what the need is we identify particular locations that have beau high late stage diagnosis which can indicate a problem getting women into screening and also high mortality and we target our efforts to those communityings. What about the disparity with respect to Breast Cancer when youre talking about socioeconomics and so on . Thats an issue were really trying to tackle right now on a National Basis and also here locally because particularly women of color, africanamerican tends to be diagnosed at an earlier age and also tends to be diagnosed with more aggressive cancer. So there are a lot of different interventions that were trying to understand how they might play into getting those women into better treatment faster and also to make sure that treatments are available for them if they have those aggressive formals. The statistic beginning at the second highest incidence of Breast Cancer many in the country. I just find that but its not mortality rate. Right so because we have very Good Health Care in massachusetts. We have a relatively low mortality rate. The incidentals rate, people are always trying to say, well, do you know with a causes it . And gosh we wish we did but we really dont. Its not a disease thats affected by anything your digest ribs factors are being a woman and being older. And talk to me about the this week. We love the club. Its such an elegant location. And lexus watertown helps us put on a Cocktail Party for the pink tie guys and their guests. And you talk about the role that men play. Talk about more about that. I guess what youre trying to the message youre trying the get out about the role men can play. Right. We often refer to the membership in the family as the cosurvil whole family when someone is undergoing cancer treatment. This is a way for men to feel like they can actually do something, take an actioner thats going to help either their own families or families who will have someone diagnosed in future. Okay. Lori van dam. Thanks for coming in. And good luck raising that 108,000 congratulations on rounding up all those pink tie guys. Excellent. Thank you very much. Thats it for this edition of here at urban update, have a great sunday, everyone. See you next week. By focusing on families, innovation and education. The same approach maggie will take as us senator a detailed plan to make college more affordable. Lower cost prescription drugs for everyday families. And an approach to leadership that puts New Hampshire families and Small Businesses ahead of the corporate special interests. Thats Maggie Hassan. Always has been. Always will be. Im Maggie Hassan and i approve this message. Evit takes money away from the, regular Public Schools from students like mine. Massachusetts schools already lose 400 million a year to charters and question two means well lose even more. Weve got to stop taking from the 96 percent of kids who dont attend a charter school. If you believe every child deserves a great public happy halloween weekend to you across the United States, from arlo white and lee dixon. Our premier league treat is a contest between two sides in reports of chelseas demise sm greatly exaggerated. A switch in system have provided three Straight League wins without conceding a goal. Three points today and chelsea would leap over spurs and into the top four, just a point behind the early pace setters. Manchester city. Arsenal and liverpool. So, chelsea in all blue getting us under way. Southampton the home team,