Can Boston shake its reputation as one of the most racist cities in America? | Basic Black

Recently, the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau unveiled a tourism campaign that highlights how one of the nation’s oldest cities now encompasses 23 neighborhoods and residents who speak a combined 76 languages. The campaign included a new tagline, “Boston never gets old.” The GBCVB also introduced its new name, Meet Boston. In addition, the City of Boston has also put together several initiatives - at the end of Walsh’s administration, as a result of the racial Red Sox incident in 2017 at Fenway Park, including, “All Inclusive Boston,” to counter what residents and visitors’ perception are of the city.

As the City of Boston and Meet Boston make their new pitches about Boston, the history and issue of racism remains. Boston is not the only city with a history of racism, but it is a city with a persistent claim of being racist. Will this “new pitch” or updated look at Greater Boston help others take another look at Boston and dispel the city’s historical past of slavery and race? Also will the campaigns spark and open up conversations about the growth of Black businesses, attract new business to Boston and economic opportunities for the city?

This week on Basic Black, we discuss whether a new tourism campaign can shake Boston’s decades-long reputation of being racist? Host Callie Crossley will be joined by: Hilina D. Ajakaiye, Executive Vice President of Meet Boston formerly known as the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau; Segun Idowu, Chief for the Mayor's Office of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion; and Adrian Walker, Associate Editor/Metro Columnist for The Boston Globe.

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