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Boston Globe
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
At BAMS Festival, the full spectrum of Black culture takes the stage
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up In the 'Beat Feet' dance tent, Stiggity Stackz offered breakdancing workshops, Boston Rhythm Riders demonstrated how to line dance to this year's Southern soul cookout staple 'Boots on the Ground,' and Chanel 'Ms.5678' Thompson taught guests how to move to Jamaican dancehall and Cape Verdean music. Advertisement Speaking after her session, Thompson said she aimed for an uplifting mix of music 'so that people felt joy, ultimate joy, that might be missing in these times that we're in.' It was also common to hear such sentiments from audience members. 'It's important for there to be hypervisibility of Black joy, because right now, I believe that a lot of politicians and even the media are profiting off of Black pain by sharing the worst of what we're going through right now,' said Melanie Wilkerson, 32, who was visiting from Brooklyn when her friends told her about the festival. 'We're going to liberate ourselves and find our joy in the process.' Advertisement Such a need especially exists in Boston, opined Ashé Brooks-Cook. The 42-year-old from Roxbury was at his fourth BAMS Festival. 'You look around, you see us, and there aren't many spaces and places where you see people that look like you, especially in mainstream Boston,' he said. 'So I love just being around my people, the atmosphere, the positivity, the music, the culture.' Hannah Betit (center) dances with others in front of the BAMS Festival stage. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff The festival offered inspiration from as far away as Africa — courtesy of a workshop by Afrobeats Dance Boston — and as nearby as the blocks surrounding Franklin Park. At the KidChella family stage, 21-year-old spoken word artist Val Lapree, who grew up in the neighborhood, read a piece called 'Wishful Thinking' that she wrote in the aftermath of the 2020 George Floyd murder. The poem was a sharp, critical look at the concept of 'Boston Strong.' Many of the local artists took advantage of their main stage performances to put together special presentations. Solari Blue into a high-energy revue. Likewise, Boston rap legend Advertisement Titi Ngwenya holds a carnation she bought at BAMS Festival while she listens to live music. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff R&B chanteuse Kasia Lavon had performed at a prior BAMS Festival as a background vocalist for rapper Red Shaydez. This year, she got to lead her own ensemble and highlight her powerful songwriting skills. Speaking after her set, Lavon said her band and singers had spent months planning and rehearsing every element of the set — including her bold red and pink outfit. 'It was important for us because this is home, and because so many people pour their hearts into this festival to honor Black culture,' said Lavon. Other local performers ranged from the dynamic precision of the recently formed dance crew The Peacekeepers. to the ultra-versatile Boston producer and artist Haasan Barclay, who leaned into his pop and hip-hop sides before strapping on his electric guitar for a blast of punk rock. Watching the crowds stream in after early afternoon sprinkles let up, BAMS Festival board chair While its Franklin Park presence shrank from two days to one this year, the festival expanded its reach with Advertisement Noah Schaffer can be reached at . Jeffrey Kelly can be reached at
Boston Globe
20-06-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Fall River plows forward amid tariffs and harsh immigration policies
It's a challenge that Advertisement His company, which serves the broader Portuguese-speaking diaspora from Cape Verde, Brazil, and beyond, prefers to recruit bilingual workers, but over the last few years that has become tough and the recent changes in immigration policies have likely worsened that challenge. Even though Benevides only hires workers with documentation, 'the well is drying up in terms of people' regardless, he said. Michael Benevides is the Vice President of Portugalia Marketplace, a Portuguese specialty grocery store in Fall River. His business imports the majority of the products it sells which are subject to tariffs, he said. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff Businesses like Portugalia are grappling with Local businesses are trying to find ways to mitigate against the impact of tariffs, said Advertisement 'If the tariffs are really going to raise their prices or raise their costs significantly, they've got to be careful with what they do,' he told the Globe. 'We've got . . . companies that are really concerned about what's happening overseas with the tariffs.' Immigration troubles, too, have rippled through some sectors of Fall River's economy, like manufacturing and hospitality. 'The hospitality field really has to work to find new ways to recruit people. Because those workers, they're just not available,' O'Sullivan said. Fresh prepared food for sale at Portugalia Marketplace, a Portuguese specialty grocery store in Fall River. The business imports most of its products from abroad. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff But the crackdown 'It's naturally going to have an impact across all the sectors,' O'Sullivan said. 'There's a large number of immigrant employees who live in Fall River, that live in New Bedford, and vice versa. So, I mean, it's a significant impact.' Advertisement 'What's happening a lot is people are in hiding, they're a little nervous to come out and be loud,' she said. 'They don't know what could happen.' Some entrepreneurs in the region are choosing to do less marketing and increasingly rely on word of mouth to attract business, she said. 'Times are tough, so I think that we need to pull them together a little bit more,' Moniz said. But while things have slowed down for the community, there is also a sense that people need to just move forward despite it all. 'When you're running a business and you're investing, in many cases, your life savings and you've got your family working there . . . and that's how you've chosen to support your family . . . you have to keep plowing forward, and you have to just keep working hard,' O'Sullivan said. Benevides at Portugalia said that Fall River needs its immigrants to bolster its workforce. 'As an immigrant, I think we need immigrants. We need immigrants to work,' he said. 'We've had tremendous success with immigrants.' A row of salt fish including salted cod for sale at Portualia Marketplace in Fall River. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff Fall River, long a Democratic stronghold, went for Donald Trump in November, But there could be buyer's remorse among some voters as they see the extent of the changes his administration is imposing, said Advertisement 'I think people have now become frustrated,' he said. 'It's not what they expected, it's not what they bought into, not only on immigration policy, but a whole bunch of other policies that are taking place. So I think, collectively, they're disappointed.' Three men walked past a mural on the side of a business in Downtown Fall River as they walk along South Main Street. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff Mayor Paul Coogan said residents in Fall River are preoccupied by basic things such as housing costs, wages, and how much they pay for their groceries. 'It's a bread-and-butter community,' he said. 'When the rubber meets the road, they're worried about the blue-collar issues.' Fall River tends to be centrist in its politics, according to Fiola. 'The running joke is we're either conservative Democrats or liberal Republicans,' he said. 'We're sort of in the middle as a city, but I think they'll have their voices heard when they don't like what things are going on on the national level.' Omar Mohammed can be reached at
Boston Globe
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Pint-size summer in the city: Fun things that kids will actually want to do
We recently revisited a sampling of local family-friendly attractions with a rotating posse of children under the age of 10. Here are some highlights. Of course, your results — with your kids, little buddies, or grandkids — may vary. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Kids are often pretty entertained by the squirrel action in the Public Garden, and it's easy to see why. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff Fun freebies Attractions aren't cheap. Happily, Boston is full of fun freebies that score high with small fry, like the splash fountains on the Rose Kennedy Greenway ( Advertisement The chaos that is the Haymarket? The child in your party may well be entranced; ours was. But plan to carry that tot — this is not the place for a stroller. (For more tips, see Cyclists, runners, and walkers don't have to worry about cars on a section of Memorial Drive on Sundays. Vincent Alban For The Boston Globe How much fun is it to ride your bike in the street when there are no cars around? It's a blast. Our tester kids — old enough to ride two-wheeler bicycles — enjoyed Memorial Drive Recreation Sundays ( A pool of sprinkles at the Museum of Ice Cream. Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff New and topped with sprinkles We asked an 8-year-old if she wanted to go to a museum. 'Yes! The ice cream one!' she replied. We should have seen that coming. Boston has its own outpost of the Museum of Ice Cream (timed entry; weekday tickets from $25; weekend tickets from $33; Advertisement View Boston, the observatory on top of the Prudential tower, is where Top of the Hub used to be. Lane Turner/Globe Staff Room with a view We were eager to check out View Boston ($34; ages 6-12, $15; "Back Bay Bertha" splashes into the Charles in 2020. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff Duck, duck, boat Hard to believe the duck boats, a.k.a. Boston Duck Tours (adult tickets, $55; 3-11, $40; under age 3, $11; The jokes come fast and furiously, and will go right over the kids' heads. For them, the fun comes with that splash into the Charles River, and the chance to pilot the vessel for a minute or two. Our take: Out-of-town adult guests and older kids will enjoy this most, while little ones get antsy. (Tip: If your party includes two adults and two kids ages 3-11, ask about their Family 4 Pack; it's $165, good at the Museum of Science location only. Not valid on Saturdays.) Advertisement Martin's Park was officially opened in June 2019 with a celebration of music and family-friendly programming. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff Awesome twosome Yep, the bubble exhibit is still there. And the Japanese House. The Boston Children's Museum ($22; under 12 months free; Visit on a nice day and make it a two-fer with a visit to Martin's Park Boston ( Legal Sea Foods gives little diners some options on their kids' menu. Of course, ours chose chicken fingers, along with rice pilaf and slaw. Diane Bair Best kids' menu If we never saw another chicken finger, we'd be fine. Legal Sea Foods ($10, for kids age 12 and under; Advertisement Maelynn Munro, 8, watches a penguin feeding session at the New England Aquarium. Barry Chin/Globe Staff Sea creatures? Yes please Harbor seals. Parading penguins. Seahorses. Sharks. Opened in 1969, New England Aquarium (adults, $39; ages 3-11, $30, We're running out of space and didn't have a chance to share the details of the Boston Public Library's ( Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum ( Sugar Factory Boston ( Advertisement See you on the Greenway Carousel — and in line at Cookie Monstah.
Boston Globe
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
The chef at Gift Horse in Providence wins a James Beard Award; Sullivan's Castle Island also honored
Get Winter Soup Club A six-week series featuring soup recipes and cozy vibes, plus side dishes and toppings, to get us all through the winter. Enter Email Sign Up Elsewhere in New England, Wolf Tree in White River Junction, Vt., was a nominee for Outstanding Bar. The award went to Kumiko in Chicago. And Advertisement Harrison Oches, 5, of Wakefield enjoys fries on opening day at Sullivan's Castle Island on March 1 this year. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff Advertisement However, Sullivan's Castle Island in South Boston did win a previously announced In a release, the awards committee called Sullivan's a 'Boston institution that has served working-class Bostonians for generations,' adding, 'Every Bostonian has a story about Sully's — whether from working there after school as a teenager, having their sports team or fundraiser supported by Sully's, taking their children for some crinkle cuts like their grandparents took them, or simply enjoying it as a nostalgic seaside gathering place for locals.' Kara Baskin can be reached at
Boston Globe
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
See photos from ‘No Kings' protests across New England and nationwide
See photos of the demonstrations: Boston 06/14/2025 No Kings protestors march in the middle of the Boston Pride parade along Boylston Street. The annual Boston Pride Parade took place through the streets of the Back Bay and the South End. This year, 'No King but Yaaas Queen' protestors marched in unison with the parade. .John Tlumacki/Boston Globe Staff John Tlumacki/Globe Staff Protesters hold signs during the "No Kings but Yaaas Queen!" demonstration Saturday in Boston's Copley Square. Erin Clark/Globe Staff Brittany Camson with the Queer Winthrop Social Club marches down Boylston Street with other members. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff "No Kings" rally was held in Brockton, MA on Saturday June, 14 2025. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff Sachie Karmacharya with the Wellan Montessori School In Newton holds on to her rainbow headpiece as a gust of wind blew down Boylston Street during the Pride parade. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff Protesters chanted and hold signs during Saturday's "No Kings but Yaaas Queen!" demonstration in Boston. Erin Clark/Globe Staff Senator Ed Mark Markey addresses the crowd during the Boston Pride For The People Parade in Boston on June 14, 2025. Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff 'Lucky' sits in the back seat of a vehicle in the Pride Parade as it heads down Clarendon Street. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff Alex Rittenberg held up a pride flag as the annual Boston Pride Parade heads down Boylston Street. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff A "No Kings" rally was held in Brockton, MA on Saturday June, 14 2025. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff Spectators along Clarendon Street watch the Boston Pride Parade. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff Boston's annual Pride parade kicked off Saturday morning at Copley Square. Erin Clark/Globe Staff Vishel painted his face as he watches the Pride Parade go along Clarendon Street. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff Protesters march in downtown Los Angeles during an anti-Trump "No Kings Day" demonstration in a city that has been the focus of protests against Trump's immigration raids on June 14. Mario Tama/Getty People attend a 'No Kings" protest in New York on June 14. VICTOR J. BLUE/NYT Protesters gather at Liberty Plaza, outside of the Georgia State Capitol in downtown Atlanta, on Saturday, June 14, 2025. DUSTIN CHAMBERS/NYT Sheriff officers keep protesters from crossing a bridge to Mar-a-Lago during a No Kings Dayprotest in West Palm Beach, Fla, on Saturday. Joe Raedle/Photographer: Joe Raedle/Getty I Demonstrators march during the "No Kings" protest, Saturday, June 14 in Philadelphia. Yuki Iwamura/Associated Press A demonstrator holds a sign during a "No Kings" protest, Saturday, June 14 in Atlanta. Mike Stewart/Associated Press Alyssa Vega can be reached at
