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Boston Globe
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Roxbury Unity parade celebrates ‘Black Heartbeat' of community
After moving back to Boston in 2018, Burton felt that Roxbury's neighborhood pride was lacking. It was then that she got the idea for a parade meant 'to celebrate Roxbury's history, culture, beauty, and resilience,' a statement on the The event continued with a block party gathering at the high school featuring face painting, music, and an awards presentation, according to the Attendees and organizers wore body paint on their faces, arms, and legs, donning different Roxbury-positive messages, such as 'Roxbury 4 life' and 'Roxbury unity.' Advertisement Dozens of people, including Mayor Michelle Wu, Representative Ayanna Pressley, Senator Liz Miranda, and Boston City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune, took seats and stood near the awards table as the ceremony began. This year's awards included the Michael L. Bivins community hero award, presented to Anthony Richards Sr. of the No Books No Ball basketball program, and the Mary Morris lifetime achievement award, presented to Jumaada Smith, the group said on The Roxbury-based No Books No Balls nonprofit aims to teach 'the game of basketball along with important life-lessons regarding sportsmanship and academic achievement,' according to the Advertisement 'That was something that I felt I needed to do because basketball is my world,' Bivins said at the ceremony, 'basketball is my life.' Bivins then introduced former New Edition bandmate Ronnie DeVoe as the next speaker. 'I'm here as a reflection of what the youth in this community are able to do,' DeVoe said, 'Success is at the grasp of everybody in this community and we are an example of that.' As the ceremony concluded, Mayor Wu spoke to the Roxbury community. 'We have a lot of work to do,' she said, 'a lot of days that looks like digging deep, fighting, and speaking truth to power.' The parade set off at 1 p.m. and proceeded along Malcolm X Boulevard in Roxbury. Despite concerns over incoming storms and potential bad weather, Burton remained in good spirits due to the parade's rain-or-shine nature. 'I love this weather. I hope the rain holds off but this is really good weather,' Burton said on her As the procession marched into the street, a sea of purple shirts followed Mayor Wu and Representative Pressley, as they waved to people lining the street and held signs in support of Wu's re-election campaign. Holding banners, singing, and alternating chants of 'Roxbury love,' the parade returned to the high school to conclude the event with more music and live performances. As the event ended, spirits remained high as organizers and attendees alike danced and sang to 70s and 80s era music. Advertisement 'Roxbury stand up,' Burton said on Facebook, 'It is our day, it is our weekend.'
Boston Globe
21-05-2025
- Boston Globe
Tyler Lawrence's short life left a lasting legacy
Tyler was just entering full-fledged adolescence in February 2023. Remy Lawrence, a single mother, had moved from Mattapan to suburban Norwood not long before, The Sunday morning he was murdered began like any other. He was with his grandmother, when he grabbed a few bucks from her and headed out, probably to the nearby CVS to buy candy. Advertisement Tyler never got there. He was shot to death, in broad daylight, in a brazen and inexplicable act of violence. Though his grandfather, Stanley, got an alert on his phone that a shooting had occurred in the neighborhood, it never dawned on him that Tyler could be the victim. It wasn't until hours later — hours his mother spent frantically tracking Tyler's cellphone, which was in the hands of homicide detectives — that Boston police notified them that her child had been killed. Advertisement The immediate aftermath was both tragic and messy. Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden erroneously stated that Tyler had been targeted. Mayor Michelle Wu was slow to visit and deliver her condolences, appearing at the family's home only after Remy Lawrence publicly asked for a meeting. A man with a lengthy criminal record, Csean Skerritt, was Those moments still sting Remy Lawrence and her father. But they have also been very busy preserving her son's memory. 'The pain never goes away,' Stanley Lawrence told me. 'But we continue to live our lives. I'm so proud of the things Remy [has] done with her life, what she's standing for, standing for a son, continuing to keep his legacy alive.' The Coakley Middle School in Norwood, which Tyler attended, holds an annual basketball tournament in his honor. No Books No Ball, the legendary afterschool program in Roxbury, honored Tyler the summer after his death, and was represented at the park dedication. Northeastern University Law School — where Stanley Lawrence has been part of the facilities staff for three decades — now has a And now Norwood has a park named after Tyler, on a hillside at the local airport. 'This gesture from the town of Norwood really helps to reaffirm that Tyler's life mattered,' Remy Lawrence said. 'The preciousness of his life matters and is valued by this town and our community here, and that we, as a family, matter. And what a profound and meaningful way to remember Tyler, to ensure that future generations will come to know him and remember him, learn about him.' Advertisement Suffolk DA Hayden was at the dedication — he and the Lawrence family have long since buried the bad feelings in the wake of the shooting. 'Remy is a pillar of strength,' Hayden said. 'We know how important Tyler was to her family and to an entire community. He did nothing wrong and by no means deserved in any size, shape, or form what happened to him. We stand with her.' Remy Lawrence is an only child who lost her only child. Tragedy has brought her and her father even closer than ever. (Tyler's grandmother has since died.) They share Tyler's memory. And also, the dream of who he might have become. 'He is so deserving of all of these accolades,' Remy Lawrence said. 'It's a testament to who Tyler was, to who he was going to be. And when I think about the park, I think that a bright light shines in the world and beyond, and that's Tyler.' Adrian Walker is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at
