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Mayor vetoes proposed commission on black and Latino boys and men

Sandra Larson
Sandra Larson is a Boston-based freelance journalist covering urban/social issues and policy. VIEW BIO
Mayor vetoes proposed commission on black and Latino boys and men
City Councilor Tito Jackson argues for a proposed city Commission on the Status of Black Men and Boys at the City Council’s Nov. 19 meeting. Mayor Walsh has vetoed the proposal.

City Council members reacted indignantly last week to Mayor Martin Walsh’s veto of a proposed new Commission on the Status of Black Men and Boys in Boston that District 7 Councilor Tito Jackson had been championing for the past 10 months.

The proposal, sponsored by Jackson and endorsed by the Council in unanimous votes last February and again in October, would establish a 21-person panel to advise the mayor on meeting the needs of males of color from early childhood to adulthood. Jackson urged fellow members to keep up the fight.

“I’m disappointed today, and I ask that this body step forward and do the right thing,” Jackson said during the Council’s Nov. 19 meeting, in which Walsh’s Nov. 13 veto letter was formally received. “This is not a fight of politics; this is based on principle. It was the right thing to do when we started in February, and it’s still the right thing, whether or not it is vetoed.”

Councilor-at-Large Ayanna Pressley noted that given recent troubling reports on the state of black and Latino males, including one detailing opportunity and achievement gaps in the Boston Public Schools, it’s all the more important to expand efforts in this area.

“It seems irresponsible and derelict for us, in the wake of these reports, to not want to advance this commission. The problem is so great we need to commit more minds to this, not fewer,” she said. “We need an effort that is going to stand no matter who is the mayor and who is the president.”

In his veto letter, Walsh expressed support for the mission of furthering the success of men of color, but said the commission would “duplicate and complicate” existing efforts. The Mayor’s Office recently created a My Brother’s Keeper Advisory Committee, a local version of President Obama’s initiative.

Walsh also cited a technical issue, indicating the proposal overstepped the council’s authority by including council approval of members, putting it “in tension with” a City Charter requirement that members of city boards are to be appointed by the mayor without council confirmation.

Jackson began work on his proposed commission before President Obama’s announcement of the national My Brother’s Keeper effort last February.

District 4 Councilor Charles Yancey joined Jackson in decrying the mayor’s action.

“The administration has had many opportunities to weigh in and could have resolved any concerns before we took a vote,” he said. “I look forward to the vote to override this veto. This body has to stand up for what it believes in.”

District 6 Councilor Matt O’Malley also rose to express disappointment, saying the veto “runs counter to a spirit of collaboration and cooperation.” Noting that the commission members would be unpaid volunteers, O’Malley added, “It certainly seems to suggest that there isn’t a need to do more, to use every tool and every resource [in these serious issues].”

After discussion of the veto, the matter was assigned to the Committee on Government Operations, chaired by Councilor Michael Flaherty, for possible further action. A spokesperson in Flaherty’s office noted that Flaherty “very much supported” the commission proposal, but said it was still unknown when or if a vote on overriding the veto would be scheduled.

In the meantime, the city continues to move forward with the My Brother’s Keeper initiative.

City of Boston Health and Human Services Chief Felix Arroyo, who co-chairs the My Brother’s Keeper Boston Advisory Committee with Economic Chief John Barros, declined to comment on whether Jackson’s proposed commission should proceed.

“What I can say is, the mayor is taking this very seriously and has asked myself and John [Barros] to produce results,” Arroyo said in a brief phone interview. “We’ve tried very hard to be inclusive of our colleagues in city government as well. We’re trying our very best to be as inclusive and open as possible. The solution has to be holistic.”

My Brother’s Keeper is led by city officials and divided into subcommittees that include community leaders, business leaders, and clergy, Arroyo said, noting that Councilor Jackson is also a member. The subcommittees formalized so far are Education, led by Education Chief Rahn Dorsey; Economic Development, led by Economic Development Chief John Barros; Public Safety, co-led by Suffolk Assistant District Attorney Dan Mulhern of the Mayor’s Public Safety Initiative, Chris Byner, executive director of Boston Centers for Youth and Families and Boston Police Superintendent Randall Halstead; Civic Engagement, led by Civic Engagement Chief Jerome Smith; and Research and Data, led by Chief Information Officer Jascha Franklin-Hodge.

Part of the My Brother’s Keeper effort will include working with the Mass Mentoring Partnership in a push to recruit 1,000 new mentors in Boston.

Arroyo urged all interested members of the public to attend an upcoming My Brother’s Keeper summit on Saturday, Dec. 6 at Timilty School from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. In that session, Mayor Walsh will describe his vision and goals for the program and small-group sessions will gather input from community members about how to tackle the obstacles facing black and Latino men and boys.