As we approach the end of formal sessions of the Massachusetts Legislature, state lawmakers have a chance to take a giant step toward addressing the wealth gap afflicting Black and brown communities in Boston.
Here in Massachusetts, the lifeblood of our economy has long been high tech and life sciences. The life sciences sector, in particular, has driven our economy of late and made our state become one of the most vibrant in the country.
The state hosts literally hundreds of life science companies. These companies provide well-paying careers. As has been reported in many news publications, these companies have a huge need for employees at all levels with expertise in the life sciences. Currently, Black and brown workers make up a small percentage of employees in this industry locally and nationwide. This disparity results from a lack of career awareness and access to educational opportunities in this field.
The Commonwealth prides itself on being the capital of higher learning in this educational mecca. The state has an opportunity to expand this legacy by creating a quality educational training center focused on the life sciences, right here in the heart of Roxbury.
The NuSquare (NuSq) life sciences training center is planned on two floors with a total of 40,000 square feet in a six-story building to be erected on the Blair parking lot in Nubian Square. The proposed center is part of a $200 million development already approved by the Boston Planning Development Agency.
Reps. John Moran of the South End and Chynah Tyler of Roxbury, who each represent a section of the square, proposed a $50 million amendment to support this training center. This amendment was approved in the House, but omitted from the Senate version of an economic development bill. The House and Senate are scheduled to conference over the bill to try to reconcile the two versions before formal legislative sessions end for the year on July 31.
Now is the time for our community to demand state legislators stand behind this amendment to provide funding needed to create this educational hub in our community.
This center is an opportunity to provide tremendous educational benefits to those with the greatest need, potentially laying the groundwork for financial stability and prosperity for many in our community.
Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology, Roxbury Community College, Northeastern University and Mass BioEd are already signed on to provide instruction at this life sciences center. There, they could provide uplift to as many as 1,000 students and trainees a year, many likely to be drawn from Roxbury, Dorchester and Mattapan. The center is slated to have state-of-the-art equipment.
These programs will work with college students, older adults and even high school students, with the latter receiving introductory level lessons in biotechnology, a thriving industry locally. The collaboration among institutions of higher education makes it conceivable to see students advancing from that level to a certificate, securing an entry-level job and then tapping financial support from their employer to earn an associate degree, bachelor’s degree or even a graduate degree.
Fortunately, public bus lines run through Nubian Square to Kendall Square in Cambridge and to the Seaport, which both have concentrations of biotech businesses.
The pending legislation would provide almost $3 billion for economic development, with a majority of that sum devoted to supporting the life sciences and climate tech. But how can the state consider providing such a large amount to promote these industries without committing this relatively small portion to educational opportunities for those who have traditionally been left behind?
If we as a state are going to continue to help to bolster our growth industries, it only makes sense to widen and diversify the pipeline to education and training for the jobs they offer. Many biotech companies say they have an appetite for making their workforces more diverse, according to Moran, who previously worked in the industry.
Education and entrepreneurship are the two social elevators available in this country to lift people from the periphery of the economy and financial uncertainty into a solid, stable existence where they can begin to create generational wealth. The Black Economic Council of Massachusetts, BECMA, has endorsed the $50 million amendment for a life sciences training center in Nubian Square.
It is time that we stand behind our lawmakers who proposed this amendment. Reach out to your state senators and representatives. Call or email them. Buttonhole them if you see them out and about in your district.
In addition, let the leaders of the conference committee that will meet behind closed doors know you support the amendment. They are the chairs of each chamber’s powerful Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Aaron Michlewitz of the North End and Sen. Michael Rodrigues of Westport, and the chairs of the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies, Rep. Jerald Parisella of Beverly and Sen. Barry Finegold of Andover.
It would also be useful to let Gov. Maura Healey know you want her to throw her support behind this forward-looking proposal.
We cannot continue to turn our backs on those within our community who have had the least opportunity. A life sciences center in Nubian Square lies on the road to a more balanced, prosperous Boston. The legislature needs to help put it on the map.
