Structural racism

Getting a liquor license in Boston is a complicated affair. Nearly 100-year-old legislation that limits the number in the city, alongside longstanding racial wealth gaps, has meant that many of the city’s licenses to sell wine, beer and other forms of alcohol have ended up in Boston’s whiter neighborhoods.

Black individuals and families often face barriers to equal justice in court due to limited access, racial bias, and difficulties representing themselves when legal representation is unavailable or unaffordable.