Acting Mayor Kim Janey speaks at the launch of the Boston Black Men’s Committee, which plans to register 20,000 new Black voters before this fall’s elections. The group says it will not endorse in the mayoral race.
Adam Reilly / GBH News
June 29, 2021
At a midafternoon event on a scorching-hot City Hall Plaza Tuesday, former city councilor and mayoral candidate Tito Jackson announced the formation of the Boston Black Men’s Committee, saying the group would push for more civic engagement, increased economic and educational opportunities, assistance for previously incarcerated individuals and greater attentiveness to mental-health concerns in the run-up to the 2021 city elections.
“We are here to be heard. Our votes are here to be felt. And our impact is also here to be felt,” Jackson said.
“At the national level… we have a situation where the Voting Rights Act is being blocked,” he added. “Votes are being denied around the country. But they will not be denied here in the city of Boston.”
Another member of the newly formed committee, voting-rights activist Ron Bell, decried national efforts aimed at restricting the right to vote, and said the committee would work to register 20,000 Black voters before this fall’s election — while giving them a crash course in civics.
“Part of that effort will be provided by voter-education materials, with information related to election candidates, government departments and how they function, ballots and mail-in options, available resources for citizens and procedures for contacting local officials,” Bell said.
Kim Janey, Boston’s acting mayor, also spoke at the event, after Jackson introduced her as a “historic figure” and a “historic partner.” She praised the committee for tackling an “important issue” and reiterated her call to address racial inequities exacerbated by COVID-19 and that received increased attention as Black Lives Matter protests swept the country.