The Beantown Embrace

Throughout history nobody has mistaken Beantown as a black town. Boston has long since had a lily white persona. And it shows. In recent years, Harvard held a panel entitled 'Has Boston shed its racist reputation?' However, the panelists couldn't even answer this daunting question. They merely acknowledged the city's lack of progress in becoming more racially inclusive.

The bus riots of 1974 have left unresolved racial tensions that seem to plague the city today. Boston just has never been the best place in the U.S. for blacks to live, work or play.

Speaking of play, does the Bostonian pigment prerequisite extend to sports arenas? Boston has had its share of great white superstar athletes. For years, Kevin McHale and Larry Bird were the face of the Celtics and more recently Tom Brady has become the city's poster boy.

With the NBA season underway, Beantown has a big three in basketball to match their reigning big two in baseball. Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz will have to share Boston's athletic spotlight with Celtic-old-head Paul Pierce and the newest additions of Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett.

In some record books, Manny and Ortiz have surpassed Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig as the best one-two punch in baseball history. Could the three-headed monster offense of Pierce, Allen and Garnett re-write sports history too?

Even if they don't, the three have brought the Celtics back into big-time b-ball conversations. And Bostonians love it. While the city has instantly embraced their black superstar athletes, many black residents still find themselves on the outside looking in.

With Boston's current crop of black superstar athletes, it takes us back to the question 'Has Boston shed its racist reputation?' This question can only truly be answered once more progress is made outside of sports arenas.

Majority Mind Solutions
*Boston's black superstars like Manny, Ortiz, Pierce, Allen and Garnett should make their presence know in Boston's black communities and all of the city's few diverse districts in order to cultivate tolerance and acceptance of all races.
*Sports owners and their vice presidents of community relations should reach out to Boston's local black youth and give them a helping hand through athletic, social and educational programs.

Majority Mind Questions
Do YOU have any potential solutions to add to the list or do you think there is no problem in the first place? Feel free to respond!