The Fine Print

POLICY FOR THE PEOPLE

Yesterday’s holiday represents the perfect touchpoint for how the history we choose to remember matters.

Growing up, we all learned of Christopher Columbus sailing the ocean blue in 1492 and memorized the names of the Niña, Pinta, and Santa Maria. But while we know Columbus and his companions encountered and fought with the indigenous people they found here, we never truly committed to mind the horrors that Columbus and the conquistadors that came afterward inflicted on them. They simply ceased to be—their stories nonexistent and unimportant.

But the push to re-imagine the history of this federal holiday as Indigenous Peoples’ Day and to cease our veneration of Columbus (though it’s not supported by the current regime) shows that we’re ready to choose a different story. One that remembers what we came from in all its pain and discomfort, but also rejoices in the richness that remains. Because, despite America’s best efforts, indigenous people still exist all throughout this hemisphere—still keeping alive the memory and pride of their ancestors.

For many, this country’s transgressions against indigenous people are an unwanted blight on a rosy picture of America people would like to maintain—or even, for some, a blueprint for how to treat others they wish to conquer. But for those of us who crave belonging and healing, facing these hard truths presents a path toward a better version of America.

It’s never too late to change our story.

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“Let us put our minds together and see what life we will make for our children.”

— Tatanka Iyotake (aka Sitting Bull)

Tatanka Iyotake (aka Sitting Bull). Photo: Wikimedia Commons

THE BIG PICTURE

History Doesn't Whisper. It Warns

By Dart Adams

No one tells a better story about Boston’s history than Dart Adams, a walking encyclopedia of this city’s knowledge. That love of history once led him to a class that sticks with him to this day, called “Hitler’s Wars” by Dr. Dennis Skiotis. “The best choice I made in the past 30 years, hands down,” he says.

What he learned there has become relevant in the worst way, as the authoritarianism the United States fought to defeat in the 1940s infiltrates our own country more than 80 years later.

Here’s an excerpt of Dart’s piece on what we can learn from our battles with the Third Reich—you can catch the full version here.

Back in January 1997, several of my mentors, which included educators, counselors, and the then-Attorney General himself, Scott Harshbarger, conspired and came up with a plan to get me back into school. It involved giving me vouchers for free classes and books to attend Extension School classes at Harvard, where they all acquired their advanced degrees.

I perused the list of available classes and found an interesting one called “Hitler’s Wars” taught by Professor Dr. Dennis Skiotis. I considered myself a bit of a historian, and knew the importance of World War II on the modern world as arguably the greatest upheaval in recent history, so I chose it as my first elective. It would be the best choice I made in the past 30 years, hands down.

We’d watch news reels, Leni Riefenstahl’s propaganda films, then analyze how the Nazis weaponized misinformation and masked discrimination and segregation of immigrants under the guise of nationalism and protecting citizens from a criminal element and a national drain threatening their overall quality of life and the economy. Sound familiar?

Every abater, everyone who was silent, everyone who looked the other way as Germany dehumanized marginalized populations and immigrants through the use of propaganda, allowing for them to proceed with ethnic cleansing and genocide. Every leader of a nation who did and said nothing as they used the authoritarian playbook at every step, suppressing any voice of dissent with state-sanctioned violence as they disappeared people off the street and broke into their homes while their neighbors watched.

We began with British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain’s role as the main appeaser to Hitler by allowing the Munich Agreement to happen. It didn’t prevent a future World War from coming, and all it did was empower Nazi Germany.

Professor Skiotis broke down every instance in which Hitler, his cabinets & collaborators could’ve been met with resistance and opposition in order to show us that, as unreasonable as it seemed back in 1997, it was still possible. He told us that he wanted everyone to recognize the early warning signs of the rise of Nazism, White nationalism, and fascism because “it will happen in your lifetime, so be prepared. This will be the playbook they use.”

Continue reading the full version here.

Dart Adams in his appearance in the HBO documentary "Celtics City". Photo: Warner Brothers Discovery

LET'S EMBRACE THE WORK

Join the Movement: SURJ Boston Orientation

Looking to take action for racial justice? Join Showing Up for Racial Justice Boston (SURJB) for a 90-minute virtual orientation on Monday, November 10, 2025, from 7–8:30 PM. This interactive session introduces SURJ’s local and national work, helps you explore your motivations, and offers concrete ways to get involved in anti-racism efforts right away.

Can’t make it? Sign up to be notified about future sessions or learn more about SURJ Boston here

Boston Says: No Kings

Boston has always stood up to power — and we’re doing it again. Join the ACLU of Massachusetts, Indivisible Mass Coalition, Mass 50501, and partners on Saturday, October 18 at the Parade Grounds on Boston Common for No Kings, a peaceful rally defending democracy, dignity, and people power.

Together, we’ll show what organized, nonviolent resistance looks like — because this country doesn’t belong to strongmen. It belongs to us.

Donate or learn more to support the movement.

Public Art and Social Change with Pedro Alonzo and Patrick Martinez

What does it look like when art becomes advocacy? Join artist Patrick Martinez, curator Pedro Alonzo, and design critic Malkit Shoshan for a conversation on how public art can spark empathy and social change. Martinez will present Cost of Living (2025), his Boston-wide installation amplifying the voices of unhoused youth through light, language, and design. Moderated by Charles Waldheim, this event explores the role of art in shaping more just cities.

Wednesday, October 15 | 6–8 PM | Piper Auditorium, Harvard GSD

MONUMENTS: Reimagining History in Public Space
Co-presented by two of L.A.’s premier modern art spaces, MOCA and The Brick, MONUMENTS marks a defining moment in how America remembers its past. The exhibition pairs decommissioned Confederate monuments with new works by artists including Kara Walker, Hank Willis Thomas, Bethany Collins, and more — reexamining how public symbols shape national identity and collective memory.

By reframing these objects within contemporary art, MONUMENTS invites crucial conversation about history, healing, and the narratives we choose to preserve.

Learn more here.

THE READING ROOM

Understanding Power: How Fascism Works

How do authoritarian movements take hold — and what can we do to resist them? Jason Stanley’s book How Fascism Works is a vital guide to recognizing the tactics that divide communities and erode democracy. From fear-based propaganda to attacks on truth, Stanley’s work reminds us that belonging is the ultimate act of resistance.

What does it take to design a city where everyone belongs?

On this episode of Good Trouble, we sit down with architect, artist, and changemaker Jha D Amazi, Principal at MASS Design Group. Her work challenges Boston’s legacy and reimagines public spaces as places of healing and dignity. Jha D shares how memory, design, and community shape justice—and what “making good trouble” looks like when you’re designing for the future.

Listen to the episode and join the conversation about building a more equitable city.

Bad Bunny, Belonging, and the Beat of a Generation

Our own Imari Paris Jeffries joins The Culture Show for his monthly segment, AI: Actual Intelligence. Fresh from Bad Bunny’s final concert in Puerto Rico, Imari reflects on the power of homecoming, pride, and representation across the diaspora — and weighs in on the buzz surrounding Bunny’s upcoming Super Bowl halftime show.

Tune in for a sharp, soulful take on culture and what it means when our stories take center stage.

A look back: José Massó and the Sound of Community

Long before Embrace Massó ¡Con Salsa! filled City Hall Plaza, José Massó was using music to move Boston. In 1979, he helped launch Mass Rock Against Racism and emceed the legendary Amandla concert with Bob Marley and Eddie Palmieri. Fifty years later, his radio show ¡Con Salsa! still uplifts “The People” — proving that rhythm and community never go out of style.

Watch a rare clip of José at the 1984 Youth Culture Festival — a timeless reminder of culture’s power to connect us all.

SUPPORT EMBRACE

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(Header photo by AP)