Edwards agrees some of those problems are real. She disagrees with the fix.

“We agree on the problems, but we do not agree that this is the solution.”

That may be the most important line from our conversation.

We can agree the system needs work and still ask if this is the right way to fix it.

For me, the question is simple:

Will Question 3 bring more Black voters into the process and give us more power, or will the larger voting pool grow faster and water down the political power we already have?

If somebody who is always around suddenly disappears, check on them. If their social media posts suddenly become darker, check on them. If an elder becomes more isolated, check on them. If a young person does not seem like themselves, check on them.

Sometimes a simple, “How are you really doing?” can matter more than we know.

We also have to make it easier for people to ask for help. Shame, fear, bad past experiences with health care, and the idea that asking for help is weak can stop people from speaking up.

But asking for help is part of staying alive.

My concern is not about judging Emily Knight before she starts.

It is about making sure Black economic development does not get lost inside a bigger conversation about technology, startups and attracting new business.

Boston can grow.

But the question is:

When Boston grows, will Black Boston grow with it?

Worrell was at the latest community meeting at Morning Star Baptist Church. His one word to describe it was “passionate.” But the meeting ended with people still waiting for their chance to speak.

“There was still a long list of community members that was left unheard.”

Boston City Councilor Brian Worrell

“I do not know a bigger supporter,” he said.

Holmes told me his advocacy did not begin with the latest redesign. He traces it back to the proposed 28X in 2009 and says he has pushed multiple mayors, governors and other elected and transportation leaders over the years to invest in Blue Hill Avenue.

All three matter. Asking questions when they do not line up is not creating division; it’s creating the process, based on the people being valued in the process while creating the policy.

For Conan, justice was about clarification. He said the narrative surrounding the project suggested that something improper had happened between him and his business partner, John Barros. The ruling, in his view, provided an opportunity for the facts to speak louder than the accusations.

n 2018, we helped bring together community leaders and legal advocates for one important conversation: What difference does a District Attorney (DA) make?

Eight years later, going into Election Day on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, that conversation is just as relevant, especially given the climate of racism in this country.

There is a lot that we are carrying. Politics. Racism. Violence. Loss. What we see on the news, what comes across our phones, and what we experience in our own lives.

Grab your Java and join us for our conversation with Mayor Wu. At 10:30 AM, we'll be joined by some of the panelists on the upcoming More Than Music Seminar.