Massachusetts Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley and Senators Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren demanded a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Damas in early March.
Pressley addressed the House of Representatives last Thursday, March 26, to mourn the death of Damas and to call for greater accountability among law enforcement.
Emmanuel Damas in Dorchester, 2024. Family photo
“There can never be true justice for Emmanuel,” Pressley said on the House floor. “In a just world, he would still be alive and home with his family. There must be accountability.”
Pressley started a discharge petition that was signed by a majority of House members, forcing a vote to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti by three years. The vote will take place in the coming weeks.
That was a “really important and unlikely victory,” said Brian Concannon,co-founder and executive director of the human rights organization Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti. “In my research, there’s never been a successful discharge petition that was generated by grassroots movements ever in history. This is particularly historic.”
What his family says started as a toothache turned tragic when Damas was allegedly unable to access proper and timely health care at the Florence Detention Center in Arizona. The federal Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have publicly refuted that allegation and have said Damas was taken to three medical centers for treatment.
Damas arrived legally in Dorchester in 2024 from Haiti and was arrested Sept. 14 on a count of domestic violence, though his family refutes the legitimacy of those allegations. He died after being taken to a facility in Phoenix for a cardiothoracic workup. The Laken Riley Act required he be held pending his asylum appeal. His original asylum claim was denied in 2025, filed after he was taken into custody by ICE in Boston last September.
The Department of Homeland Security said in a March statement that everyone in ICE custody receives medical, dental and mental health screenings within 12 hours of arriving at a detention center.
City Councillor Ruthzee Louijeune stood next to Emmanuel Damas’ mother (seated) during a City Hall Plaza vigil for Damas on March 18, 2026. Kelly Broder photo
City Councillor Ruthzee Louijeune has been helping Damas’ family access legal and emotional support and helped plan his memorial services that took place Saturday, March 28. She said the family had to secure an independent autopsy for Damas themselves, as ICE did not provide a comprehensive one after his death.
“It’s just been an uphill battle for them,” Louijeune said. “But they have just been so incredible in using their pain — their very private pain — to make sure this doesn’t happen to anyone ever again.”
Louijeune said she would like to see a review of the actions by the Boston Police Department as well as a federal investigation into Damas’ death. Boston and Suffolk county law enforcement arrested Damas and submitted his fingerprints at the Nashua Street Jail into a federal database, which triggered ICE to pick him up.
The Boston Police Department had no direct communication with ICE after Damas’ Sept. 14 arrest, said Mark Marron, a spokesperson for the department. Marron said he had no knowledge of any investigation into the actions of the department regarding Damas’ arrest.
Marron said all arrestees’ fingerprints are taken and submitted to the National Crime Information Center and the Automated Fingerprint Identification System. Because Damas’ arrest report includes an allegation of domestic violence, the case details are not publicly available.
Louijeune recommended anyone in legal trouble with ICE consult an immigration and a criminal attorney before taking action, even if it’s to bail out a family member or loved one.
“It’s an irredeemable institution that needs to end,” Louijeune said. “Because they’ve been acting and moving lawlessly.”
This story is part of a partnership between the Dorchester Reporter and the Boston University Department of Journalism.
On January 28, the Boston City Council convened to discuss a rent control state ballot initiative, a potential ban on algorithmic price setting in the housing market and an order to remove parking minimums under newly-elected Council President Elizabeth ‘Liz’ Breadon, representing Allston-Brighton.
Nine out of 13 councilors, including Breadon, approved the return of Massachusetts Question 9 on the 2026 state ballot during the meeting. Voters will decide if rent control should be prohibited for most privately-owned housing units in the state. Question 9 was most recently on the 1994 ballot, where it passed by about 51 percent.
“[Tenants] deserve to know that after signing the lease of an apartment within their budget, their landlord won’t decide the next year to demand more than they can afford,” councilor Henry Santana said. “The vibrancy and the inclusivity of our city depend on these measures.”
Lizzie Torres, a housing policy associate for MassHousing and long-time Allston renter, said they are worried the restrictions proposed in the ballot question could hinder new housing developments and exacerbate poor housing quality.
“Alongside rent control, you have to have a better zoning code that allows for very flexible upzoning,” Torres said. “Otherwise, what you end up having is that rent control usually can create a situation where landlords then only rent to the most wealthy, stable and credit-worthy renters.”
Councilor Edward Flynn of District 2 objected to the resolution. He said he was concerned the initiative would negatively impact the city’s business climate.
“We want investors coming into Boston to invest their money to build housing,” Flynn said.
Flynn also objected to a resolution co-sponsored by Santana and councilors Ruthzee Louijeune and Sharon Durkan that would place a tax of at most two percent on real estate ownership transfers over two million dollars. The revenue would fund programs assisting middle to low-income residents.
Torres said the resolution overlooks transfers between generations whose property values have increased significantly over time.
“It doesn’t necessarily mean that the generation that is inheriting that home is going to be able to pay that transfer fee,” Torres said.
Durkan and Breadon proposed an investigation and potential ban on algorithmic price setting in the housing market, which would prevent commercial property software from using public and non-consensual private data to suggest prices to buyers.
“It’s the best way to protect renters from monopolizing housing in this way,” Torres said.
Durkan and Santana also co-sponsored an order to remove parking minimums in an effort to decrease housing costs.
“Affordability is my top priority, and it should be the top priority of everyone in this body,” Durkan said. “The two hearing orders I filed for this meeting […] are our first steps.”
The real estate transfer tax, algorithmic price setting and parking minimum hearing orders were referred to the Committee of the Whole, a less formal session for all committee members to further discuss resolutions before the next council meeting.
The Committee of the Whole will meet publicly on February 2 with open public testimony to discuss funding grants sponsored by Mayor Wu.
Torres said they hope to see more action on part of the City this year.
“I think we’ve been yelling about housing affordability being a problem for a very, very long time,” Torres said. “And I think it’s just been very hard to get our elected officials to materially do anything about it.”
Jean Appolon Expressions, the Haitian folkloric and contemporary dance organization, celebrated the grand opening of its new dance center in Roxbury’s Nubian Square on Tuesday, Jan. 27.
The JAE Dance Center, a 2,846-square-foot studio and black box performance space on Washington Street, is the group’s first permanent location. For co-founder and Artistic Director Jean Appolon, “it’s a dream come true.”
The opening marks the completion of “phase one” for JAE. “Phase two” will introduce full theatrical lighting and the ability to use projection art, said Meg McGrath, executive director and company dancer.
JAE focuses on sharing the “liberating power of Haitian-folkloric dance to cultivate hope and healing towards a more expressive and socially just world,” according to the group’s website.
Co-founder and Artistic Director Jean Appolon and Meg McGrath, Executive Director and Company Dancer celebrate the opening of the JAE Dance Center on Tuesday. Kelly Broder photos
The group has centered Haitian folklore, Black expression and immigrant stories through dance since 2013, when Appolon incorporated the organization as a nonprofit to his summer dance institute in Haiti. JAE puts on about 25 shows per year and has grown to include five full-time staff members and 15 part-time dancers and drummers.
As a Haitian immigrant, Appolon said his mission is to represent Haiti’s legacy of hope, resilience and freedom. “The biggest thing for me is to have a home where I can share Haiti with a lot of people. Now it’s happening.”
City Councillor At-Large Ruthzee Louijeune, interim city arts and culture chief Kenny Mascary and Haley House Executive Director Reginald “Reggie” Jean celebrated the new center as a “home” for dancers and Haitians as well as a physical space to practice art as healing.
“What we’re celebrating is more than just a ribbon cutting,” Mascary said. “It’s an invitation to young people to find joy, to find culture, to find a place to call home. History is being erased, history is being retold, but it’s going to take a lot more for Roxbury and the Haitian community to not stand together.”
Live traditional Haitian folkloric drumming, played by Arnaud Lauture and Josil Rebert, and homemade soup greeted the more than 30 attendees before they watched a dance performance.
Appolon said he hopes this new space is used by young people, with whom he hopes to share Haitian culture and history.
“My idea is really for the young kids that always wanted to do something with movement, to know that they have a center where they can come in and experiment,” he said.
The center can be a place for young people to learn how to run lights, build choreography and create art to emerge as artists with the skills to sustain their passion, McGrath said. “This new home is not just for us,” she said. “This is for everyone in Boston. We view this space as an incubation space for JAE.”
JAE members hope the space gives young dancers a new setting where they can freely express themselves.
“This is an opportunity for people that didn’t really have chances like this. Spaces like this, as an artist and a dancer in the city, this is like major,” said Mcebisi “Bisi” Xotyeni, JAE’s artistic manager.
Xotyeni, who has been dancing since 2016, performed at the ribbon-cutting alongside Velouse Joseph in a two-minute excerpt from “Traka,” or “Troubles” in Haitian Kreyòl. The dance premiered at Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art in May 2022.
JAE offers a weekly Haitian folkloric dance class with drumming as well as a “Liberation Drumming” class. Prior to the center’s opening, classes were taught at The Dance Complex in Cambridge.
Funders and partners of the new center include the Mayor’s Office of Arts & Culture, the Barr Foundation, D/R/E/A/M Collaborative, the Klarman Family Foundation, the Mass Cultural Council, New Atlantic Development and the Yawkey Foundation.
“When we invest in our people and we invest in our community, everyone wins,” Reggie Jean said.
Louijeune said Haitian culture is something to be celebrated, not erased or silenced.
“Today,” she said, “let it be marked in history that in Nubian Square, we are affirming that Black expression, that Haitian culture and immigrant communities are essential to Boston’s past, present and future.”
This story is part of a partnership between the Dorchester Reporter and the Boston University Department of Journalism. This story is also posted at our companion site, BostonHaitian.com.
Ninety-two years after a Yankee-dominated state government limited the sale of liquor licenses to prevent Irish American politicians in Boston from gaining more influence, city and state politicians are finally taking steps to fix the issue.
Earlier this year, state lawmakers approved a law allowing cities to upgrade restaurants’ beer-and-wine licenses to all-alcohol. The Boston City Council adopted the resolution in September. Now, the city’s licensing board will set rules for granting the license, and final approval from the state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission is expected early 2026.
“A lot of the restaurants affected by this [were] concentrated in the North End, Beacon Hill, Back Bay, the South End,” said North End Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata, the bill’s sponsor, at a hearing last month. “This provides an opportunity for them to share in the economic prosperity [of liquor sales]. Restaurants really do operate on thin margins.”
Zapata added that the old fears surrounding all-alcohol licenses relating to an increase in public disturbance reflected “an outdated narrative” that no longer fits Boston’s restaurant scene. “These are really places centered around food and the culinary experience,” she said.
Like many political conflicts, Boston’s battle over liquor licenses tracks to two quintessential issues – power and money.
After Prohibition ended in 1933, the Massachusetts Legislature refused to let Boston issue its own liquor licenses. At the time, City Hall was run largely by Irish American politicians under Mayor James Michael Curley, whose working-class base clashed with the Yankee establishment at the statehouse. By keeping licensing power at the state level, lawmakers could control who was allowed to sell alcohol in Boston, limiting a major source of money and influence from Curley’s allies. Historians say the decision reflected deep political and ethnic divisions that many people believe still shape Boston’s liquor laws today.
For Kevin Flemming, president of the North End Neighborhood Council, the reform is long overdue. He said the restrictions were “really a ploy by the old Yankee legislators at the State House to control the Irish politicians in Boston.”
The number of North End restaurants allowed to sell liquor could more than double under the new law, according to data published by the city. Currently, only 32 of 87 restaurants with alcohol licenses are allowed to sell spirits.
Flemming said the change could be a boom for businesses.
“Clearly they feel like they can increase their revenues by having full alcohol,” he said. “So, I don’t really see any downside in it because at least in the North End, everyone applying for these are pretty much established restaurants. No one’s trying to open a nightclub or change their hours.”
Testimony ran strongly in favor of allowing beer-and-wine license holders to convert to full alcohol service at a city hearing last month. Mimi Chan, co-owner of Dynasty Restaurant in Chinatown, told councilors the change would let her serve traditional Chinese spirits such as baijiu or rice wine, which are not permitted under her current license.
“It would allow a more authentic dining experience for our customers,” she said.
City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune also voiced support for the new bill. “By creating opportunities for these businesses to grow,” she said, “we’re investing in the future of our neighborhoods – raising the bar for equity and opportunity.”
The Boston Licensing Board is drafting regulations for converting beer-and-wine licenses into full alcohol licenses. The city will sponsor outreach events and workshops to help eligible restaurateurs understand the process. To qualify, business owners must file a petition with the licensing board and submit required forms to the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission. The first wave of upgrades could be approved within months, city officials say, meaning some restaurants may begin serving cocktails by early 2026.
Applicants will be required to pay a $200 state fee, $100 to the licensing board and $170 to cover the cost of publishing a legal notice in the local newspaper. The board will hold a public hearing, send certified mail to neighbors, and evaluate whether there is a “public need” in the location. After local approval, the application will be forwarded to the state for final consideration.
The new law does not sanction an unlimited pool of new liquor licenses. Under Massachusetts law, the number of full-alcohol and beer-and-wine licenses Boston can issue is still capped by the state Legislature. The reform simply allows existing beer-and-wine license holders to apply to upgrade to full-alcohol service, creating a new class of nontransferable licenses that cannot be sold on the private market. Boston’s older transferable licenses, established under the state quota decades ago, still exist and can be bought and sold with state approval. Supporters say the new non-transferable licenses make the system more equitable, even as the overall cap on liquor licenses remains in place.
Full liquor licenses have sold for $200,000 to $600,000 on Boston’s private market in recent years, according to city records. Beer-and-wine licenses have cost about $50,000. By contrast, the new nontransferable licenses will only cost standard filing fees. The wide gap illustrates why many small business owners say they were locked out of the system until the recent changes.
Councilor Coletta said the new policy marks a turning point for a neighborhood long known for its restaurants but has been hemmed in by outdated liquor rules. “It’s an opportunity for them to share in the economic prosperity,” she said, adding that full licenses can help businesses stay competitive and expand their profit margins. “These are places centered around food and the culinary experience. This reform just lets them serve what their customers are already asking for.”
At-Large City Council panel: (from l to r) Marvin Mathelier, Julia Mejia, Erin Murphy, Will Onouha, Henry Santana, Alexandra Valdez, Frank Baker and Ruthzee Louijeune. Photo by Jacqueline Manetta.
A forum for candidates running for at-large seats on the Boston City Council revealed stark differences in how the candidates would approach education, public safety, housing and other issues.
The June 16 forum at Suffolk University — organized by a group of Democratic ward committees— drew eight of the nine candidates seeking four seats: incumbents Ruthzee Louijeune, Julia Mejia, Henry Santana and Erin Murphy, and challengers Will Onuoha, Marvin Mathelier, Alexandra Valdez and Frank Baker. Yves Mary Jean, who did not attend the first candidates’ forum, did not attend this one either. The event was moderated by UMass Boston professor Travis Johnston.
On issue after issue, Onuoha and Baker – often joined by Murphy – voiced opinions in polar opposition to the rest of the field.
Education
The question of whether Boston School Committee members should be elected or appointed by the mayor, as they are now, elicited strong reactions from the candidates. Only Valdez, Baker, and Onuoha said they do not support having an elected committee.
“Our kids matter far too much for us to start playing politics with education,” Onuoha said.
Mejia quickly countered him.
“To say that Black and brown people are under-educated or unable to decide what democracy looks like, I take offense to that,” Mejia said, “because we’re in a moment right now that we have to understand that people want more democracy, not less.”
Baker, Murphy and Onuoha said they do not support the state’s decision to drop the MCAS as a graduation requirement.
The candidates agreed on other school issues, including expanding early education programs to infants and imposing a bell-to-bell ban on cellphones in schools.
Asked how they would address inequities in education, the candidates offered different ideas. Murphy emphasized tackling chronic absenteeism and boosting support for mental health, music and art. Valdez and Frank called for more space for pre-K students. Louijeune, the current councilpresident, highlighted poverty and the need for affordable child care.
Mejia stressed supporting early childhood education practitioners. Onuoha said he would advocate for helping parents who are struggling with housing. Mathelier and Santana said they would focus on transportation and housing, as 10 percent of students have been homeless during the school year.
Pictured at the forum (from l to r) Travis Johnston, the moderator, Marvin Mathelier, Ruthzee Louijeune, Henry Santana, Alexandra Valdez, Erin Murphy, Julia Mejia, Frank Baker and Will Onouha. Photo by Jacqueline Manetta.
Public safety
Onuoha, Murphy, Baker and Valdez said they would not want police to stop working with the Boston Regional Intelligence Center (BRIC), a federally funded counterterrorism agency that aims to prevent crime through data-gathering and analysis.
Onuoha, a Mission Hill native, said growing up in a neighborhood directly impacted by street gangs in his youth is part of why he supports BRIC’s work. Louijeune mentioned a deportation that resulted from the center’s intelligence sharing, but Baker said that example is outdated and is not a reason to stop working with it.
Murphy, Onuoha and Baker said they do not support legalizing overdose prevention centers, where people can safely consume drugs. The candidates all said they would support a policy banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from schools and courthouses.
Housing
Baker and Onouha said they do not support Boston’s updated Inclusionary Zoning policy (IDP) that requires 20 percent of new housing units to be income-restricted as a way to increase affordable housing in the city.
Housing construction has slowed in Boston, Baker said, because it has become unsustainable to follow the 20 percent policy.
“So 20 percent of nothing is nothing at the end of the day,” he said.
Onuoha agreed and said focusing on workforce housing – aimed at tenants who earn too much for subsidized housing but not enough for market-rate housing – would be his solution.
“You have to be poor to get into affordable housing,” Onuoha said. “You have to be poor to stay in it.”
Baker, Onuoha and Murphy said they don’t support Mayor Michelle Wu’s rent control proposal to cap rent increases at inflation plus 6 percent.
Baker explained why he opposes it: “Because a lot of renters like myself are small property owners, and I don’t think we necessarily need the government to tell us what we can charge for rent.”
Onuoha said the regulation aimed at stabilizing rent doesn’t work. “We outlawed rent control,” he said, because it increased the cost of housing.
Asked how they would ensure that Boston prioritizes long-term stability for low-income residents, families, and older people, Onouha again mentioned workforce housing, while Baker said he would direct city dollars at housing rather than focusing on policies.
Louijeune emphasized the need for rent stabilization policies as a commitment to Black and low-income communities, preventing them from being displaced by gentrification.
Mathelier advocated for revising Article 80, the process that governs how new development projects are reviewed and approved by the Boston Planning Dept. Santana used the city of Austin, Texas, as a model of what they should aim for.
Valdez said the most secure generational housing is achieved by creating tenant protection programs. Mejia and Murphy talked about their work on the City Council and the importance of working with the communities.
Transportation and infrastructure
Baker was the only candidate to oppose extending past 2026 free bus fares for all riders on routes 23, 28 and 29 through parts of Mattapan, Roxbury and Dorchester.
“To say that fares are free, we’re paying for it one way or another,” Baker said.
He was also the only candidate to oppose updating zoning rules to require new buildings to achieve net-zero carbon emission standards.
Mejia, Murphy, Baker, Onuoha and Louijeune all said they oppose the renovation of White Stadium.
Each candidate then offered their visions for a transportation system that balances safety, sustainability, and the needs of drivers, bicyclists, transit riders, and pedestrians.
“Transportation and housing issues are actually married,” Onouha said.
Baker said the city should do more with water taxis.
“And we should also look to see what Uber and Lyft are doing,” he said.
Civic engagement and leadership
Murphy, Onuoha and Baker said they oppose increasing the $2 million allocated for participatory budgeting, which now allows residents to decide how part of the city budget is spent.
The candidates were asked to grade the city’s success in engaging the voices of diverse residents.
Mathelier, Murphy, Onuoha, Santana, Valdez and Baker all gave Boston a C. Louijeune gave the city a B-, and Mejia gave it an incomplete.
They were asked to share what steps they would take to engage the voices of small businesses. There was overall agreement on the need to listen closely and find creative ways to include residents in conversations.
Part of the at-large panel (l-r): Erin Murphy, Henry Santana, Ruthzee Louijeune, Marvin Mathelier and Alexandra Valdez at a Hibernian Hall forum on May 22, 2025. Photo by Georgia Epiphaniou
Seventeen candidates for City Council seats fielded questions about affordable housing, immigration enforcement, and other topics last Thursday evening (May 22) at a forum at Roxbury’s Hibernian Hall.
Nine candidates for the District 7 seat and eight for the four at-large seats participated in the nearly three-hour forum, which drew more than 100 people and was moderated by Yawu Miller, editor in chief of The Flipside, and WGBH reporter Saraya Wintersmith.
The at-large field All four incumbent at-large councillors running for re-election attended the event: Ruthzee Louijeune, Julia Mejia, Henry Santana, and Erin Murphy. City election officials have also certified nomination signatures for five challengers, so far: Will Onuoha, Marvin Mathelier, Alexandra Valdez, Yves Mary Jean, and Frank Baker. All but Mary Jean were in attendance.
Baker previously served as the District 3 councillor for 12 years. Valdez is the director of Boston’s Office of Cultural Affairs, and Onuoha worked as the executive director of the Mayor’s Office of Fair Housing & Equity, among other posts in over two decades in city government.
Marvin Mathelier, a Marine Corps Reserve veteran, said his goal is to bring to the City Council the values instilled in him by military service.
At-Large City Council panel: (from l to r) Will Onouha, Julia Mejia, Erin Murphy, Henry Santana, Ruthzee Louijeune, Marvin Mathelier, Alexandra Valdez and Frank Baker. Photo by Wen Qi
Asked how they would make Boston more affordable, Mathelier, Valdez, Santana, and Louijeune give similar answers about supporting rent control, community involvement, budgeting, zoning, mixed-income social housing, and reusing old buildings.
Onuoha introduced a new idea on workforce housing, targeted to families that earn too much to qualify for affordable housing but can’t afford market rate housing. He says no one should pay over 30 percent of their income for housing.
“Affordable housing is not affordable,” he said. “That’s a myth that we tell people.”
Mejia said she supports a displacement tax, a fee that she says would mitigate the loss of residents and businesses due to rising property values, typically caused by gentrification.
“I’ve been questioning this whole idea, because we’re getting displaced in high numbers” she said.
Murphy talked about education and workforce development.
The candidates gave varying answers about how they would support communities targeted by ICE. Baker and Onuoha recommend that immigrants stay off social media. “Do not say anything bad about the government,” Onuoha said.
Baker thinks Boston police should have a relationship with ICE to create transparency. “There should be some sort of liaison with ICE to see where they’re going, what they’re doing,” he said.
At-Large City Council panel included (from left to right): Marvin Mathelier, Alexandra Valdez and Frank Baker. Photo by Wen Qi
Most of the candidates said the city should do more to educate immigrants about their rights. Mejia, who was born in the Dominican Republic, said she survived Trump’s first term and can do it again.
“I’m prepared to stand up to Trump,” she said, while reinforcing the need to educate immigrants about their rights. There was some support among the candidates for bike and bus lanes.
“I don’t want to walk by no more ghost bikes,” Louijeune said. “I don’t want that. I don’t want that for our children, to say that someone died here because we didn’t do our job to build a safer, better city.”
Baker said the city should explore expanding water transportation and Valdez and Mejia emphasized that each neighborhood needs its own plan for bike and bus lanes so it makes sense to businesses and residents. “People can’t do one size fits all,” Mejia said.
Murphy blamed increased traffic congestion on bike lanes and speed bumps. “I think it’s important that we don’t just wake up one day and find out that our streets look different and we didn’t have to say anything,” she said.
In a “speed round,” everyone except Onuoha, Baker, and Murphy said they support statewide rent control legislation. Everyone except Baker said “yes” when asked whether they support inclusionary zoning requiring 20 percent of housing in market-rate developments to be income restricted.
Onuoha, Valdez, and Baker went on record opposing an elected school committee and against abolishing the Boston police gang database. Everyone else voted yes on those questions.
There was unanimous support for approving a $4 million increase in the city’s rent subsidy program to provide permanent housing for 130 homeless families.
Baker was the only candidate who didn’t answer a question about whether universities should increase their payments in lieu of taxes, known as PILOT funds. Baker held his paddle sideways, refraining to answer and drawing an eruption of laughter from the crowd.
District 7
District 7 City Council panel: (from l to r) Wawa Bell, Samuel Hurtado, Said Abdikarim, Said Ahmed, Mavrick Afonso, Miniard Culpepper, Roy Owens, Natalie Juba Sutherland and Jerome King. Photo by Georgia Epiphaniou
The first part of the forum focused on the District 7 seat now held by Tania Fernandes Anderson, who recently pleaded guilty to two of six federal corruption charges after allegedly arranging a kickback scheme that netted her $7,000. Fernandes Anderson, who has said she intends to resign from the seat before her term expires at the end of the year, is not running for re-election.
Nine candidates have qualified for the ballot for the preliminary election to be held on Sept. 9, with early voting starting on Aug. 30: WaWa Bell, Samuel Hurtado, Said Abdikarim, Said Ahmed, Mavrick Afonso, Rev. Miniard Culpepper, Roy Owens, Natalie Juba-Sutherland, and Jerome King.
The candidates began by explaining what makes them qualified for the job.
“I think that our community has been ill-represented for a long time,” said Bell, who went on to say he wants to continue the “positive work” of Fernandes Anderson, who was in attendance at the event.
Miller asked the candidates how they would work to make District 7 more affordable. Bell expressed support for rent control and a cap on how much landlords can earn.
The candidates all agreed to advocate for the statewide “Homes for All Massachusetts” rent control legislation that would limit rent increases and ban no-fault evictions. The response came during rapid-fire questions for which candidates had to respond with a paddle with “yes” on one side and “no” on the other.
Bell and Culpepper emphasized a push for more homeownership, while Juba-Sutherland mentioned a need for more financial literacy among homeowners.
“What financial literacy does [is] it teaches us how to manage our money,” Juba-Sutherland said. “Because we can actually say, ‘Yes, we can own our homes,’ but can we keep our homes?”
Afonso, who is the director of external affairs at the state’s Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, called for the development of “surplus land” and accessory dwelling units for affordable housing.
Candidates answered questions about how they would support communities targeted by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. King called himself a “fighter” and questioned who ICE agents are.
“All I see is a bunch of people running around with shiesties on,” King said. “They don’t show their face.”
Nearly all candidates expressed some form of support for community members targeted by ICE, except Owens, who did not answer the question and went on to talk about congestion pricing.
Both Hurtado and Abdikarim emphasized educating immigrants about their constitutional rights. Afonso said he supports more funding for legal resources for immigrants.
From left: Said Ahmed, Mavrick Afonso (standing), Miniard Culpepper: and Roy Owens. Photo by Wen Qi
“This is a sanctuary state,” Afonso said, ”so let’s provide these people the counsel that they need if ICE comes to try to take them away.”
During rapid-fire questioning, all candidates backed Boston’s inclusionary zoning policy requiring 20 percent of units in market-rate developments to be income restricted and indicated support for amendments that would increase participatory budgeting funds.
Bell, Hurtado, Owens, Juba-Sutherland, and King said they oppose the Wu administration’s decision to lease White Stadium to a professional women’s soccer team. Abdikarim, Ahmed, Afonso and Culpepper all said they support the plan.
All except for Juba-Sutherland and Owens voted to abolish the Boston Police Department’s gang database. Juba-Sutherland voted “no,” and Owens abstained from the question.
Hurtado was the only one of the nine candidates to vote against a fully elected school committee.
A strong turnout at the Boston City Council Forum, Hibernian Hall, Thursday, May 22, 2025. Photo by Georgia Epiphaniou
