P1+Angela+H,+Jade+N,+Kelsey+C,+Rema+H

//All Souls: ﻿ A Family Story From Southie// by Michael Patick McDonald ** Background Terms ** 1. Michael Faith Incident Compiled by: Jade Nunes Overview: A white student was stabbed by a black student named James White. The white student, Michael Faith, and James White had been involved in a quarrel outside of one of their classrooms in their South Boston School. The fight that started with mere shoving ended with Faith being rushed to the hospital. According to an article published in "TIME" magazine after the incident, "Even before South Boston High was closed down, the tension and acrimony in the classrooms had virtually brought learning to a hault' (TIMES 1). Immediately after the stabbing, a riot broke out where white bystanders, parents, students, and "Southie" residents started screaming and hoarding around the school yelling very derogatory things at the black students. When the police finally arrived, the crowd started to throw items like bottles and bricks in retaliation. All the black students had to be escorted in buses to safety and were told to leave the school through the back door to avoid any further incident with the angry white mob. Though no further incidents or injuries were reported that day, racial tensions escalated, and eventually the school was closed.

"Education: Southie Boils Over." TIME. 23 December 1974. Web. 5 January 2011.

2. Rabbit Inn Incident Compiled by: Jade Nunes Overview: As the court-ordered desegregation in Boston public schools, racial tensions escalated. Instead of the tension having been only in the schools, the community began to be engulfed in the tensions as well. In 1974, a cop in South Boston was beat up at the Rabbit Inn. The patrons of the inn were accused of the beating because of the increased police tensions escalated violence amongst the Irish members of the community. According to an article in TIME Magazine, “nearly eight patrons were reported injured in the incident” (Time). This incident was another example of the racial tensions that existed in Southie at the time of the incident.

“Boston: From the Schools To the Streets”. TIME Magazine. TIME Mag., 21 Oct. 1974. Web. 6 Jan. 2011.

3. National Boycott Day Compiled by: Jade Nunes

Overview: “National Boycott Day” was declared by South Boston busing opponents on was October 4th. TIME Magazine stated, “10,000 demonstrators marched down the streets of South Boston to celebrate ‘National Boycott Day’” (Time). 162 schools were involved in Boston’s National Boycott Day. Almost all of the 162 Boston schools that were involved in the desegregation program were calm. There were two schools with a lot of racial problems that were still in chaos. In those schools, South Boston High and Charlestown High, fights happened almost every day. Students were suspended and eventually the school was closed down. However, National Boycott day has been observed many times and the cycle seemed to have calmed some of the tensions for those who just wanted to have their voices hear in Boston at the time.

“Education: A New Idea on Busing”. TIME Magazine. TIME Mag., 10 Nov. 1975. Web. 6 Jan. 2011.

4. Whitey Bulger Compiled by: Jade Nunes

Overview: Whitely Bugler was the leader of the most prominent Irish mob in South Boston. He is infamous for taking over organized crime in Southie. According to Biography.com, "Bulger was a troublemaker even as a child" (Biography). Bulger went on to bigger and worse crimes that included a string of bank robberies in the South Boston area. He was also responsible for a number of killings in the area. However, he also served as an FBI informant as he had contacts in the force that helped him to avoid arrest and such. There is a massive reward issued for his arrest to this day.

"John "Whitey" Bulger". Biography. Bio. 2008. Web. 7 Jan. 2011.

5. Irish Mob 19th Century Compiled by: Kelsey Crescenzo The Irish Mob is the oldest crime group. It existed ever since the 19th century, the Irish Mob originated in Irish American street gangs. The mob was spotted in most American cities such as, Boston, New York, and New Orleans. There was a book that was based on the Irish Mob called, The Gangs of New York, by Herbert Asbury. Jha states, “Some of the. mob gangs like 'The Westies' were quite notorious for causing mayhem on the streets of New York's Hell's Kitchen district” (Associated content). The Irish Mob did nothing but make problems around the major cities in America. Whitney Bulger was the most dangerous mobster that walked the Boston streets. People that saw the mob would be scarred to death of them because they thought that they would be in big trouble if they gave them a hard time.

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6. Irish Immigration to America Compiled by: Kelsey Crescenzo During the 19th century living in Ireland was not the best thing, however neither was emigrating to America. Kinsella states, “ it was referred to as the American Wake for these people knew they would never see Ireland again. Those who pursued this path did so only because they new their future in Ireland would only be more poverty, disease, and English oppression. America became their dream. Early immigrant letters described it as a land of abundance and urged others to follow them through the "Golden Door." (Kinsella). Just like other countries they thin that America is the “Golden Door”, By that they mean America has many opportunities for their life and their families, because they want the best for their families. Therefore they want to come over to America so that they can give their families and themselves what they deserve, and that could not even be possible for them in Ireland.

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7. Busing of 1974 in Southie Compiled by: Kelsey Crescenzo On June 21, 1974 was the day that African American parents in Boston takes the school committee to court to make sure that their children get the best education that they can provide. Judge W. Arthur Garrity backed the case up in favor of the parents. American Experience states, “ Boston residents anticipate trouble. Less than a mile apart, the black community of Roxbury and the white community of South Boston (Louise Day Hicks' stronghold) are slated to integrate their schools. City politicians make matters worse by promising white residents they will seek to overturn the decision”, (American Experience). This goes to show that African Americans were highly frowned upon everywhere not just Boston. However the African American parents stepped in and knew that what the government was doing was very wrong and not fair to their children. “City politicians make matters worse by promising white residents they will seek to overturn the decision”. This excerpt from the article shows that even the politicians did not care one bit about African Americans and/or their families.

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8. Michael Patrick Maconald Compiled by: Angela Huizar Michael Patrick MacDonald is the author of All Souls. He grew up in South Boston in an Old Colony housing project. “After losing four siblings and seeing his generation decimated by poverty, crime, and addiction, he became a leading Boston activist, helping launch many antiviolence initiatives, including gun-buyback programs” Macdonald has been through a lot throughout his life. Not only is Michael Macdonald “a leading Boston activist” but he has also become an activist throughout the nation. He strives to makes social changes in the nation by having surviving families help him reach this goal. In 2000, Michael won the American Book Award. He has written 2 books, All Souls and Easter Rising: A Memoir of Roots and Rebellion.

Michael Patrick Macdonald. 2009. Web. 7 December 2011.

9. Ray Flynn Compiled by: Angela Huizar Raymond L. Flynn is also known as Ray Flynn. Many people call him the pride of South Boston. “Flynn began his illustrious political career in 1971 representing South Boston in the State House, then moved over to Boston City Council before becoming Mayor, a post he held from 1984-1993” Many people look up to Ray Flynn saying that he represented South Boston very well. After he was the Mayor of Boston, he became the US Ambassador to the Vatican. Flynn has also written three novels. He is very involved in the Irish-American issues and strives to resolve them on a national level. Flynn speaks publicly on Irish and Catholic problems.

Michael P. Quinlin. Irish Massachusetts. Boston Irish Tourism Association. Web. 7 December 2011.

10. Roxbury Compiled by: Angela Huizar

The town of Roxbury has been around since the 1600’s. It was originally a village then it was a city and it is now a suburb of Boston. “Social issues and the urban renewal programs of the 1960s and 1970s contributed to a decline in the neighborhood” Roxbury started out as a village for the English settlers. They used it because it was great for farming. As time went on, Roxbury started to grow into a city and became one in 1846. 22 years later in 1868, it became a suburb of Boston. Irish, English, and German immigrants made up most of Roxbury until the 1900’s when African-Americans moved to Roxbury. When the city became more urban is when the crimes started happening is when the “decline in the neighborhood” started to take place. Now many people are trying to revive Roxbury to what it used to be.

Discover Roxbury. Web. 7 December 2011.

11. Dorchester  Compiled by: Rema Hamdan As a greatly populated neighborhood in the downtown region of Boston, Massachusetts, Dorchester County is a location made up of a variety of ethnic backgrounds. Home to the desendants of the original Puritans who settled in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630, Irish, Vietnamese, and Cape Verdean immigrants, and African American populations, this six-square-mile region is considered to be the largest and most populated in the entire city of Boston. 12. Mattapan  Compiled by: Rema Hamdan 13.Southie (or known as South Boston)   Compiled by: Rema Hamdan 14. Old Colony Housing Project  Compiled by: Rema Hamdan 11. Dorchester
 * Originally one of the largest towns in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
 * Residents since about June 1, 1630.
 * Residents have seen and participated in every event in our country’s history including the Salem witch trials, the King Philip War in 1675-76, the French & Indian Wars, Shay’s Rebellion and many others.
 * Annexation to Boston on January 4, 1870.
 * Was the first town to use public tax money for the support of its schools.
 * First in organizing the New England town government.
 * Was the home to many of the first mills and factories in the country.
 * Many popular fruits of the 19th century came from Dorchester.
 * Famous residents include religious figures, manufacturers, artists, writers, and activists.
 * Famous architecture include the All Siants Church, St. Peter’s Church, Girls’ Latin School built as Dorchester High School converted into the Latin Academy apartments, the Blake House, the pierce House, and buildings from the second half of the 19th century, including the three-family home.
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 * 1960-2000

Descendants


 * Boston’s largest neighborhood.
 * Long-time residents combined with Irish, Vietnamese, and Cape Verdean immigrants.
 * Anchors the neighborhood business district with a unique mix of ethnic restaurants, beauty salons, electronics stores, and pharmacies.
 * Strong neighborhood pride.
 * Bordered by Neponset River and Boston Harbor.
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· Boston’s largest and most populous neighborhood. · Six square miles. · Includes the Boston campus of the University Massachusetts. · Eastern areas are primarily ethnic European and Asian, with a large population of Irish Americans and Vietnamese Americans. · Western, central, and parts of the southern sections of Dorchester are predominantly African Americans. · Young working professionals and artists have recently settled in Dorchester. · []

12. Mattapan · The original Native American name for the Dorchester area. · Means “a good place to be,” or possibly “a good place to sit.” · Was a business district in Dorchester when first settled. · Mattapan Square. · Was given its own postal code in 1960s. · Developed both residentially and commercially as the railroads and streetcars made downtown Boston increasingly more accessible to the suburbs. · The Irish were the first to move to Mattapan, followed by Jewish families, beginning in 1908. · 1920-1940: Blue Hill Avenue was the center of the Jewish working class community in Boston. · In the 1960s, Mattapan underwent a dramatic ethnic transition. · [] ·
 * Located in a heavily populated area south of the downtown region in Boston Massachusetts,

13. Southie (or known as South Boston)
 * Once a predominantly Irish Catholic community
 * Increasingly desirable to young professionals and families.
 * Strong sense of community
 * Quick access to downtown and public transportation.
 * Castle Island
 * Southie Pride parade
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14. Old Colony Housing Project · Located in South Boston, MA.