A coalition of African-American empowerment, faith-based, public policy and cultural organizations will host a forum entitled "Black Community Losing Power: Counting Inmates in the Wrong Place" on Tuesday, June 21, 2011. The forum, which takes place at the Mattapan Library from 5:15 to 7:45 p.m., is organized in response to the practice of "prison-based gerrymandering": the counting of inmates as residents of their incarcerated communities in the census rather than their original communities. Hosts include The Center for Church and Prison, The New Democracy Coalition, Prison Policy Initiative, Mass Black Empowerment Coalition, Demos, Road to Redemption, The Love Movement and The Cultural Cafe Collective.
Tuesday, Jun 21, 2011, 5:15 p.m. to 7:45 p.m., at The Mattapan Library, Alice W. Meeting Room, 1350 Blue Hill Avenue, Mattapan, MA 02126. Please contact any host organizations or the Mattapan Public Library for more information. Click here for more information on the Youth Workers Alliance website. (Image Credit: http://www.vectorportal.com/subcategory/159/PRISON-BARS-VECTOR-ABSTRACT.eps/ifile/8878/detailtest.asp)
The Boston Anancy Festival will take place on June 28 from 11am to 1pm at the Mattapan Library (1350 Blue Hill Ave). Brer Anancy is coming to Boston to celebrate the Caribbean culture with tour hours filled with Arts & Crafts, Art Exhibits, Caribbean Cuisines, Musical Performances, Poetry, School Supply Drives and Storytelling! Admission is FREE and there will be a free storybook for every registered family! For more info, please email events@rashellebrown.com
Do you have clothes hanging in your closet that you do not wear or use anymore? Do you want to get rid of the old items so that you can be in with the new items for 2013? Would you like to support a good cause and help out another? Then this event is for YOU! "Swap and Donate" is Compassion Act Heal's first free family event and will take place on January 12 from 10am to 2pm (at 1350 Blue Hill Ave in Mattapan). There will be music, light refreshments, door prizes and raffles. To RSVP, click 
The Friends of the Mattapan Branch Library are hosting a holiday celebration on Saturday, December 17, "A Soulful Sleigh Ride" will be held at 1:00 p.m. Give back and celebrate with a youth R&B choral group, raffles, music, holiday treats and more! To donate baked goods, or to help, see Miss Cannon at the library's main desk. The 
The Boston NAACP will be hosting a provocative discussion in conjunction with world AIDS Day 2011 on December 1, 2011 at the Mattapan Library from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. After 30 years of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the disease continues to disproportionately affect the African-American community. The event will feature a special guest speaker, Mr. Phil Wilson, founder of Black AIDS Institute to discuss what you can do to help prevent additional HIV infections and AIDS related deaths. The Mattapan Library is located at 1350 Blue Hill Avenue in Mattapan. For more information, please call 
The MBTA will hold a public meeting to discuss the Fairmount Line Blue Hill Avenue Station on Wednesday, June 1, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Mattapan Branch Library (1350 Bleu Hill Avenue, Mattapan, MA 02126). The MBTA project team will discuss the station location & design with alternative analysis. Design will be completed by the end of 2011 and construction is projected to begin May 2012. 
Struggling financially? Come to the Mattapan Branch Library on Saturday, May 21 for a workshop on how to take control of your financial future. Learn how to create a budget, manage your cash flow, understand your credit report and much more! Whether your dream is to purchase a house, pay for college, purchase a car or just regain financial control of your life, this workshop will get you started. You will even learn about creating a Trust and a Will. Workshop is free! For more information, call 617-642-1874.
