Series: The Ten O'Clock News
Date: 1986-10-13
Duration: 00:02:28

Subject: Race relations
People: Bolling, Bruce; Davis, Curtis; Flynn, Raymond; King, Joyce; King, Mel; Louie, May; Lydon, Christopher; Wade, Ken; Young, Andrew;
Geography: Roxbury (Boston, Mass.)|

Clip Description
Christopher Lydon reports on the proposal to incorporate the Greater Roxbury neighborhood into a new city to be called Mandela, Massachusetts. Lydon reviews the proposed boundaries of the new city and the racial breakdown of the population. Lydon's report includes footage from a press conference in front of the Massachusetts State House. Leaders from the minority community speak out in favor of the creation of Mandela. The leaders include Curtis Davis (Greater Roxbury Incorporation Project), May Louie (Chairwoman, Rainbow Coalition), and Ken Wade (Greater Roxbury Neighborhood Authority). Lydon reports that the city of Boston has projected a large first-year deficit for the new city. He notes that Mandela supporters reject those numbers and have asked for an independent commission to examine the fiscal relationship between the city of Boston and the proposed city. Lydon reports on media coverage of the issue. He notes that an editorial in The Boston Globe condemned the proposal. Lydon notes that Bruce Bolling (Boston City Council) no longer supports that proposal. He adds that Mel King (former State Representative) is in favor of Mandela. Lydon's report includes an interview with King, who defends his pro-Mandela stance.

Series Description
A local program aimed at the Boston audience, The Ten O'Clock News debuted on January 15, 1976. Its two immediate predecessors were The Reporters and Evening Compass. A news and public affairs show focusing on neighborhood, local and state issues, The Reporters was produced and broadcast on WGBH from 1970 to 1973. The Reporters was then replaced by Evening Compass, which expanded into a twice-nightly news broadcast during the tense moments of Boston's busing crisis. On the air from 1973 to 1975, Evening Compass found an audience through its in-depth coverage of school desegregation in Boston, which began in 1974. The Ten O'Clock News stood out as an in-depth news program. It strove for a balance between local and national stories, between politics and the Arts. The last The Ten O'Clock News program was broadcast on May 30, 1991.

See also: http://main.wgbh.org/ton/programs/4675_01