The COVID pandemic. Millions of American calling — and fighting — for racial equality and social justice. The 2020 Presidential Election. These three ongoing stories dominated not just the headlines in 2020, but also the day-to-day lives of millions, as we all attempted to navigate uniquely precarious waters.
These topics also inspired many of the questions we here at the Curiosity Desk asked — and sought to answer — this year. Here are a few we think are worth revisiting as we reflect on a year like no other.
1. Revisiting And Reckoning With A Massachusetts Town's 1973 Vote Against Racial Inclusion
When I came across a brief mention of a 1973 vote at Town Meeting in the small town of Ashby, Massachusetts, my jaw nearly hit the floor.
Residents there voted 148-79 against adopting a resolution that would “invite members of minority groups into town.” This action landed Ashby on Sociologist James W. Loewen’s list of American “sundown towns.” These are towns — mainly in the North — that were, or still are, as he puts it, “all-white on purpose.”
Nearly 50 years on, I reached out to one of the people involved in the vote, and spoke with a current Ashby resident who told me that if the same vote were held today, she’s not sure the result would be any different.
2. How Christopher Columbus Came To Stand In Boston's North End
In cities and towns across America, public monuments to controversial historical figures came under renewed scrutiny in 2020. Boston was no exception — the Christopher Columbus statue in the North End was beheaded and then taken down completely.
Christopher Columbus was an especially important figure for Italian immigrants and Italian-Americans at the turn of the 20th century, as they sought to gain acceptance here amidst rampant discrimination. But he’s also long been a problematic “hero” whose arrival in the Western Hemisphere marked the beginning of centuries of atrocities, from the enslavement of millions to the systemic murder and displacement of indigenous peoples throughout the Americas.
Amidst the controversy, I looked into how this particular statue came to stand in the North End, why it still means so much to some residents, and why — for others — its removal was long overdue.
3. Meet The People Trying To Seed A New Generation Of Black Farmers
Perhaps because I have family members who work on farms, I find myself endlessly interested in the complexities of the agricultural industry. And, like many reporters, I’m also a fan of big data sets.
This year, I found myself combing through the most recent USDA Agricultural Statistics Survey, which contains detailed information about Massachusetts' 7,000+ farms, what they produce, and who they employ.
As I poked around, I learned that while more than 5,000 of those farms are individually owned and operated, only 21 of them are owned and operated by a Black individual.
I began reaching out to local farmer of color and learned about some of the unique challenges they face — and met some of the people fighting to seed a new generation of Black farmers here in New England.
4. Are Most Massachusetts Residents Wearing Masks?
As it became clear that wearing a face covering in public is one of the most important tools we have to slow the spread of the coronavirus, one question that kept coming up in the newsroom was a simple one: Are people actually doing it?
And while the question is simple, answering it definitively was nearly impossible. Still, there is something to be said for the insight that can be gained by simply observing and reporting what you see.
And so, I enlisted four of my GBH News colleagues. Each of us headed out to a different part of the state and spent time watching people, noting who’s faces were covered and who’s weren’t, and talking with some of them about why they were — or weren’t — wearing masks
5. How The New England Aquarium 'First Responders' Are Caring For 20,000 Animals During The Pandemic
A lot of area businesses were forced to close their doors in 2020, and each faced a unique set of challenges as they fought to survive during the pandemic.
Many faced a near-total loss of revenue. Many had to pivot countless times and invent new ways of reaching their customers. Many had to make the difficult decision to furlough or lay off significant portions of their workforce. But only one had to also figure out how to keep 20,000 animals alive in the process.
