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TIME: Almanac 1990
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1990 Time Magazine Compact Almanac, The (1991)(Time).iso
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091189
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09118900.043
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1990-09-17
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NATION, Page 28Tale of Two Cities
For a lesson in how to deal with racial tensions, consider the
difference between Boston and New York City. During the 1970s, when
court-ordered busing for school integration enraged working-class
whites, Boston had more than its share of neighborhoods that were
off limits to blacks. Now, though a black visitor to Southie might
still feel uneasy, there is little chance of violence.
The passage of time has helped cool tempers, but most of the
credit belongs to Mayor Raymond Flynn. Born in Southie, where he
still lives, Flynn fought busing as a state legislator. But as
mayor, after being nudged by threatened court action, Flynn has
since 1988 arranged for eleven black families to move into two
previously all-white public housing projects in Southie. He has
also reinvigorated an eleven-member police community-disorders
unit. It keeps close tabs on potential outbreaks and alerts Flynn
as soon as it smells trouble.
New York City's mayor has taken a less constructive approach.
Last week, when marchers in Brooklyn protested the murder of Yusuf
Hawkins, Edward Koch touched off a new round of anger by
criticizing their action as counterproductive. As he has all too
many times in his eleven-year reign as mayor, Koch seemed to be
inflaming racial tensions rather than damping them.