Kicking off another great season -- and year -- of arts events this January, is Grammy Award-winning timbalero, Eguie Castrillo. As he preserves a musical tradition with performances that “transport you to the New York Ballrooms of the 1950s & 60s,” this master of mambo, accompanied by his Palladium Orchestra (an 18-piece big band), will not only bring the entire audience back in time but to t...
Read more
To address ever-increasing housing costs across the Commonwealth and skyrocketing Boston rents, the Baker-Polito administration recently announced its outline of the Housing Choice Initiative. The comprehensive plan is designed to empower cities and towns to create more housing through more ...
Read more
We're so excited to begin our anniversary year with one of our favorite community-centered events. In some Latin American countries and Spain, The Day of the Three Kings is quite the celebration. As Latinos, we make the most out of any excuse to gather and celebrate, and in Puerto Rico the Christmas Holidays are almost two months long. The excitement of Santa C...
Read more
In recent weeks, the pendulum swing of the proposed GOP tax reform bill has bolstered uncertainty about the future state of our economy and how money will flow between municipalities, corporations, public and private institutions, and individuals across income levels. This monumental proposal comes at a pivotal time, as we embark on our 50th Anniversary year, and continue to reflect upo...
Read more
Our annual Tree Lighting Ceremony is one of our community’s favorite traditions. It might have been a bit cold and rainy this year, but that didn’t stop residents and program participants alike from venturing to Plaza Betances to celebrate. Volunteers passed out hot chocolate and cookies while the musicians got the crowd in the holiday spirit. There was even a visit from Santa, whose dance moves d...
Read more
On the heels of our 50th Anniversary Kick-Off event, which was recently held at Davio’s Italian Steakhouse, news of our exciting celebration and events program for the year ahead has been featured in The Boston Globe, South End News and El Planeta. Most recently, IBA CEO Vanessa Calderón-Rosado was featured in The Boston Globe...
Read more
As Thanksgiving and the season of charity approaches, we’ve decided to look at this past year and reflect on everything we’ve accomplished. Here are ten things we’ve been fortunate enough to facilitate here at IBA: We rallied together after Hurricane María devastated Puerto Rico to created the ...
Read more
In 1968, the city’s urban renewal plans for the South End threatened to displace the neighborhood’s hard-working Puerto Rican community and, with it, drastically diminish economic and cultural diversity. Advocating on behalf of their neighbors and families, a group of Puerto Rican activists founded IBA to preserve affordability and the right to thrive in the community they built from the ground up...
Read more
Your vote matters. Voting in the upcoming special election is not only important because you decide the next mayor, but you also have the power to create and modify laws in our state and city. At IBA, it is our mission to improve our communities through high-quality programs and this starts with the individual. Your vote gives a voice to our community and by exercising your right to vote you are p...
Read more
It’s been over a month since Hurricane Maria swept through Puerto Rico, leaving crippling devastation in its path. Yet, despite the time that has passed, one in four Puerto Ricans still don’t have access to clean water, while three-quarters of the islan...
Read more
Access to affordable housing remains one of the foremost challenges for Greater Boston residents. According to a recent poll conducted by WBUR, 76 percent of participants indicated that they were “very dissatisfied or somewhat dissatisfied” with the high cost of housing stemming from Boston’s low vacancy rates, high-d...
Read more
We see the success of our Youth Development Program in action every day. Created to foster emotional, intellectual, and artistic growth in young people, the program also builds lifelong relationships between peers and adults and encourages young people to pursue leadership roles in their community. Our commitment was recognized by First Lady Michelle Obama in 2016...
Read more
In the aftermath of Hurricane María, many of our community members have been struggling to contact loved ones as the entire island of Puerto Rico remains without power. Much of Boston has responded with an outpour of concern, reaching out with offers and ideas to organize relief efforts. We decided to host an open forum, giving individuals, both in physical and ...
Read more
Within a period of two weeks, Hurricanes Harvey and Irma swept through the Caribbean, Puerto Rico, Texas and the Southeast, causing mass displacement, billions of dollars in damages, environmental contamination, the unfortunate loss of many lives and concern throughout our community, as many residents worried about the safety of their loved ones. Acco...
Read more
Josean Ortiz loves to talk. As a producer, director, and an actor, he is certainly never at a loss of things to talk about. His hands fly around in excitement as he describes his upcoming work, two shows which feature only him on stage. While most would shy away from hour long monologues, Josean welcomes the pressure. We sat down with him to learn more about the inspiration behind ...
Read moreIf you see me, back up.