Latest news with #Slade's
Boston Globe
16-05-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Walking tour will focus on Green Book locations in Boston
The Green Book was a travel guide listing hotels, restaurants, gas stations, barber shops, tailors, and other establishments where Black travelers were welcomed when segregation and racial discrimination was rampant across the country. It was started in 1936 by Victor H. Green, a US Postal Service carrier who wanted his fellow Black travelers to be able to 'vacation without aggravation.' Saturday's tour will be led by former state representative Byron Rushing and the Rev. June Cooper, and reproductions of the Green Book will be available for sale at the conclusion of the event. Advertisement The tour includes lunch at Slade's, the beloved Boston restaurant that was listed in the Green Book during the 1930s. It remains one of the few Green Book locations in Boston that is still in business. The tour starts at the Union United Methodist Church at 485 Columbus Ave. in Boston at 11 a.m., and Members of WeJazzUp and Berklee College of Music students perform at Slade's Bar and Grill on Jan. 14, 2025. The band, which regularly welcomes student musicians to its weekly jazz sessions, has been a fixture at the historic Tremont Street establishment for nearly 25 years, helping nurture new talent while continuing the venue's legacy as a cultural cornerstone. Erin Clark/Globe Staff Emily Sweeney can be reached at
Boston Globe
31-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Since opening in 1928, Slade's has been a haven for the community
Once one of many restaurants and clubs on the South End/Roxbury border, Slade's is among the few Green Book locations still operating. Longtime customers recall the days when skewers of chickens turned around and around in the window, on display as they cooked. On Mother's Day, lines stretched around the corner, and people dressed up to eat at the restaurant on Easter. Advertisement Bill Russell, part owner of Slade's, outside the venue in August 20, 1964. Unknown Photographer Today, regulars include journalists, historians, lawyers, teachers, community activists, fitness instructors, and real estate investors. Most live in the neighborhood, have strong ties to it, or have been coming here forever. Frequent the place long enough and you're likely to spot former state representative Byron Rushing stopping in for takeout, or dance to music from DJ Plush, a.k.a. Jomo King, son of political activist Mel King. Every night has its own flavor and crowd: Wednesdays are for comedy, Fridays bring an after-work social followed by R&B, and so on. Advertisement But Tuesdays are for live jazz. On this particular night,King gets folks out of their seats and onto the dance floor between sets. Then Melvin Francisco takes the stage with his instrument of choice, a comb that he plays like a kazoo. The audience whoops in appreciation. 'The food is really good. The music is really good. The people make the place,' said Ann Luster, a patron for more than 20 years. 'It's my Cheers. Everybody needs a Cheers.' Melvin Francisco, nearing 90, performed a blues tune with WeJazzUp and accompanying Berklee College of Music students at Slade's Bar and Grill in Boston. Erin Clark/Globe Staff Linda Seams, a patron of over 20 years, danced from her chair during jazz night at Slade's Bar and Grill on Jan. 14. Erin Clark/Globe Staff Devra First can be reached at
