Pages - Roxbury

Place Matters - Roxbury

First developed as an agricultural community, Roxbury has since urbanized to become part of the city of Boston. During the 1940s and 1950s, Roxbury experienced a large migration from the South which exponentially increased the Black community’s population. Currently, 53% of Roxbury’s over 50,000 residents are Black, 23% are Latino, 5% are Asian and 15% are White. Business and housing initiatives have since become revitalized the in the sections of Dudley Square, Crosstown, and Grove Hall.

With a strong history of community ties, Roxbury responded to rampant arson and disinvestment in the 1970s along the Dudley Street corridor by creating the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative, which has since worked together with non-profit organizations, community development corporations, businesses and religious organizations to implement resident-driven plans to revitalize the neighborhood and empower community members to share a vision in developing the neighborhood.

Community Statistics

Data presented in the Boston Public Health Commission's Health of Boston report routinely demonstrates that Boston's Black and Latino residents experience higher levels of chronic disease, mortality, and poorer health outcomes than White residents. These persistent health disparities are driven by the interaction of several factors including racism, living conditions, physical environment, socioeconomic status, food security, lifestyle, available health services, and existing health policies. The data provided offers a broad picture of the health experience of our city, identifies individuals and communities at greatest risk for certain conditions, and stimulates discussion among individuals within our communities. Understanding the city's diversity is essential to developing policies and strategies that address health equity in Boston.


Sources: Boston Public Health Commission 2010 HOB Report Heart of the City- Bus System Air Beat My Neighborhood: Boston

Center for Health Equity and Social Justice - Boston Public Health Commission - 1010 Massachusetts Avenue - Boston, MA 02118.
Phone: 617-534-2291 | Email: healthequity@bphc.org | Website: www.bphc.org/healthequity