The Battle for Boston

How Mayor Ray Flynn and Community Organizers Fought Racism and Downtown Power Brokers

Don Gillis

• Publisher: Fordham University Press
• Year: 2025
• Print ISBN: 9781531509835
• eBook ISBN: 9781531509842
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Political Biographies
• Index: Social Sciences

How Mayor Ray Flynn's leadership and a coalition of activists transformed Boston, challenging established powers and setting new precedents for urban governance

The Battle for Boston captures the remarkable era under Mayor Ray Flynn, whose election in 1983 marked the beginning of a profound shift in the city's political and social landscape. Don Gillis, a Flynn senior advisor, chronicles the inspiring journey of a city that dared to challenge the entrenched power brokers—including developers, landlords, and banking industry leaders—through powerful grassroots campaigns.

Gillis provides a vivid portrayal of the political dynamics and the coalition of community organiz­ers, neighborhood leaders, and residents that played a pivotal role in rejecting the business-backed growth machine and the city's historically divisive racial politics. This book charts the strategic battles fought within the corridors of power and on the streets and highlights the substantial impact these movements had on the city's governance and power dynamics.

In a historic turn, in 2021, Michelle Wu became the first woman, person of color, and Asian- American elected Mayor of Boston. Wu's victory on a similarly progressive platform as Flynn underscores the enduring relevance of his legacy, signaling a hopeful future for more inclusive and effectively governed cities.

The Battle for Boston poses a critical inquiry: Can cities truly embrace progressivism and gov­ern effectively in the twenty-first century? This qualitative narrative study is a testament to the possibility of such governance, driven by the indomitable spirit of those who strive for a fair and equitable society.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Boston Neighborhoods Map
• List of Charts and Tables
• Foreword by Mayor Bill de Blasio
• Preface: A City in the Twenty-First Century
• Introduction: Can Cities Be Economically and Socially Progressive?
• 1. City Limits and Opportunities
• 2. Political, Social, and Economic History of Boston
• 3. The New Boston and the 1983 Race for Mayor
• 4. Community Organizing as Political Governance
• 5. Confronting the Housing Crisis and Landlords
• 6. Redlining, Blockbusting, and Fighting Bank Discrimination
• 7. Challenging the Growth Machine: A New “Social Contract”
• 8. Boston’s Racial Politics: Ending Racial Violence
• 9. Civil Rights and Wrongs: The Search for Racial Justice
• 10. “Death at an Early Age”: Public Education Debates
• 11. Rebuilding the City: Urban Finances and Infrastructure
• 12. Confronting Poverty and Homelessness
• 13. The 2013 and 2021 Mayoral Elections: New Directions for Boston
• 14. How Does Urban Progressivism Succeed?
• Acknowledgments
• Appendix 1: Cities Defined as Progressive
• Appendix 2: Urban Theories Used in Boston Analysis
• Interviews by Author
• Notes
• Bibliography
• Index
• About the Author