A stronger future for Nubian Square begins with who tells its story
Heang Ly, Director of Pathways to Postsecondary Success August 19, 2026
The Boston Foundation asked Nubian Square residents, educators, employers, and young people a simple but vital question: How do we build upon Nubian Square’s existing strengths to expand localized, meaningful and cohesive opportunities that support young people’s education and future careers? This op ed by Heang Ly, published in The Bay State Banner, reflects on the Nubian Square community education-to-career pathway effort.
Twenty-five years later, as I listened to youth, educators, parents, community organizations, business owners and community leaders in Nubian Square and Roxbury discuss education-to-career opportunities, I recognized the same pattern and emotions.
In Roxbury today, as in my community 25 years before, most outside narratives marginalize a community of color by implying residents are to blame for the challenges they face, while ignoring or dismissing historical forces that have shaped their experiences, suppressed their strengths, challenged their resilience and minimized their contributions.
Roxbury residents today still deal with the consequences of decades of policies — including redlining, urban renewal and a lack of sustained investment — that have blocked opportunities, minimized assets, and reinforced negative messages. But residents also draw strength from Roxbury’s legacy of extraordinary civic leaders, entrepreneurs, education pioneers and schools that foster learning, connection and community. These strengths never disappeared.
And today, a new story is emerging. Investors are increasingly recognizing Roxbury, and Nubian Square in particular, as places worthy of investment. Our opportunity — and our challenge — is to ensure these investments build upon the neighborhood’s long-standing strengths rather than redefining, replacing, or displacing the people, institutions, and culture that have sustained the neighborhood for generations.
So, as we work together to avoid repeating the mistakes of investment efforts that have been designed for rather than with communities, The Boston Foundation asked Nubian Square residents, educators, employers, and young people a simple but vital question: How do we build upon Nubian Square’s existing strengths to expand localized, meaningful and cohesive opportunities that support young people’s education and future careers?
"Investors are increasingly recognizing Roxbury, and Nubian Square in particular, as places worthy of investment. Our opportunity — and our challenge — is to ensure these investments build upon the neighborhood’s long-standing strengths rather than redefining, replacing, or displacing the people, institutions, and culture that have sustained the neighborhood for generations."
This question marked the beginning of an ongoing partnership, with community voices continuing to shape and guide the work. The responses to our question highlighted the desire for partnerships, shared resources and more coordinated systems that build on young residents’ unique strengths and experiences. They also provided insights that align with research and data and disprove many long-standing, inaccurate narratives shared by those outside of the community.
One such narrative suggests Roxbury is fractured and divided. In our conversations, we heard from a community that sees the power of collaborative solutions, but is hobbled by systems that make collaboration difficult. As one community member shared, “The system remains fragmented — even among institutions within walking distance of each other.”
Another outside narrative suggests that Roxbury’s young people are simply less capable of success. We heard from a community of young people who say traditional measures of graduation rates, grades, test scores and credentials speak to only part of what they see as success. Youth we spoke with shared that “success is about having freedom — to pursue goals, change paths, and fail safely,” and that “success includes purpose and meaning in career, relationships and life.”
To embrace that definition, we need a network of schools, organizations and employers designed around student needs, not organizational priorities. The will to change is already there. Students, community organizations and local businesses alike see the value in connecting work, community programs and extracurricular activities to school as part of a coherent educational experience. Many we spoke with highlighted the need for systems that better track, align, and value learning across settings, giving students an integrated path toward their goals. By expanding educational partnerships to include neighborhood organizations and local businesses, we can leverage the values of community, culture and relationships that have long underpinned Roxbury’s strength.
When I tell the story of my Cambodian community, as an empowered author today, I lead with the strengths that shaped my childhood: strong family and community networks, collective care, resilience and a deep commitment to hard work and creating opportunities for the next generation — the very same strengths that emerged throughout our conversations in Nubian Square.
I didn’t grow up in Roxbury, but its story reignites memories of my own experience and reminds me that communities are not and should not be defined by the stories told about them, but by the stories they tell about themselves. Opportunities change when we change who tells the story.
To learn more about the Nubian Square community education-to-career pathway effort, read the report from the Boston Foundation.
Heang Ly is the Director of Pathways to Postsecondary Success for The Boston Foundation.