For a while, I didn’t think of Boston as an American city where everyone should visit (as opposed to places like L.A., New York City, Miami, or Chicago). But after visiting Boston for the second time in a year, I was proven wrong. This city is filled with history, culture, public spaces, renowned sports teams, and — this came as a surprise for me - delicious food. This blog recounts what my family and I did during our weekend trip to Boston. We went for my graduation from grad school so those respective activities took up some of our time. At the bottom of this post, I’ll include recommendations for things in Boston that I’ve done before as well as things that I wish I had the time to do (which means I’ll have to return for a future trip!). Read on to start planning your trip!

Last weekend, I had the privilege of traveling to Boston with my husband and parents to participate in Harvard University’s Commencement. These graduation exercises were specifically organized for the classes of 2020 and 2021 since COVID-19 prevented in-person ceremonies for our respective classes. I was happy to have my “Harvard Moment;” I know my parents were beyond proud to watch their youngest child walk across a stage under crimson Harvard banners. If you told them this 20 years ago, they wouldn’t believe it. At the same time, being a Black Woman graduate of Harvard didn’t erase the wariness I felt about Harvard’s history. This blog post is a brief snapshot of Harvard’s legacy of slavery, the work that a team of researchers are doing to spread awareness and make systemic amends, and my thoughts about it all.