Description:
In order to locate the Roxbury Crossing monument, you have to walk around the outside of Roxbury Crossing Station and pass an electrical box, which isn't much different looking than the monuments themselves. The four-part monument displays a narrative, Hometown, and is located just a few feet from Tremont Street. It is situated near another monument which features prose by Jenette Delolle Winthrop. Unfortunately, the monuments at Roxbury Crossing Station are worn down, damaged and difficult to read.
About the Author:
Luix Virgil Overbea was a longtime journalist for the Bay State Banner, Boston's weekly newspaper covering the Black community, and wrote for the Christian Science Monitor. He was the founding member of the National Association of Black Journalists. His book, Poets on the Horizon: A Book of Poetry was published by the Boston Public Library in 1988. It also appears that he wrote for the Winston-Salem Journal in the 1960s. [Note: this biographical information was kindly written and provided via e-mail by Greg Palmer of Seattle, Washington, who once worked with Overbea at the Christian Science Monitor.]
Response:
Overbea's Hometown is an example of the positive effects that the Orange Line construction had on the communities. He writes about "the steep stairways that made them breathless when they raced up them, only to see the train doors slide shut." The original Orange Line is portrayed as a thing of the past to be missed at the same time as the new Orange Line is well-deserved and appreciated. Hometown is a story of historical importance that celebrates the community, showing what they've gone through and how far they've come. Instead of I-95 alienating certain communities from the rest of Boston, the Orange Line is a way to unite an urban environment. Unfortunately, the monument's text is nearly impossible to read. I could only make out a few words of Overbea's text. It is a shame that the text is not legible because, in my opinion, what Overbea writes about the history of the Orange Line and the community's importance is insightful, educational and, overall, historically enlightening.
By Maxim Olivier.
