Below is a list of some of our recent media coverage:

Cummings Foundation Grantee!

Roxbury Presbyterian Church Social Impact Center Awarded a $250,000 Cummings Grant!
Roxbury nonprofit receives 10 years of funding from the Cummings Foundation.

The Social Impact Center (SIC), the independent 501c3 outreach ministry of Roxbury Presbyterian Church is one of 140 local nonprofits to receive grants of $100,000 to $500,000 each through Cummings Foundation’s $25 Million Grant Program. The Roxbury-based organization was chosen from a total of 580 applicants during a competitive review process. It will receive $250,000 over 10 years.

Find out more about the organization at www.cummingsfoundation.org.

Boston Reverend expands “Can We Talk” program to new community

WBZ – May 19, 2022

Rev. Edwin Johnson’s program will focus on people who speak Spanish. WBZ-TV’s David Wade reports.

Grant To Help Promote Remote Therapy At Boston Medical Center Is Paying Off

WBZ – February 9, 2022

A recent study finds roughly a third of people in Massachusetts report needing mental health help during the pandemic, and a fourth of them say they could not find it. The results of the study done by Blue Cross Blue Shield Massachusetts are not surprising for psychologists at Boston Medical Center.

Mass General Brigham Invests $50 million in Community and Mental Health

WBZ – October 28, 2021

Initiative Focuses on Increasing Access for Patients and Builds on Existing $175M Annual Community Health Investments

Liz Walker’s ‘Can We Talk’ Program Helping Trauma Survivors Share Stories Of Pain, Loss, And Healing

WBZ – October 19, 2021

Too often It’s something we don’t talk about – our own mental health, our troubles, our pain. There is a community group trying to change that, getting people to open up and to heal together with their neighbors.  It’s called “Can We Talk” and it was started by a member of our WBZ-TV family, Rev. Liz Walker. And it’s making a difference.

How COVID Isolation, Loss, And Racism Deepened Crises For Children Of Color

WBUR – June 25, 2021

The pandemic is waning, but the mental health crisis for children isn’t. And for many children of color, the full impact of the last 15 months — against a backdrop of longstanding systemic racism and inequities — may just be coming into focus.

Liz Walker Honored with RFK Award

Boston Globe – April 20, 2021

Boston’s first Black TV news anchor, the Rev. Liz Walker, will be one of four community leaders honored by the Robert F. Kennedy Children’s Action Corps with the Embracing the Legacy Award during its annual celebration next month.

We Have To Keep Fighting

Coverage/Blue Cross MA – April 6, 2021

As a faith leader, Roxbury Presbyterian Church’s Rev. Liz Walker has always passionately believed everyone should have the opportunity to be safe and healthy – and these days, that means paying particular attention to the communities most at risk for COVID-19.

Learning from Tuskegee in Understanding COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy

Health City – March 16, 2021

In the video above, Reverends Liz Walker and Gloria White-Hammond, MD, of the Roxbury Presbyterian Church moderate a panel with medical experts and descendants of the men who were part of the U.S. Public Health Service syphilis study in Tuskegee to talk about intergenerational trauma, the COVID-19 vaccine, and hesitancy, as well as how today’s decision to get the vaccine differs from past non-consensual medical intervention.

Trauma, COVID-19 Vaccine Concerns, and the Way Forward

Health City – January 8, 2021

Communities who have suffered most from COVID-19 also stand to benefit most from vaccination, says Anthony Fauci.  Vaccination is a vital strategy for ending the COVID-19 pandemic. But to achieve herd immunity, a significant portion of the population will need to be vaccinated.

COVID-19 vaccines recall decades of deception and pain for Black Americans
ABC News – December 18, 2020

In 1932, 623 Black men were unknowingly recruited for a syphilis study but were kept from a cure. Many Black Americans are still skeptical of the health care system, including COVID-19 vaccines.

Communities of color skeptical of COVID-19 vaccine

CBS This Morning – December 11, 2020

Boston-based Reverend Liz Walker preaches about three things: truth, love, and lowering anxiety. And in the middle of a pandemic, Walker has shifted her focus to spreading the truth about the COVID-19 vaccine.

Amid history of mistreatment, doctors struggle to sell Black Americans on coronavirus vaccine
Washington Post – December 8, 2020

The Rev. Liz Walker’s job is to minister to souls at Roxbury Presbyterian Church in Boston. But lately, it’s her parishioners’ physical health — and their immune systems — keeping her up at night.

Boston Reverend Enlists Dr. Fauci To Help Black Community Get Behind COVID-19 Vaccine
Nevada Public Radio – November 30, 2020

A new study shows Black and Latinx communities face disproportionate exposure to coronavirus because of systemic inequality. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s statistics say they’re infected at twice the rate of white people.

During Roxbury Forum, Dr. Fauci Said Community Has ‘Responsibility’ To Get COVID-19 Vaccine
WBZ – November 24, 2020

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert, dialed into Roxbury Tuesday night with an appeal to the community to get vaccinated for COVID-19 when it is available.

Anthony Fauci To Speak About COVID and Coping at Roxbury Presbyterian Church Virtual Event
Boston Globe – November 17, 2020

Roxbury Presbyterian Church will host a virtual discussion about the facts and future of the COVID-19 pandemic with infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci on November 24.

Amidst Coronavirus, church shifts gears to support victims of trauma
Boston Globe – April 28, 2020

The pandemic is causing significant stress for almost everyone. But the circumstances can be especially difficult for people already dealing with anguish.

Trauma group offers a community in pain a place to heal
Boston Globe – November 28, 2017

The idea first came to the Rev. Liz Walker following a brutal run of violence in the Roxbury neighborhood where her church is during the spring of 2013.

In 2017, Roxbury Presbyterian Church’s amazing partners, THE LASTING CHANGE COMMITTEE celebrated the news that RPC’s 501 c 3 Social Impact Center received a $100,000 four-year grant from the Cummings Foundation “$100K For 100 Initiative” for the Cory Johnson Program for Post Traumatic Healing!

The Lasting Change Committee was created by Pastors Ray and Gloria Hammond, Nancy Kilburn, Chris Spinnazola, Marjorie Clapprood, and Alan and Susan Solomont,  The group raised nearly $400,000 for the healing work of RPC’s primary outreach ministry, focused on community trauma intervention and education.