Community provider urges city to prioritize funding for programs serving young Black boys

During public testimony at the April 6 hearing, John Smith Saint Cedar, founder of the Joe Smith Suicide Prevention Center for Young Black Boys, urged councilors and city officials to prioritize funding for community-based programs that serve young Black boys across neighborhoods.

Saint Cedar said his full-day programs in Roxbury, Dorchester and Mattapan provide structured activities, meals and clinical supports but operate with constrained capacity and rely on personal funds. "I don't have the capacity. I don't have the funding," he told the committee, and argued that existing city priorities and budgets have not matched the needs of providers who stabilize youth and reduce risk.

Officials on the panel acknowledged gaps and described steps the city has taken to expand training opportunities, create referral pathways and hire youth for city events; Pedro Cruz highlighted free professional-development trainings the city offers partners and said the administration is seeking ways to certify youth workers with local colleges. Councilors asked for more concrete follow-up on resource allocation during the budget process.

Saint Cedar's testimony asked the committee to consider whether the city is directing resources to programs that demonstrably reduce risk "before it becomes a crisis," and to make funding decisions that allow community organizations to scale promising programs rather than relying on volunteer or ad-hoc resources.

The committee did not adopt funding changes at the hearing but members asked the administration for further budgetary review and for continued engagement with community providers.