Boston, MA

‘Java with Jimmy’ show, created during pandemic, expands its Boston reach

Published

2 years ago

May 26, 2023

‘Java with Jimmy’ show, created during pandemic, expands its Boston reach

When the nation first went into its coronavirus-caused lockdown, James “Jimmy” Hills knew that the Black and Brown communities in Boston would be hit the hardest by the pandemic’s health risks.

The 51-year-old Dorchester native had spent a great deal of his life as a health advocate dedicated to supporting the well-being of Boston’s communities of color. Using his knowledge and experience, Hills would occasionally provide COVID-19 updates on his social media platforms, which gained him a decent following. However, on that early day during the pandemic, Hills felt an overwhelming urge to grab a cup of coffee, take out his iPhone and begin live streaming on Facebook.

“About 50 or so people came in what I call ‘the room’ and we just had a real conversation about what was happening with our community,” Hills said.

At the end of the live stream, Hills’ mother asked him whether this was going to be an “everyday coffee hour.” Although he didn’t intend it to be, Hills found himself live-streaming daily community updates. For nearly a year, Hills went on Facebook Live at least once a day to talk about a variety of issues, most of which surrounded current events, mental health issues or pandemic-related updates.

As a result, Hills’ social media following grew, leading him to eventually create “Java with Jimmy,” a live talk show where local leaders, innovators and politicians come together to discuss practical solutions for community issues.

“I’ve done well at embracing that though I thought I was either going to be a pastor, a nonprofit leader or a politician, I’ve embraced the fact that this is a destined road where I’m having my impact,” Hills said.

Read More: COVID illness more common among Black, Latino and Asian children; Further info on multisystem inflammatory syndrome needed, study says

Since its official launch in 2021, “Java with Jimmy” has gained the attention of notable figures from the Boston area. Influential people such as U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, former U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins and Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey have all made appearances on the show.

Unlike other talk shows, where politicians often feel compelled to provide calculated responses, Hills offers a light-hearted and conversational environment that allows elected officials to relax and let down their hair. This provides audiences with a unique opportunity to catch a glimpse of their humanity.

“I think it’s important for the community to get to know them, along with their policy, who are they as human beings with all this stuff going on in politics and all this other stuff like who are these humans even when we don’t agree with them?” Hills said. “At the end of the day, they have a heart, they bleed and they feel.”

The mission of “Java with Jimmy,” according to Hills, is to share valuable information and resources that empower people to achieve a fair and fulfilling quality of life.

“By any means necessary, is sort of my approach,” Hills said. “If it’s going to be 100% to piss somebody off, I’m going to do 99.9% to result in some good for the community.”

Read More: Coronavirus-positive case rate is 3 times higher for Black and Latino populations, Massachusetts COVID-19 Health Equity Advisory Group finds

Cindy Diggs, a community and cultural engagement manager at Massachusetts General Hospital, has been tuning into “Java with Jimmy” since the first episode. The long-time fan said that Hills’ virtual talk show has been “life-saving” during a time when the world was drastically changing with few answers.

“He’s just had his finger on the pulse of everyday things and talks to people about it,” Diggs said. “The fact that we could talk to so many community members simultaneously and be cheered up because we had something to go to. The show was an avenue for us to be in community with one another.”

In 2021, Hills partnered up with Diggs and Massachusetts General Hospital to produce #YourHealthyJava, a bi-monthly show focused on spreading health-related information.

But, Hills’ passion for community activism didn’t start with “Java with Jimmy.” The online talk show host said he’s always had the courage to advocate for himself and others, even as a child.

One of Hills’ earliest memories dates back to when he was 8 years old and his grandmother took him to a church retreat. During the retreat, Hills said the adults had everything planned out. However, Hills and a few other kids took matters into their own hands and wrote a letter to the adults, asking a simple but important question: “What will you do for the young people?”

Read More: Springfield Black men’s health forum seeks to educate, empower for ‘better health outcomes’

“I always had that little extra oomph,” Hills said. “You can do whatever to me, but don’t mess with my people.”

The same sense of advocacy came to the forefront when Hills’ 17-year-old nephew, Ameen Lacy was fatally shot in Dorchester in 2017. During that time, Hills was working as an event manager in Washington, D.C., when he received the heartbreaking news from a relative. Matters only got worse for Hill when the city’s trauma response team mistakenly gave him incorrect information about Lacy’s funeral service.

Feeling frustrated by the lack of effective communication, Hills harnessed his “anger and passion” to form the #WeNeedToKnow movement. This grassroots effort aimed to bring about more transparency and prompted a thorough reevaluation and transformation of the city’s approach to addressing violent crimes. Hills called this moment a turning point for him to have a stronger voice in policy and program procedures.

“What I think has helped my voice to be embraced by some — not all, but by some — is that there is front work, that was years of front work that I did before March 24 on 2020,” said Hills.

“Java with Jimmy” had a meteoric rise. Shortly after its official launch, people began to reach out to Hills to show their support. One of Hills’ initial donors, Thaddeus Miles, Senior Director of Diversity Initiatives at MassHousing, stopped by Hills’ Dorchester apartment to donate a $1500 check toward his talk show. Although, Miles didn’t believe the show would last long, at the time Miles believed that it was, “one of the best things happening in the city.”

Read More: Here are lingering public health questions, with COVID emergency orders set to expire

“Seeing the work that he’s done over the previous 15 years that I’ve known him, and sitting in and having real conversations about how to change community, how to deal with violence in the community, how to heal the community, Miles said. “I felt like his voice needed to be heard and that he needed to continue what he was doing.”

As the “Java family” expanded, other organizations started investing in Hills’ work, too. Within just over a year, Hills teamed up with Boston Medical Center and Massachusetts General Hospital to champion information around health equity in Boston.

Hills’ work later drew the attention of Archipelago Strategies Group, a Massachusetts-based ad agency, that in 2021 offered him a five-figure budget to support his work. Through the support of Archipelago Strategies Group and other organizations, Hills was able to buy more equipment to help build his show.

Hills upgraded from using an iPhone, iPad and an old Mac computer that frequently crashed to having a fully-equipped studio in the spare bedroom of his Dorchester apartment, complete with a green screen.

A big portion of the funds Hills acquires goes toward supporting his community. At the height of the pandemic, Hills used his funds to host an event called “Spark the Love,” where he distributed gift cards and personal protective equipment to people in need. He has also invested funds to support local Black-owned businesses and emerging artists seeking to amplify their message.

Read More: Healey to create advisory council on Black empowerment, taps over 30 Black leaders

“I took that money and put it back into the messaging, building the brand but for the purpose of increasing the impact,” Hills said.

Now in its third year, “Java with Jimmy” is transitioning from a humble virtual talk show to a grand stage. In June, Hills said he’ll be hosting an episode of “Java with Jimmy” at GBH at Boston Public Library.

As Hills gains more prominence in the Boston community, he’s said that people have suggested he syndicate “Java with Jimmy” for a broader reach. Although Hills said he has a love for Boston, he isn’t opposed to spreading his message in other cities either.

“I definitely want to increase impact. I’ve never really thought about a global stage, but at least you know, regionally, nationally is something that I want to desire,” Hills said. “That equity is needed worldwide, so if I can have an impact worldwide, I’d be down.”

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Boston, MA

O’shae Brissett, part of Boston Celtics championship, reportedly signs with Long Island Nets

Published

3 hours ago

January 17, 2025

Press Room

O’shae Brissett, part of Boston Celtics championship, reportedly signs with Long Island Nets

O’shae Brissett, who won a championship with the Boston Celtics in June but hasn’t played professionally since, has reportedly signed an NBA G-League level contract with the Brooklyn Nets G League team, the Long Island Nets.

Bobby Manning was first with the news Friday morning…

Sources tell me Oshae Brissett signed a G-League contract with the Long Island Nets
— Bobby Manning (@RealBobManning) January 17, 2025

The 6’7” 26-year-old Brissett, a defensive specialist, will join Long Island having last played for the Boston Celtics as a part of the NBA Championship squad last year.

In his defining moment of the title run, Brissett was inserted as a small ball center by Boston coach Joe Mazzulla in Game 2 of the Celtics-Pacers conference title series. It was his first playoff minutes, but he played a critical role defensively, picking up three steals and finishing a +15 in his 12 minutes on the court.

“Just his presence, his energy, his athleticism,” Mazzulla said after that game. “Just gave us, I think he had a dunk, got a steal, got us out in transition with a couple [of] rebounds. So just, he plays with such a high level of intensity and energy. It’s big for us.”

In his 55 games with the Celtics in the 2023-24 season, Brissett started just one and played roughly 11.5 minutes per game. He averaged 3.7 points per game, 2.9 rebounds, and 0.8 assists. He shot 44.4% from the field, 27.3% from beyond the arc. He adds yet another NBA veteran presence to the young Long Island Nets team with .

Brissett played three years with the Indiana Pacers, his best year coming in 2021-22 when he played 67 games, 25 starts, averaging 9.1 points and 5.3 rebounds.

However, he hasn’t played since the NBA Finals. Brissett, who turned 26 years old in June, declined a $2.5 million dollar player option with Boston at the end of June. He hoped that he could get more by testing the free-agent market. Similarly, the Toronto native dropped out of the Canadian national team, coached by Jordi Fernandez, to focus his free agency. However, offers or at least offers he liked never materialized and he remained a free agent until Friday.

Brissett’s rebounding and size will give Long Island some added depth, and in Long Island’s case, a potential starter. Brissett always intended to pursue a return to the NBA, and his signing with the Long Island Nets is a first step to getting back to that dream.

Brissett also re-unites with Kendall Brown who had been his Indiana Pacers teammate two years ago.

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Boston, MA

Magic Look to Bounce Back With More Energy at Celtics

Published

11 hours ago

January 17, 2025

Press Room

Magic Look to Bounce Back With More Energy at Celtics

BOSTON – Over two weeks ago, after the Orlando Magic’s latest rally fell short in a loss to the Detroit Pistons, fourth-year guard Jalen Suggs called out a worrying trend among his team in hopes of nipping it in the bud.

“We’re putting ourselves in these holes and spotting teams leads, then having to fight, scratch, claw just to get back in the game and give ourselves a chance,” Suggs said on New Year’s Day.

The Magic had developed a resilience that meant they were never out of games, no matter the score. Complimentary, energy-filled basketball helped Orlando do the fighting, scratching and clawing to get back into those games.

Did it always result in a victory? Not quite. But the relentless attitude and constant effort – especially for a team so handicapped by its shrinking list of healthy players – was commendable, and has been embedded in the Magic’s DNA.

In the rare occasions when it doesn’t show face, though, Magic coach Jamahl Mosley says it’s “glaring.” That was the case when the Milwaukee Bucks delivered a 29-point shellacking to Orlando, marking the most lopsided loss for the Magic this year.

“There was an energy and effort issue,” said Mosley postgame.

Wendell Carter Jr. would later say his team was “out-physicaled” and made life too easy for their opponent.

Then, in the locker room, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope told reporters Orlando got its “a– whooped,” and Paolo Banchero told reporters, “[A]s a group top to bottom, we’ve got to be more ready to play. We’re down a lot of bodies, but we can’t make excuses and we’ve just got to come out and play for each other.”

To Banchero’s point, the Magic’s 124 missed games from players due to injury or illness haven’t been a catch-all, safety-net excuse when the team is struggling. Instead, their aforementioned resilience built an identity that helped them generate results throughout the entire first half of the season, regardless of available contributors.

It justifies Mosley’s claims that the lackluster performance vs. the Bucks “wasn’t Orlando Magic basketball. Not even close.” Because although that was the case in Game 42, through the first 41 games, it wasn’t.

“It’s something that you can learn from, and you have to be able to bounce back, which this group has always done,” Mosley said.

With a national audience watching along, Orlando (0-4 in national TV games this season) pays its only visit to TD Garden Friday evening, squaring off with the defending champion Boston Celtics for the second of three matchups this season. The Magic host the 18-time champs once more in April to close the Kia Center’s regular season slate.

Boston has dropped three of their last five outings, including an uncharacteristic loss to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night in Scotiabank Arena. The Celtics were without Jayson Tatum due to a last-minute spat with an illness in the Magic’s Dec. 23 home win, but Orlando was shorthanded as well. Of their top four scorers, only Suggs was available.

“We beat them last time at home, so I’m sure they haven’t forgot that,” Paolo Banchero said in Orlando’s locker room Wednesday. “They have a hell of a home atmosphere [and] home crowd, so they’ll be ready to play in front of their fans.”

Heading into Friday’s tilt, where both teams are eager to wipe the slate clean from their mid-week malaise, Boston reports a clean bill of health. Now, only Banchero is available of the Magic’s top scorers, and other key reserves are unavailable as well.

MORE: Magic-Celtics Injury Report

Those who are available, however, say they shouldn’t have any issue getting back to their standard.

“Playing against teams like this is what hoopers get up for,” Anthony Black said. “Definitely getting up for this game. It’s always fun playing against some good hoopers, so I think we’re up and I think we’ll be ready to bring energy come game time.”

“You don’t like losing games, especially when you get your butt kicked,” Mosley said, “but you also have to know you have to bounce back, can’t hang your head, be ready to go and move on the next game.”

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Boston, MA

How to Watch Orlando Magic at Boston Celtics on Friday, January 17

Published

19 hours ago

January 17, 2025

Press Room

How to Watch Orlando Magic at Boston Celtics on Friday, January 17

BOSTON – The Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics do battle for the second time this season Friday evening. Tipoff between the two Eastern Conference foes is at 7 p.m. ET from TD Garden.

Each team will be looking to bounce back after uncharacteristic losses. But, one team will be much healthier when attempting to do so.

On the front end of this chilly Northern road trip, the Magic handled by the Milwaukee Bucks by 29 points Wednesday night in Milwaukee. They’ll be without three of their top four scorers and five total rotational players in looking to wash the taste of that contest away.

Boston went north of the border to Toronto and dropped their Wednesday outing by 13 points. The Celtics report no injuries ahead of Friday’s bout.

Regarding this season’s series, Orlando (23-19) took the first matchup over Boston (28-12). Friday’s nationally televised matchup is the second of three this year between the two teams.

Who: Orlando Magic (23-19, 5th in East) at Boston Celtics (28-12, 2nd in East)
What: NBA Regular Season Game
When: Friday, January 17, 7 p.m. ET
Where: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
TV: ESPN, FanDuel Sports Network Florida, NBCS Boston
Radio: 96.9 The Game, Orlando Magic Audio Network, SiriusXM
Point Spread: Milwaukee -6
Last Meeting: Orlando 108, Boston 104 on 12/23/24

Orlando Magic

Boston Celtics

Jamahl Mosley, Orlando Magic: Mosley tipped off his fourth NBA season as a head coach this season, all of which having come with the Magic. He’s 126-162 in the regular season all-time. Before Mosley was named the head coach of the Magic, he was an assistant with Dallas, Cleveland, and Denver. He’s a Colorado alum, and played four years of professional basketball in Mexico, Australia, Finland and South Korea.

Joe Mazzulla, Boston Celtics: Mazzulla, 36 years old, mans the sidelines for his third season as the Celtics’ coach this year. In each of his first two seasons, Boston finished atop the Eastern Conference. They hoisted the Larry O’Brien trophy a historic 18th time this past June after his team cruised through the playoffs in just 19 games (16-3). Prior to taking over as head coach, the former West Virginia Mountaineer was an assistant on the Celtics bench for three seasons. He’s regarded as one of the brightest, young polarizing minds in the game. today

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