John Barros, a lifelong Dudley Street area resident, was elected Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative (DSNI)'s Executive Director in 2000.
Mr. Barros was born in Roxbury and raised in an environment surrounded by Cape Verdeans. In 1991, at age 17, he was the first young person elected to the DSNI Board of Directors, triggering a more visible, active presence of youth across the organization. After graduating from Dartmouth College in 1996, Mr. Barros served as Vice President of the DSNI Board and of Dudley Neighbors, Inc., the community land trust created to assure permanent affordable housing.
DSNI is a nonprofit community-based planning and organizing entity rooted in the Roxbury/North Dorchester neighborhoods of Boston. It was formed in 1984 when residents of the Dudley Street area came together out of fear and anger to revive their neighborhood, which was devastated by arson, disinvestment, neglect and redlining practices, and protect it from outside speculators. DSNI has grown into a collaborative effort of over 3,000 residents, businesses, non-profits and religious institutions as members.
Mr. Barros is involved in his community beyond DSNI. He is one of the co-founders of the youth committee Nubian Roots and the designer of a prominent neighborhood mural. In 2002, Mr. Barros, family members, and other partners opened Restaurant Cesaria in Dorchester. Early on in the preparative stages of the business, he and his partners defined that the first objective would be a place where the culture of Cape Verde would be well represented and promoted.
Mr. Barros holds a Master's Degree in Luso-African Studies course with particular focus in finance, language, literature, religion and culture. In 2000 Mr. Barros received an Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD) Award.
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