Providence’s Worker-Owned Cooperatives Share Tools for A Collective Future

by Samantha Garcia, Dana Schneider

Apollo Rios Lomba tells me that working at White Electric is their favorite job. “It’s truly safe here…I’m not going to come to work and feel like my coworkers are judging me.” Sunshine streams into the narrow cafe on Westminster Street, bathing the many plants [...]

Providence as a Sanctuary City, Past and Present

by Lynn Holstein

On February 5th, just 16 days after Donald Trump’s second presidential inauguration, mayors and police chiefs from 22 New England cities convened here in Providence to discuss issues of common concern. Olivia Ebertz of The Public’s Radio covered the meeting, where one of the pressing [...]

Decriminalize Prostitution? Local Sex Workers Argue “Yes” with Their Own Newly Published Research

by Meg Talikoff

The night after Valentine’s Day, 2024, sex worker Bella Robinson sat in the back of the Rhode Island State House Lounge, waiting to testify before the House Judiciary Committee. Her red reading glasses matched the T-shirt she always wore to legislative hearings: “Rights, Not Rescue” [...]

Two Sides of Ebenezer Knight Dexter’s Donation

by Roseanne Camacho

In the early days of the American Republic, Ebenezer Knight Dexter enjoyed a successful career in Rhode Island mercantile and land trade, enough to become one of Providence’s greatest philanthropists after he died in 1824.  He left two impressive properties, one on the East Side [...]

Providence Rail Hub Thriving, But Future Uncertain

by Steven Stycos

While transit systems around the country struggle to regain their pre-COVID ridership, Amtrak’s Providence station is attracting record numbers of passengers. Its partner at the Providence station, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), however, reports its ridership has yet to regain pre-COVID levels. Neither railroad [...]

Chef Nikhil Naiker Crafts a James Beard-Worthy Fusion of Flavors at Nimki

by Amber Ma

At Nimki, 2025 James Beard semifinalist for Emerging Chef Nikhil Naiker serves up a vibrant culinary experience hard to find anywhere else in the city. Naiker’s dishes marry aromatic Fijian Indian flavors like tamarind chutney and curry leaf with local vegetables, seafood, and meat. Expect [...]

The Imani Program Offers R.I. a Faith-Based Solution to Opioid Addiction

by Kristine Yang

Homer Lee-Walker felt he should have been dead a long time ago from his addiction. He says he fell in with the wrong crowd as a teen, and soon after, he was using cocaine, pills, alcohol, and anything else he could get his hands on. [...]

02908 Neighborhood is One of Providence’s Most Endangered Places

by Marisa Angell Brown and Katy Pickens

Editorial Note: This article was initially published on Providence Preservation Society’s website as part of its annual list of Most Endangered Places (MEP). For the full list, visit here. For further reporting on “The Studentification of Wanskuck,” read here. Additional reporting by The Providence Eye. [...]

Spanning the Seekonk River: Bridges Over Troubled Waters?

by Ruth Marris-Macaulay

Just mentioning the word “bridge” in or around Providence is likely to evoke horror stories about earth-shattering traffic delays. Since the westbound lanes of the present Washington Bridge were abruptly closed in December 2023, following the discovery that it was in danger of imminent collapse, [...]

Fiscal vise squeezes Providence students

by Jonathan Howard

UPDATE: Prior to publication, we requested clarification of two budget line descriptions from the Providence Public School Department. PPSD’s response was received only after this article was released. These clarifications are now included in the article. Last November, after months of sniping among the parties, [...]