BOSTON — 300 guests attended College Bound Dorchester’s #WeAreUncorneredGala on June 5, 2019 at the State Room atop 60 State St. in Boston. College Bound Dorchester is a Boston nonprofit that uses education to end systemic generational urban poverty and violence through its “Uncornered” solution.

They raised $500,000.

This year’s event also offered a sneak peek at the #BostonUncornered photo documentary project. The exhibit tells the stories behind the College Bound students, staff, and prominent city officials, demonstrating that everyone has felt cornered in their life and has the strength to overcome their challenges. Boston Uncornered initiative, which seeks to engage formerly gang involved youth that they call “core influencers” — young men, typically, who are often gang leaders.

Among those featured in the exhibition who attended the gala were Boston Police Commissioner Willie Gross, Suffolk Construction’s Linda Dorcena Forry, TV sports journalist Andrea Kremer, State Street Chief Diversity Officer Paul Francisco, and Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Tompkins. Attendees included Eversource CEO Jim Judge and his wife, Mary; and Mary Jo Meisner, formerly of the Boston Foundation. Mayor Marty Walsh, who is featured in photographer John Huet’s portraits was the honorary gala chairman.

The gala supporters included Bank of America, State Street, Eastern Bank, Rode Architects, Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce and the United Way.

Before the gala, Bank of America’s Miceal Chamberlain co-authored an opinion editorial in The Boston Globe with College Bound Dorchester’s CEO Mark Culliton. You can read it here.

(An editor’s sidenote, this post represents the 400th gallery of Bill Brett’s photos since we relaunched his website.)

All photos by Bill Brett