A Sudanese mother who adopted five orphans from her war-torn country and a veteran of Boston's busing crisis stood alongside US Sen. Ed Markey and Congressman Joe Kennedy III on Tues., Feb. 21, as they pledged to confront the president's immigration
agenda and other Trump administration actions.

With Congress in recess, the Democrats spoke at a Downtown Crossing locale nearby pivotal spots where Bay Staters rejected the British yoke, undermined the federal Fugitive Slave Act and enshrined marriage equality into law - a geographical fact referenced by the state's junior senator.

Standing steps from a monument commemorating the Irish Famine, which spurred migration from the island nation to Boston, Markey noted the proximity of other sites of historical significance as he urged the crowd to "fight" the agenda of President Trump.
"It was here just three blocks away that the American Revolution began, rising up against tyranny, against discrimination," Markey claimed. Speaking to reporters after his speech, Markey endorsed emulating "peaceful revolutions" that came about through public activism.

March is typically the mother lode for Irish/Celtic music events in Greater Boston and Eastern Massachusetts, and this year is no exception. Here’s a look at some of the month’s happenings:

• Popular entertainers Phil Coulter and Andy Cooney once again team up for their “Celtic Crossings” show, an evening of “Irish warmth, spirit and culture” presented through music and dance, on March 4 at 7 p.m. in the Berklee Performance Center, produced by Bridget’s An Irish Tradition. Coulter, a Grammy-nominated musician, songwriter, singer and producer from Derry, Northern Ireland, has amassed dozens of platinum, gold and silver albums. Long Island native Cooney, who has sung professionally for more than three decades, has toured around the world and been featured on CD, DVD and broadcast television. Their special guests include Irish vocalist Geraldine Branagan, world champion Irish dancer Conor O’Brien (who has performed in “Lord of the Dance”) and the Irish Pops Ensemble.