Community Corner: Five Things to Know about Tiana Lovelace

Community Corner
Written By Irwin Levy

Interviewed by Irwin Levy, Friends of Titus Sparrow Park Board Member

Welcome to Community Corner, where we spotlight neighbors whose roots, commitment, and character help shape the spirit of our community. This month, we’re honored to feature Tiana Lovelace, whose story is deeply woven into the fabric of the South End.

Tiana’s family has lived on Columbus Avenue for six generations, she grew up in Methunion Manor, and she now serves as the Cooperative’s Clerk. Her family’s legacy of public and community service, her own childhood experiences in the neighborhood, and her continued dedication to giving back make her an essential part of the South End story.

Here are five things to know about Tiana:

1. Six Generations of South End Roots
Tiana’s family is now six generations in the South End, living all on Columbus Avenue between 400 and 700 Columbus, with her great grandparents originally arriving from Ireland. Her family was one of the first tenants of the Methunion Manor Cooperative when it opened in 1971.

2. A Childhood Shaped by Local Institutions
Tiana attended the first preschool class held in the basement of the Union Reform Church. She later went to elementary school at the historic Bancroft School on Appleton Street, which is now part of the Dartmouth Square Condominium.

3. A Legacy of Public Service
Tiana’s commitment to the South End has deep roots. Her father, Robert “Sonny” Lovelace, worked as a liaison for then–Mayor Kevin White and later supported the campaigns of Joseph Timilty and the South End’s own Mel King. After living and working in the Dominican Republic for 18 years, the pandemic brought her back home to the South End in 2022.

4. Leadership and Community Connection
Since returning, Tiana has served on the Board of Directors of the Methunion Manor Cooperative for two years and currently serves as Clerk. When asked what the South End means to her, she didn’t hesitate. The strong sense of community, then and now, plays an outsized role in who she is. She shared a particularly poignant story: as an adolescent, when her mom fell ill and was unable to cook, Charlie’s Sandwich Shop prepared meals for the family, often on credit. Tiana would run there after school to pick them up before their 2:00 PM closing.

5. A South End Parent With an Eye on the Future
Raising her own children here, Tiana is cognizant of the challenges of city living, and the South End has its share. Drug problems have always been an issue, but Mass and Cass felt farther away in the past than perhaps it does today. While Tiana has worked with State Rep. John Moran on this issue, she ponders the bigger picture. Beyond elected officials and law enforcement, can South End residents, as a community, play a larger role? Food for thought.

Irwin Levy

Irwin Levy is a committed Board Member of the Friends of Titus Sparrow Park, serving as our neighborhood liaison and leading history and walking tours that bring the South End’s stories to life. A resident of the St. Botolph section of Back Bay and East Hampton, LI, Irwin is passionate about local history and community engagement. In Boston, he organizes walking events for the Neighborhood Association of Back Bay, the Garden Club of Back Bay, and Temple Israel of Boston, and he recently joined the Board of Beacon Hill Seminars, a Boston-based adult education organization.

In East Hampton, Irwin serves as President of the East Hampton Trails Preservation Society, sits on the Town of East Hampton’s Nature Preserve Committee, and shares his love of history as Producer and Co-Host of Our Hamptons Podcast (ourhamptonspodcast.com).

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A New Chapter at Titus Sparrow Park: Our Little Free Library Is Here!