Hub passed over by minority group

Despite the recent repeal of a 1675 law that banned Native Americans from entering Boston, board members of a minority journalists group opted yesterday not to hold their 2008 convention in the city.

After a two-hour meeting, Unity board members declared Chicago the location for their convention, but Anna M. Lopez, Unity's executive director, said Boston would be the alternate city if the group needed a plan B.

Initially, Unity members had said the fact that the 330-year-old law remained on the books, despite being widely considered unconstitutional, was an obstacle to deciding to hold their convention in Boston.

On May 19, the Legislature voted to repeal the law, which stipulated that Native Americans could enter Boston only under escort by two armed musketeers. State Senator Dianne Wilkerson, Representative Byron Rushing, and Representative Anthony W. Petruccelli were the key state legislators behind the move to repeal the law.

Lopez said members were pleased with the repeal of the antiquated law.

''That actually helped Boston," she said. ''We were happy that it was revoked."

Every four years, Unity -- a coalition of four groups representing Native Americans, African-Americans, Hispanics, and Asian Americans working in the news media -- hosts an annual convention that coincides with presidential elections, and has drawn both the Democratic and Republican nominees as keynote speakers.

For the location of the 2008 convention, Boston was a finalist along with Washington D.C., where the convention was held in 2004, and where President Bush and Senator John Kerry both made appearances.

''We kind of felt it was between us and Chicago," said Jim Rooney, executive director for the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority. ''That's disappointing."

Salespeople had been attempting to sway board members since November.

According to the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, Unity conventioneers could spend an estimated $4.5 million in and around the city if the 2008 convention, which is expected to draw about 9,000 people, had been held here.

City officials have said that they hoped the convention would have allowed them to prove that the image of Boston as a place of racial intolerance, which stems from the 1970s school integration policies that led to violence, is outdated.

Seth Gitell, press secretary for Mayor Thomas M. Menino, said he had met with representatives from Unity. He said the fact that Boston was a finalist would help market the city.

''Each month that goes by, the city's profile increases," he said. ''We're happy that Boston is in consideration for conventions of this magnitude."

Unity board members will be looking for other opportunities to come to the city, Lopez said.

''We're hoping that in the future we can do something in Boston," she said.

But for now, city officials will have to wait for the next round. Rooney added that it was the first time Boston had ever been a finalist for this event.

''If there's a silver lining for this it's that we made it this far," he said. ''It would've tasted a lot better to win but we'll go for the next one."