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Boston Globe
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
‘We're up to the test': Ahead of 1965 Freedom Rally anniversary, MLK III offers his own rallying cry
'The strength is in our collective cultures that we need to learn, appreciate, respect, and lift up,' King told the crowd of roughly 50 people gathered in the social club's reading room. 'That's going to make us a better nation, and maybe even a great nation.' Advertisement The panel, moderated by Jeneé Osterheldt, the Globe's deputy managing editor for culture, talent, and development, was the day before the remaking of the 1965 Freedom Rally. Sixty years ago, Dr. King led more than 20,000 people from Roxbury to Boston Common to highlight Boston housing and education inequality. The Saturday march comes as President Trump eliminates federal protections for migrants, queer and transgender communities, and other marginalized groups, and as Martin Luther King III said Saturday's demonstration will be nonviolent, adding that protest movements as a whole today have deviated from the nonviolent tone his parents struck in the activism, one that was informed by 'agape: love that is totally unselfish [and] seeks nothing in return.' Embrace Boston, the nonprofit organizing the weekend march, wants to 'ensure a safe and welcoming gathering space for everyone,' Advertisement King expressed concern about the rise in book bans in schools and libraries across the nation, and the 'dehumanization of immigrants.' By stamping out different perspectives and ethnic groups, King said, 'we've lost our humanity.' The panelists acknowledged that, 60 years later, the outcomes the King family were fighting against still exist in Boston and beyond. Related : 'We should be far beyond where we are,' King said. He added: 'If we don't address that, our society is doomed.' Paris Jeffries said the forthcoming rally had two purposes: to commemorate the event's history, and apply its lessons to today. He said the 60th anniversary is at a time when the country is watching the 'dismantling' of the 'We need to ensure that we celebrate this moment,' Paris Jeffries said. Also, 'the '65 march is a part of the continuous revolution that we've been going through.' In another effort to spotlight underrepresented voices, Paris Jeffries pointed to Related : Advertisement A part of a more encompassing history, Paris Jeffries said, is also uplifting the Kings' lasting legacy in Boston. 'Because they mean so much to us,' he told Martin Luther King III. 'You mean so much to us.' 'The Kennedys are one of the royal families that come from Boston, and the Kings are the other,' Paris Jeffries said. Whether it is protecting marginalized history from erasure, crafting a 'responsible immigration process,' or eliminating racial wealth disparities, King acknowledged 'we have a monumental number of issues that we as a society have to address.' 'But guess what? We're up to the test,' King said. Because, he said, there is nothing that we as a society can't resolve together. The re-creation of the march begins at Trinity Church in Copley Square and ends with a rally at the Parkman Bandstand at noon. Speakers include King, Mayor Michelle Wu, and Representative Ayanna Pressley. Tiana Woodard can be reached at
Boston Globe
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
In re-creation of famous 1965 march, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s family prepares to once again ‘embrace' Boston
Advertisement 'Boston obviously holds a special place in my heart,' King III told me a few days ago. 'Because their love story began there.' Obviously the re-creation - don't call it a reenactment - comes at another fertile moment for social protest. Spearheaded by Embrace Boston, in collaboration with a large coalition of social justice organizations, the march Saturday will protest the ongoing attacks by the Trump administration on diversity, equity, and inclusion. 'In the midst of the world on fire and the shaking of the foundations of democracy, nothing speaks to MLK's legacy like peaceful marching and assembly in honor of democracy, justice and community,' said Imari Paris Jeffries, president and CEO of Embrace Boston. Martin Luther King lll (center) and his wife, Arndrea get an up close look at The Embrace during the dedication in 2023. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff Embrace Boston and the other groups sponsoring the march are part of Advertisement 'Boston is one of the OG American cities - along with New York and Philadelphia - that have a right to tell the American story,' Paris Jeffries said. 'And the more expansive we can tell the story, the more we can model what it's like to not lose our colonial history while telling a more holistic history.' King's trip to Boston 60 years ago came at a pivotal moment, both for his movement and for Boston. The passage of major civil rights legislation had led King to expand the map of his efforts, so to speak, as he began to grapple with racial and economic ills beyond the South. Meanwhile, in Boston, anger and frustration at the city's segregated and unequal schools had begun to coalesce into a serious movement. King's trip to Boston helped rally support for the legal efforts that would eventually culminate in court-ordered segregation in 1974. Lew Finfer, a longtime civic activist and historian of the school desegregation, said King's trip gave crucial support to the battles already being waged by local heroes like Ruth Batson, Paul Parks, and Mel King. 'It was a big shot in the arm to have 25,000 people marching around a shared agenda,' Finfer said. Both Paris Jeffries and King III noted that the issues that consumed Rev. King in the last years of his too-short life are present today. Economic inequality, racial and gender equity, and America's role in the world are all hot-button topics right now. Even if they are framed somewhat differently, none of them feel historical right now. Advertisement 'I'm glad to be coming to Boston,' King said. 'But the sad part is that it isn't for a celebration.' Paris Jeffries said the march will be a chance for many people looking for a way to protest to get connected to like-minded people and organizations. The hope is that it will contribute to a critical mass of activism. Though the initial controversy following the installation of 'The Embrace' has dissipated, I couldn't resist asking King how he feels about the sculpture.' Not only is he fond of it as a piece of art, but he said it's also meaningful for its location, and what it represents. 'I believe that it captures the essence of what the artist was attempting to do, in showing, you know, a love story,' King said. 'In Boston Common, the oldest park in the nation, there's a symbol of love, of respect, of justice, which is this memorial dedicated to my father and mother and what they represented in our nation and world.' Adrian Walker is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at
