To honor the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., we look back at King’s visit to Boston in 1965,
when he spoke to politicians and residents about many of the city’s racial issues, including segregation. The march he led from Roxbury to Boston Common was his first in a northern state.
His inspiring speeches conveyed his passion for equality, justice, and peace.
In this photo, from April 22, 1965, King told a joint session of the Massachusetts Legislature that segregation must die if America and democracy are to live. Spectators stood in the packed gallery and some legislators used camp stools on the crowded House floor. King said he came to the
Bay State not to condemn but to encourage. He traced the birth of liberty here and warned
“that from these halls liberty must be preserved.”
LEANNE BURDEN SEIDEL and LISA TUITE
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