Massachusetts events honor legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
BOSTON – People across Massachusetts are honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by giving back and looking forward.
One of the biggest events of the day is the 53rd annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Breakfast at the Boston Convention and Expo Center with political and community leaders in attendance. Gov. Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu were among the speakers.
The theme of this year's event was "Reclaiming Our Rights: Education and Activism."
Wu also performed Monday alongside the Boston Children's Chorus as part of their 20th annual Martin Luther King Day concert. It was the first time Wu performed on the Symphony Hall stage as mayor.
The theme for this year's concert was "Becoming King." It focused on Dr. King's early years and his path to becoming a civil rights icon.
While most schools were closed, students at Phillips Academy -- Andover gathered in the school's chapel for the 34th "Take The Day On" on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The day started after a student was against having class on MLK day because they wanted to honor Dr. King.
"Today is the day that we celebrate the legacy of Dr King and everything that he stood for: justice, love, peace," said Linda Carter Griffith, the Phillips Academy head of community and multicultural development.
Monday was the first time since 2020 that they've held the day in person.
"Andover is a school that is committed to equity and inclusion and developing what's best in students," said Griffith.
This year's keynote speaker was Khalil Greene, a Gen-Z social activist and the first Black student body president in Yale's 318-year history. "If I had such a large platform that the next time the opportunity showed itself I would advocate in a way that would sway public opinion in favor of the progressive movement," he said.
Students then broke out into small workshops to learn about racism, diversity, and social justice.
At Grace Chapel in Lexington, a day of service was also held. This year's theme is "How fear divides us and what we can do about it?"
"How we overcome fear and move towards action to really work on racial justice issues," Community Engagements Paster Grace Chapel. They broke off into groups for candid conversations about race before a unity march to Lexington Town Hall.
Jacqueline Dejean is Associate Dean Emeritus at Tufts University. She said in order for change to take place, people need to have empathy.
"When we take on the empathy that MLK immolated, we are taking a risk of putting ourselves in vulnerable positions in order to see the kind of change that we want to see," Dejean said.
At Boston University, students and faculty reflected back on Dr. King and his wife Coretta Scott King's romance. Dr.King met Coretta here at BU in the early 1950s. That began their union, their love story, and their fight for equality that would one day change the world.
Andrea Taylor, BU's Senior Diversity Officer, shared her memories from taking part in the March on Washington and hearing King speak.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said King's approach to bring about change is still relevant today.
"He believed in the unique perspective that young people have and that generation that had meant growing up in the civil rights movement, witnessing the seemingly unstoppable force of systemic racism come crashing against the immovable will and power of love and nonviolence," Wu said.