During his lifetime, Martin Luther King Jr. was many things: activist, minister and father. His work in the civil rights movement was unparalleled, which is why we pay homage every Martin Luther King Day. King had a special connection with Boston, as he lived here during his twenties. He studied at Boston University, earning his Ph.D in systematic theology. He met his future wife Coretta Scott, at the New England Conservatory. He was the assistant minster at the Twelfth Baptist Church in Roxbury. This is how Boston is honoring his legacy this MLK Day 2019.
5 things to do on MLK Day 2019
Museums
Specifically on MLK Day 2019, we are lucky to live in Boston. Many museums in the city are free including, The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, The Museum of Fine Arts and The Institute of Contemporary Art. Besides free admission, these museums will host special events all day. The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is open from 11 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. It will host a performance by Jeff W. Jones, a dance performance by Marsha Parrilla and Danza Orgánica and a special exhibit on African tea making. The Museum of Fine Arts invite the community to an open house with a special speech by Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Breakfast
The MLK memorial breakfast is set at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center once again. The tickets are $50-$150, but it is well worth the money. The breakfast will have numerous guest speeches from Mayor Walsh, Gov. Charlie Baker and Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, 415 Summer St., Boston, $50+, bostonmlkbreakfast.org
Service Day
Cambridge will give back to the community with the Cambridge service day at their City Hall. The volunteers will make scarves and blankets for the homeless, make Valentines for veterans, and sort food for soup kitchens. Cambridge’s service day is from 2 p.m – 5 p.m. 795 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, manyhelpinghands365.org/cambridge-mlk-day-service
BYSO Concert
Boston Youth Symphony is performing a tribute concert for King at George Sherman Union. BYSO performs from 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. The event is a collaboration between the Museum of African American History and the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture. It’s a non-ticketed event and it’s first come, first serve, so be sure to arrive early. George Sherman Union, 75 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, bysoweb.org/event/martin-luther-king-jr-day-of-service-and-celebration-tribute-concert
She Persisted Concert
The She Persisted concert celebrates the women who marched before us. This concert will tell the story of the Civil Rights Movement’s hidden women, including Coretta Scott King and Jo Ann Robinson of the Women’s Political Council of Montgomery. Boston Symphony Hall, 301 Massachusetts Ave., Boston, $15+, bso.org
