Martin Luther King, Jr. was honored across the country on Monday, and in Boston, the celebrations were out in full force.
The holiday started with the nation’s longest-running memorial breakfast, held at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. This year marked the 47th iteration of the event, which was sponsored by Union United Methodist Church and St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church. Along with religious leaders, Commonwealth politicians and community leaders attended the breakfast. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, Attorney General Maura Healey, and U.S. senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey spoke at the event. The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston honored King’s legacy on Monday with a free open house, along with music, guided tours and comments from Walsh.
“Art brings us together and helps us understand each other,” Walsh said at the MFA.
As well as free admission, the MFA offered free programs throughout the day, like showcasing student artwork that honored King and the construction of a “one-of-a-kind mural based on themes of social justice, equality and unity by teens from Artists for Humanity,” according to the museum. All visitors were invited to participate in the mural — Walsh and current City Councilor and mayoral candidate Tito Jackson both helped with its completion.
From there, Walsh went over to Faneuil Hall to continue the celebrations with an annual MLK oration. The Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra performed there to help honor the “life, legacy and influence of MLK,” as Walsh, and performed “We Shall Overcome.”
“We shall overcome” – celebrating the life, legacy & influence of MLK at Faneuil Hall. Beautiful music performed by the @BYSO. pic.twitter.com/UEh364sMAD
— Mayor Marty Walsh (@marty_walsh) January 16, 2017
