Life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
Fifty-three years after his assassination, Martin Luther King Jr. Day will be observed Monday to honor his life and legacy as a civil rights leader at a time when the nation remains racially divided.
“Dr. King and those civil rights activists who stood with him paved the way for some of the social justice activism we see today,” said Bishop William E. Dickerson II of Greater Love Tabernacle Church in Dorchester. “But we still live in a country where, for the most part, we’re judged by the color of our skin and not the content of our character.”
If King were alive today, Dickerson said, “He would be shocked by the number of Black people, particularly Black men, who are incarcerated.”
The bishop called on people to “stop ignoring racism, violence and poverty, and deal with the economic and health disparities in our nation, especially among the marginalized and disadvantaged.”
Edith Bazile, a former Boston Public Schools teacher and administrator and former president of the Black Educators Alliance, said she sees the nation “going backwards” in the fight for racial equity.
“We’re still at the bottom of the caste system,” she said. “We can begin to change that by teaching the true history of this country.
“It has never been acknowledged,” Bazile said. “Racism is perpetuated through miseducation…Martin Luther King called for dismantling racist structures in every facet of society. We are still fighting the same fight. Schools have not had a candid discussion about race because they don’t want to.”
The Whittier Street Health Center in Roxbury marked the holiday in advance with a Martin Luther King Day of Service last Thursday.
“As Dr. King said, our legacy is what we do for others, especially in health care,” said Frederica Williams, the center’s president & CEO. “So we are aware that while there are high rates of illnesses, especially during the pandemic, high mortality and morbidity rateas, there are also a lot of social issues. People are lacking basic necessities. So at our day of service, we give out food through our food pantry.”
“We give people COVID19 rapid testing kits, but we also get them coats, gloves, hats and socks,” she continued. “What we are seeing through the pandemic is the gaps that existed. Wealth gaps, health gaps, social gaps have widened. So whatever we can do, especially in honor of Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King, we do it to make sure that we can inspire hope in people.”
Events marking the holiday include the 52nd Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Breakfast on Zoom. The keynote speaker will be historian, Harvard Law School professor and New York Times bestselling author of “On Juneteenth,” Annette Gordon-Reed. People can register at https:// bostonmlkbreakfast.org/.
Boston University, the New England Conservatory and the city of Boston present “Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community,” a virtual celebration of the lives and legacies of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King. The event is free, and attendees do not need to register. Go http:// www.bu.edu/dos/ kingday2022/ on Monday at 2 p.m. The event will stream on Boston City TV.
From 1 to 5 p.m., the Museum of Fine Arts will host its 20th annual free open house to commemorate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is required.
The Institute of Contemporary Art and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum also will offer free admission on Monday.