Future Retirement Success
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks

Future Retirement Success

Politics

Mel King, Boston civil rights figurehead and former mayoral candidate, dead at 94

by March 30, 2023
March 30, 2023
Mel King, Boston civil rights figurehead and former mayoral candidate, dead at 94

Longtime Boston civil rights activist Mel King, whose 1983 campaign for mayor helped the city begin to repair some of the racial divisions sparked during the school busing crisis, has died. He was 94.

King served in the state Legislature for nearly a decade before becoming the first Black man to reach a Boston general mayoral contest, facing off against a fellow state representative, Ray Flynn.

Gov. Maura Healey ordered flags to be flown at half-staff at all state buildings Wednesday, acknowledging the death of King, whom she described as a ‘dedicated public servant and civil rights champion.’

The election was a test for the city, which had undergone years of strife following the court-ordered desegregation of the public schools in the mid-1970s. Flynn, who represented the predominantly white, Irish neighborhood of South Boston, was an opponent of busing.

But instead of reigniting the discord, the race had the opposite effect, being seen as respectful, even friendly at times.

King brought in support from a range of racial groups, dubbing his movement the ‘Rainbow Coalition’ — a name adopted by the Rev. Jesse Jackson during his presidential campaigns.

‘What I believe people want more than anything else is a sense of a vision that’s inclusive and respectful and appreciative of who they are. What the Rainbow Coalition did was to put that right up front because everybody could be a member,’ King said in a 1993 interview with The Boston Globe.

Mayor Michelle Wu, the first woman and first person of color elected to lead Boston, offered condolences to the family of King, saying ‘his transformative ideas have shaped generations of organizers and leaders.’

Flynn said he first met King, who grew up in the city’s racially mixed South End, when the two played basketball as teenagers.

He said he felt an affinity for King, noting their shared working class roots and collaborative work as state lawmakers.

‘Mel King would be fighting for affordable housing for the people of the South End and Roxbury, and I would be doing the same for the people of South Boston,’ Flynn said. ‘We were just two kids from the neighborhood who fought hard for our constituents.’

King would go on to lose to Flynn by 30 points. But the race came to be seen as a turning point in a city once described as a collection of ethnic enclaves.

Those divisions boiled over during the busing crisis, with South Boston High School becoming the center of racial strife as Black students were bused to the school under a court-ordered desegregation plan.

During the height of the crisis, crowds sometimes threw stones at buses carrying Black students, and police were stationed on rooftops near the school.

‘The city was polarized. It was divided,’ Flynn said. ‘Busing really brought out the worst in the city of Boston. The election brought out the best. People all felt they were part of new opportunities.’

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
previous post
Sen. Kennedy surprises Mayorkas by interrupting testimony for shoulder pat, handshake after tense exchange
next post
DOJ charges two more people for attacks against Florida pro-life pregnancy center

You may also like

Israeli forces reveal footage of K9 unit clearing...

January 2, 2024

Here’s why dozens of lawsuits seeking to quash...

February 27, 2025

GOP rebel mutiny threatens to derail Trump’s ‘big,...

May 15, 2025

Trump says ‘something’s going to happen very soon’...

March 7, 2025

Sen. Hawley Criticizes Sec. Mayorkas for Colluding with...

November 17, 2022

‘I literally cried’: Former Keystone XL workers still...

January 17, 2023

Breaking: Detroit Terminates Contract with Election Software Company...

October 10, 2022

Vance claims social conservatives will always ‘have a...

July 18, 2024

‘She is endangering the life of Donald J....

October 29, 2024

Pro-life groups sound off after Trump says he...

December 9, 2024

    Get free access to all of the retirement secrets and income strategies from our experts! or Join The Exclusive Subscription Today And Get the Premium Articles Acess for Free

    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Recent Posts

    • Senate Republicans ram Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ through key test vote

      June 29, 2025
    • Chief Justice Roberts sounds alarm on dangerous rhetoric aimed at judges from politicians

      June 29, 2025
    • Britain’s fastest-growing firms revealed for 2025: Dfyne, Nala’s Baby and Hawkstone lead the charge

      June 29, 2025
    • Schumer to force Senate reading of Trump’s entire ‘big, beautiful bill’

      June 28, 2025
    • Rubio condemns Iran’s ‘unacceptable’ threats against IAEA director

      June 28, 2025
    • Key blue state Republican says Senate’s local tax write-off offer is a ‘good deal’

      June 28, 2025

    Categories

    • Business (8,330)
    • Investing (2,081)
    • Politics (15,853)
    • Stocks (3,177)
    • About us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: futureretirementsuccess.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2025 futureretirementsuccess.com | All Rights Reserved