Through 1983, Boston politicians ran their campaigns along the eastern shore and southern border of Boston because that’s where the voting power was. East Boston, Charlestown, South Boston, the white part of Dorchester, Hyde Park, West Roxbury. Mel King changed the narrative that year when he became the first African American mayoral election finalist.
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The two projects showcase a continued commitment to cementing the Kings’ legacy in Boston, an effort to recognize grassroots organizing work by them and other Black residents that has been overlooked in a city with a historic reputation for racism.
An outpouring of both sadness and gratitude met the news that longtime civil rights leader Mel King had died at age 94 after decades of influencing politics, policy and people in his lifelong home city.
“I call him the father of the affordable housing movement,” said Lewis Finfer, the director and community organizer for Massachusetts Action for Justice.