Martin Luther King Jr.

King was a warrior, and it is going to take many more warriors to make sure that this great country keeps moving forward.

This weekend marks the first anniversary of the unveiling of the sculpture “The Embrace,” by artist Hank Willis Thomas and MASS Design Group.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is an opportunity for reflection on the legacy of the great civil rights leader and the work still needed to realize his vision of a more equitable world. Institutions around Boston will offer free admission, art-making activities, concerts and community dialogues honoring King.

If you’ve ever participated in a mass protest in Washington, D.C. or any gathering for social change, you have Bayard Rustin to thank.

“The Embrace,” a sculptural monument by artist Hank Willis Thomas and MASS Design Group honoring Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, brings a new and dynamic piece of public art to Boston’s portfolio of straightforward statues.

A striking monument to the love of civil rights icons Coretta Scott King and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. — years in the making — was unveiled on the Boston Common last Friday during a landmark event celebrating the full history and culture of Black Boston.

After Martin Luther King Jr. had settled in for his studies at Boston University in the fall of 1951, one of his priority non-academic tasks was to make three vital contacts in Roxbury.

Martin Luther King Jr. touched Boston, and Boston touched him. Being in Boston was an important part of his life, and his presence here during the 1950s and 60s is part of the city’s history.

Boston shares a distinction with Montgomery, Alabama; Chester, Pennsylvania; and Atlanta, Georgia. They are the only places the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King lived for any length of time during his 39 years on earth. Yet, unlike these other cities that King once called home — and many other major U.S. cities — Boston has until now had no major monument to the slain civil rights leader.

On January 16, the nation will mark its 37th national holiday honoring the life of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Across the country observances will chronicle how one man’s efforts pricked the moral conscience of the nation in a lifespan of only 39 years. 

Celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s powerful civil rights legacy at these events happening in Boston this weekend.

Although he was a son of Georgia, Dr. King spent many of his adult years in Boston. It is appropriate to create a monument here in commemoration of King’s great sacrifice and benefaction for the attainment of human solidarity in the City on a Hill.