Mel King

As we look toward the end of the year, it is customary to also reflect on those we lost and their impact on our community. This year, that reflection was even more special for me because my aunt Jean McGuire was one of the Museum of African American History’s (MAAH) latest Living Legend honorees.

A capacity audience of 600 packed the South End’s historic Union United Methodist Church on April 11 to celebrate the life and legacy of community organizer, political activist and former Massachusetts state representative Melvin “Mel” Herbert King, who died March 28 at 94.

Boston lost a giant last week with the passing of Mel King, but his vision, impact and legacy provide us with a clear guide in creating a more equitable city.

Mel King’s children grew up in a household where discussions of Boston’s politics and social justice issues were commonplace.

When I received the call from my good friend Mike King informing me his dad had left us after 94 years of life, I was hit with many emotions. But my sadness soon gave way to gratitude for the measure of this man we lost.

Mel King died last week at 94, leaving behind a legacy of social change and political activism that had a profound influence on Boston’s civic life.