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Free ways to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Boston
Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from WBUR's daily morning newsletter, WBUR Today. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here.
Good Morning Boston,
Today marks Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and there are plenty of news, stories and events to honor the civil rights and nonviolent resistance leader’s legacy.
But first, if you’re hitting the roads today, please be careful. There’s a winter weather advisory from the National Weather Service for a large swath of Eastern Massachusetts in effect through 7 p.m. While there shouldn’t be too much more snow the rest of the day, gusty winds could make it hard to see and slick spots will make you want to slow down. (As the NWS’s office parking lot shows, even minor accumulations can make for dangerous conditions.)
To the news:
- As you know from last week’s newsletter, the long-awaited memorial “The Embrace” was unveiled this past Friday. The two-story high statue honors Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife, Coretta Scott King, who first met in Boston as college students. You can read more about “The Embrace” below, but also, go check it out yourself. (Seriously, the sculpture is strikingly big!) Here are some other MLK Day ceremonies and events happening across Boston today:
- There’s a free concert at Faneuil Hall Monday at 1 p.m., thanks to the Museum of African American History and the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras. Performers will play classical music, read original poetry and recite selections from King’s speeches.
- Admission to the Museum of Fine Arts is also free today for Mass. residents in honor of MLK Day, and there will be many events throughout the day, including a discussion with Embrace sculptor Hank Willis Thomas and public art project manager Sam Giarratani about the making of the memorial. (It’s also the last day to see the exhibit “Life Magazine and the Power of Photography” — and yes, your ticket includes access to it.)
- Tune in: At 11 a.m., Radio Boston will host a special hour all on King’s legacy. They’ll sit down with Imari Paris Jeffries, executive director of Embrace Boston, and two pastors: the Rev. Willie Bodrick II, senior pastor at Twelfth Baptist Church in Roxbury and the Rev. Mariama White-Hammond, Boston’s chief of environment, energy and open space.
- A reminder: Because it’s a federal holiday, certain businesses have shut their doors for the day (so don’t try to go to the RMV). Here’s a full list of what’s open and closed.
- ICYMI: Raynard S. Kington wrote a powerful commentary about how he’s not surprised by those who wonder if the holiday is worth celebrating, given the gap between America’s reality and our ideals. But he thinks we still should.
- Car crashes are never good. And for emergency responders, electric cars pose different issues than normal combustion cars that can make rescues dangerous. But WBUR’s Dan Guzman reports that firefighters in Newton are learning how to use a new safety tool designed for crashes involving electric cars — a tool that has only been used by one other city in the country.
- What’s the tech: It’s an “emergency plug” that can be inserted into any EV. It essentially puts the car in park.
- Why is it helpful? Newton Captain Phil McCully said he was inspired to get the buttons after an incident in New York City where a firefighter responding to an EV crash was hurt when that vehicle suddenly took off. (How could that happen? Well, a perk of EVs are that they run quiet. But for first responders, it means less warning ahead of sudden vehicle movements.)
- When: The entire department will complete training on how to install the button by the end of the month.
- That was close: Teachers in Melrose will be in their classrooms tomorrow and not on strike. The teachers union and school committee reached a tentative agreement on a three-year contract on Saturday. Union members still need to vote to finalize the contract, but Melrose Education Association President Lisa Donovan told WBUR’s Morning Edition team that the contract gives teachers what they wanted.
- What’s inside: The most notable contract wins are a 10% raise for teachers over three years and more time to prepare their lessons.
P.S.— If you’re stuck inside, don’t forget about our winter arts guides! There are lots of suggestions for things to listen to, watch and read from the comfort of your own couch.
