2024 Day Of Celebration To Honor Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Mayor Michelle Wu today announced that, in partnership with Boston University, the City of Boston will present "A Day of Celebration in Honor Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr" on Monday, January 15, 2024, at 12:00 p.m. at Metcalf Hall on the second floor of the George Sherman Union at Boston University, located at 775 Commonwealth Avenue in Boston. The event will be live-streamed on both boston.gov and bu.edu/thurman/programs/kingday2024/, as well as on the City of Boston’s cable network (Xfinity: channel 24, RCN: channel 13, and Fios: channel 962.) 

“Dr. King’s enduring legacy is one that has shaped not only this country but our communities here in Boston,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “Thank you to Boston University for your partnership in celebrating the Kings’ legacy, honoring their impact and ensuring that we continue to dedicate our lives to tackling poverty, systemic racism and oppression everywhere.”

This year’s program will include remarks from Mayor Michelle Wu, President Ad Interim of Boston University Kenneth W. Freeman, and a keynote conversation with Dr. Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, Professor in the Department of African-American Studies at Northwestern University. She is the author of Race for Profit: How Banks and the Real Estate Industry Undermine Black Homeownership. Race for Profit was a semifinalist for the 2019 National Book Award and a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize in History in 2020. She is a 2021 MacArthur Foundation Fellow.

The program will also include readings from a Boston Public School graduate attending Boston University and musical selections performed by a band led by Boston University’s Victor Coelho, Professor of Music in the College of Fine Arts.

“At Boston University, we take immense pride in Martin Luther King, Jr. as an esteemed alumnus, and we are honored to safeguard a collection of his influential papers,” said Boston University President Ad Interim Kenneth W. Freeman. “Our profound connection to Dr. King serves as a source of pride and inspiration. It is a poignant reminder to continue tirelessly combating discrimination and poverty. We are delighted to collaborate with the City of Boston in commemorating the life and enduring legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., as we strive to uphold his vision of equality and justice.”

In previous years, leaders such as U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley, Beverly Morgan-Welch, Sonia Sanchez, Dr. Alvin Poussaint, Ernest Green of the Little Rock Nine, Judy Richardson of Eyes on the Prize, and civil rights activist and filmmaker Topper Carew served as keynote speakers. Governor Deval Patrick, Chief Justice Roderick Ireland, Boston Poet Laureates Sam Cornish and Danielle Legros Georges, former Orthopaedic Surgeon-in-Chief at Beth Israel Hospital Dr. Augustus White, and WGBH Radio host Eric Jackson are among those who have served as readers in previous years.