King for a day and beyond: Mel King Square dedicated

In his 93 years, Mel King has worn many hats: community organizer and activist; elected official; high school and university educator; author and poet; and devoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and friend to many.

King represented the South End in the Massachusetts House of Representatives (9th Suffolk); was a teacher at Boston Trade High School and Boston Technical High School; was an adjunct professor of urban studies at MIT; spearheaded the affordable housing protests at Tent City; founded the Massachusetts Rainbow Coalition party; created the South End Technology Center at Tent City; authored "Chain of Change: Struggles for Black Community Development" as well as other articles and poetry; and raised six children with his wife, Joyce.

On Saturday, November 13, his life's work and contributions to the community were honored with the dedication of Melvin H. "Mel" King Square and the proclamation by Acting Mayor Kim Janey of Mel King Day in Boston. The sun shone brightly on the joyous celebration at the newly minted square at the intersection of Yarmouth Street and Columbus Avenue, near the home he and his wife Joyce have shared for many years. Over 100 people gathered for the dedication, including family and friends, neighbors, and elected officials.

Among the crowd were King's longtime friend and one time political opponent, former Boston Mayor Ray Flynn; Jon Santiago, who holds King's 9th Suffolk district seat in the Massachusetts House of Representatives; congressional representative Ayanna Pressley of the 7th district for Massachusetts; state representative (5th Suffolk) Liz Miranda of Boston; and city councilors Ed Flynn, Kenzie Bok, Ricardo Arroyo and Julia Mejia.

King is perhaps best remembered for his activism for affordable housing and community-driven development, which is no surprise given his early history. One of nine children of Watts King of Barbados and his Guyanese wife, Ursula, King and wife Joyce grew up in the long-lost corner of the South End called the New York Streets, which fell to urban renewal redevelopment in the 1950s and 1960s.

The area was working class and very culturally diverse, where recently arrived Italians, Lebanese, Jews, Greeks, and others lived side by side in a close-knit, working-class community.

In her remarks, acting mayor and lifelong friend Kim Janey recited King's accomplishments in her proclamation of Mel King Day and shared personal recollections, including the friendship between King's mother and Janey's grandmother, who used to share recipes.

Priscilla Douglas, the first African American woman cabinet member, under Governor Bill Weld, in Massachusetts history, spoke of the inspiration she drew from King. "At every stage of my life, I've been inspired, lifted up and loved the wisdom of Mel King." Pointing in the direction of King's house, she said, ''That's where it started, on Sunday afternoon," referring to King's longstanding tradition of hosting a Sunday brunch open house.

"That's where we learned what community was." Douglas quoted King's famous words, "Love is the question and the answer", adding, "It's our capacity as human beings to love each other, to love the Earth and to love the community."