UNITED STATES NEWS

Mel King, who helped ease Boston’s racial strife, dies at 94

Mar 29, 2023, 11:41 AM | Updated: 12:12 pm

BOSTON (AP) — Longtime Boston civil rights activist Mel King, whose 1983 campaign for mayor helped the city begin to repair some of the racial divisions sparked during the school busing crisis, has died. He was 94.

King served in the state Legislature for nearly a decade before becoming the first Black man to reach a Boston general mayoral contest, facing off against a fellow state representative, Ray Flynn.

The election was a test for the city, which had undergone years of strife following the court-ordered desegregation of the public schools in the mid-1970s. Flynn, who represented the predominantly white, Irish neighborhood of South Boston, was an opponent of busing.

But instead of reigniting the discord, the race had the opposite effect, being seen as respectful, even friendly at times.

King brought in support from a range of racial groups, dubbing his movement the “Rainbow Coalition” — a name adopted by the Rev. Jesse Jackson during his presidential campaigns.

“What I believe people want more than anything else is a sense of a vision that’s inclusive and respectful and appreciative of who they are. What the Rainbow Coalition did was to put that right up front because everybody could be a member,” King said in a 1993 interview with The Boston Globe.

Flynn said he first met King, who grew up in the city’s racially mixed South End, when the two played basketball as teenagers.

He said he felt an affinity for King, noting their shared working class roots and collaborative work as state lawmakers.

“Mel King would be fighting for affordable housing for the people of the South End and Roxbury, and I would be doing the same for the people of South Boston,” Flynn said. “We were just two kids from the neighborhood who fought hard for our constituents.”

King would go on to lose to Flynn by 30 points. But the race came to be seen as a turning point in a city once described as a collection of ethnic enclaves.

Those divisions boiled over during the busing crisis, with South Boston High School becoming the center of racial strife as Black students were bused to the school under a court-ordered desegregation plan.

During the height of the crisis, crowds sometimes threw stones at buses carrying Black students, and police were stationed on rooftops near the school.

“The city was polarized. It was divided,” Flynn said. “Busing really brought out the worst in the city of Boston. The election brought out the best. People all felt they were part of new opportunities.”

Gov. Maura Healey ordered flags to be flown at half-staff at all state buildings Wednesday in rememberance of King, whom she described as a “dedicated public servant and civil rights champion.”

Mayor Michelle Wu, the first woman and first person of color elected to lead Boston, also praised King, saying “his transformative ideas have shaped generations of organizers and leaders.”

United States News

The OnlyFans logo is seen on a computer monitor in this posed photo, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, in St....

Associated Press

Teachers have been outed for moonlighting in adult content. Do they have legal recourse?

At a small rural Missouri high school, two English teachers shared a secret: Both were posting adult content on OnlyFans, the subscription-based website known for sexually explicit content. The site and others like it provide an opportunity for those willing to dabble in pornography to earn extra money — sometimes lots of it. The money […]

1 hour ago

A gray wolf is seen in a trail camera image on the Sherman Creek Ranch, March 26, 2023, near Walden...

Associated Press

Embattled wolves gain a new frontier in Democratic Colorado. The move is stoking political tensions

DENVER, Colo. (AP) — Wildlife officials plan to release gray wolves in Colorado in coming weeks, at the behest of urban voters and to the dismay of rural residents who don’t want the predators but have waning influence in the Democratic-led state. The most ambitious wolf reintroduction effort in the U.S. in almost three decades […]

1 hour ago

FILE - President Joe Biden speaks about investment in rail projects, including high-speed electric ...

Associated Press

Biden heads to Philadelphia for firefighters and fundraising

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will join Philadelphia firefighters on Monday to announce federal funding that will reopen three fire companies, according to the White House. The companies — Engine 6, Ladder 1 and Ladder 11 — were decommissioned during the Great Recession. Union leaders have said the cutbacks hampered the city’s response to […]

2 hours ago

Associated Press

Stock market today: Asian shares mixed after Wall Street hits 2023 high

Asian shares were mixed on Monday after Wall Street reached a 20-month high ahead of a week that includes essential U.S. inflation data and the Federal Reserve’s final rate decision of the year. U.S. futures were lower and oil prices rose to recover some of their sharp losses in recent months. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng […]

2 hours ago

FILE - Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., speaks to media about Israel, Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023, on Cap...

Associated Press

New US aid for Ukraine by year-end seems increasingly out of reach as GOP ties it to border security

A deal to provide further U.S. assistance to Ukraine by year-end appears to be increasingly out of reach for President Joe Biden.

5 hours ago

Associated Press

Downpours, high winds prompt weather warnings in Northeast

NEW YORK (AP) — Parts of the northeast were bracing for a stormy night Sunday, with high winds and heavy rains bringing threats of flooding and power outages through the Monday morning commute. Flood watches were in effect in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and southern New England through Monday. The National Weather Service said […]

8 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

Follow @iamdamonallred...

Avoid a potential emergency and get your home’s heating and furnace safety checked

With the weather getting colder throughout the Valley, the best time to make sure your heating is all up to date is now. 

(KTAR News Graphic)...

KTAR launches online holiday auction benefitting Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley

KTAR is teaming up with The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley for a holiday auction benefitting thousands of Valley kids.

Follow @KTAR923...

Valley residents should be mindful of plumbing ahead of holidays

With Halloween in the rear-view and more holidays coming up, Day & Night recommends that Valley residents prepare accordingly.

Mel King, who helped ease Boston’s racial strife, dies at 94