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

Associated Press

Court: No lawsuit immunity for Michigan official who had rifle during online meeting

DETROIT (AP) — A lawsuit can go forward against a Michigan official who flashed a rifle during a public meeting over video conference, a federal appeals court said Wednesday. Patricia MacIntosh is suing Ron Clous, alleging he tried to silence her right to free speech when he displayed the rifle during a 2021 meeting of […]

15 hours ago

In this still image captured by Las Vegas police officer Tierney Tomburo's body camera, 27-year-old...

Associated Press

Las Vegas police video shows moment officer was shot during traffic stop

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Las Vegas police lapel videos played Wednesday during a public review of evidence in a September 2022 shooting showed the moment an officer was shot and wounded during a pre-dawn traffic stop and the dramatic aftermath as her partner rushed to her side to apply a tourniquet. Officer Tierney Tomburo, 24 […]

15 hours ago

FILE - Sycamore School students in participate in Relay for Life with a Relay Recess Wednesday, Jun...

Associated Press

California lawmakers advance bill to cool down outside areas at schools

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — As California grapples with how to deal with heat waves made more intense by climate change, schools in the state may soon have to come up with plans for cooling down outside play areas by planting more trees and replacing surfaces like asphalt that swelter on hot days. The state Senate […]

15 hours ago

Associated Press

Preliminary autopsy determines escaped Ohio inmate found in river died of drowning

HENDERSON, Ky. (AP) — A convicted murderer whose body was found floating in a river several days after he and another inmate escaped from a northwest Ohio prison died from drowning, according to preliminary autopsy results released Wednesday. Bradley Gillespie, 50, and James Lee, 47, were reported missing May 23 from the Allen Oakwood Correctional […]

15 hours ago

FILE - Ernie Field pushes the doorbell on his Ring doorbell camera, July 16, 2019, at his home in W...

Associated Press

FTC charges Amazon with privacy violations over Alexa and Ring cameras

WASHINGTON (AP) — Amazon will pay more than $30 million to settle alleged privacy violations involving its voice assistant Alexa and its doorbell camera Ring. The Federal Trade Commission voted to file charges in two separate cases Wednesday that could also force the company to delete certain data collected by its popular internet-connected devices. Amazon […]

15 hours ago

Associated Press

Iowa judge orders continued probation for teen sex trafficking victim who killed her alleged abuser

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A teenage sex trafficking victim who fatally stabbed the man she accused of abusing her was resentenced Wednesday to probation, telling an Iowa judge that she now has a support system to help keep her on track. Prosecutors agreed that Pieper Lewis should continue her probation rather than be incarcerated. […]

15 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

re:vitalize

Why drug-free weight loss still matters

Wanting to lose weight is a common goal for many people as they progress throughout life, but choosing between a holistic approach or to take medicine can be a tough decision.

(Photo by Michael Matthey/picture alliance via Getty Images)...

Cox Communications

Valley Boys & Girls Club uses esports to help kids make healthy choices

KTAR’s Community Spotlight focuses on the Boys & Girls Club of the Valley and the work to incorporate esports into children's lives.

...

Day & Night Air Conditioning, Heating and Plumbing

Company looking for oldest air conditioner and wants to reward homeowner with new one

Does your air conditioner make weird noises or a burning smell when it starts? If so, you may be due for an AC unit replacement.

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