Martin Luther King was a doctoral student at the school of theology at Boston University, and lived in the South End. He was an assistant preacher at Twelfth Baptist Church. He led a mile-long civil rights march from the South End to the Boston Common.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. also stood at the Parkman Bandstand (the same location as the UB summer worship night!), in front of 22,000 people, speaking to the racial divisions: “Now is the time to make brotherhood a reality. Now is the time. The vision of the new Boston must extend into the heart of Roxbury. Boston must become a testing ground for the ideals of freedom.’’

This week, the world commemorates the 51st anniversary of his assasination, and King’s legacy lives on in our city. Pastor Larry King from Cambridge Community Fellowship Church seeks to extend this legacy and shape the identity of his church around social justice and racial reconciliation. Their congregation was featured on Channel 10 News – Click here to watch this!

Martin Luther King’s Prayer for the Church

We thank you for your church, founded upon your Word, that challenges us to do more than sing and pray, but go out and work as though the very answer to our prayers depended on us and not upon you.
Help us to realize that humanity was created to shine like the stars and live on through all eternity.
Keep us, we pray, in perfect peace.
Help us to walk together,
pray together,
sing together,
and live together
until that day when all God’s children
– Black, White, Red, Brown and Yellow –
will rejoice in one common band of humanity
in the reign of our Lord and of our God, we pray.
Amen.

Martin Luther King Day Service Projects

One of the best ways to live into Martin Luther King’s legacy is to participate in service projects. A few are listed below, or email Kelly Fassett, kelly@uniteboston.com if you know of any others that should be added to this list. It would be great to see Christians come together to serve alongside our neighbors!

St. Stephen’s Youth Program’s MLK Day of Action

Monday, January 21, 9:00am-2:00pm at Blackstone Innovation School, 380 Shawmut Ave, Boston.

Join for a variety of projects to honor Martin Luther King. There will be physical maintenance projects (painting and cleaning) and projects appropriate for children under age 13 and those with physical mobility limitations. Breakfast and lunch will be provided, and the day will conclude with an MLK Day Reflection and Education Equity Workshop. 

In addition, the Blackstone is requesting donations of hypoallergenic and fragrance-free hygiene supplies such as soap, deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and especially skin lotion. If you can provide any of these, please bring them with you to the Day of Action where we will be organizing an area for young people to receive these essential items. Sign up here. 

9th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Interfaith Day of Service 

Monday January 21st, 9:00am to 1:00pm at Brandeis University, Waltham

Come honor and learn from the life of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., pack meals for food pantries & congregations that serve the homeless community and participate in social justice discussions with Brandeis clubs and local non-profits.

This year’s theme is “Continuous Giving” and features guest speaker Kevin Peterson from The New Democracy Coalition. Workshops for the day include: Chaplains on Way – Spiritual Companioning, Prejudice or Empathy with CMM’s IFYI Program Director Shelton Oakley Hersey, Habitat for Humanity, Community Day Center of Waltham, with activities for younger kids too. Sign up here.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service 

Monday January 21st, 2:00 to 5:00pm at Cambridge City Hall and various locations in Central Square, Cambridge

The 9th Annual Cambridge Day of Service organized by Many Helping Hands 365 to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The event is FREE and open to the public.

All ages are welcome to help with projects that benefit children, teens and adults in need. Join us for an afternoon of hands-on service projects! Make fleece scarves and blankets for homeless children and adults. Make Valentines for elders and veterans. Sort food, winter clothing, books and toiletries for people in need and more! Come spend an afternoon making a difference in the lives of others. Sign up here. 

Martin Luther King Jr. Service Project with Courageous Conversations

Monday January 21st, 9:00 to 11:00am at the Church of Our Savior (453 Adams Street, Milton, MA 02186) 

Come to assemble blessing bags and distribute to homeless attendees at a mid day luncheon in Boston. Supplies needed include toiletries, granola bars and small snacks, and $5 gift cards to local restaurants. Unscented toiletries are preferred. Bags will be assembled.  At 12:00pm, the blessing bags will be distributed at St. Paul’s Cathedral (138 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02111). Sign up here.

Martin Luther King Jr. Outdoor Service Project

Monday January 21st, 9:30am to 12:00pm, 500 Walk Hill Street, Mattapan

Join us for the outdoor service project at the Boston Nature Center and Wildlife Sanctuary. Help us collect litter from the trails. Sign up here.

Courageous Conversations MLK Day Celebration

Monday, January 21st, 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM, Concord Baptist Church, 180 Blue Hill Avenue, Milton

Milton Interfaith Clergy Association invites you to participate in the Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Milton Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. Sign up here.

Martin Luther King Day Community Conversations on Race

Monday, January 21 from 8:30am to 3:00pm at Grace Chapel, 3 Militia Drive, Lexington and surrounding towns

the Town of Lexington will commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with its 6th annual family-friendly day of volunteer activities supporting the underserved. The events begin at 9am (doors open at 8:30am) with a community dialogue on race in the Courtyard at Grace Chapel. This year’s topic is Dismantling White Privilege and Institutional Racism in Lexington and Beyond: the 400-year Struggle for Racial Justice. From 1-3pm, there will be fleece scarf and blanket making in the gym at Grace Chapel as well as a drop off station for donations of non-perishable foods, new and well-preserved toys, media, and more. Town activities will include cookie and card making, delivering sand to seniors for their winter walks and driveway and more.  Visit the website for more information.

2019 Town of Brookline MLK Day Celebration

Mon, January 21, 3:00 to 4:30pm, Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard Street, Brookline

Join together for Brookline’s celebration of the life and values of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at 3 pm Monday, January 21, 2019, at the Coolidge Corner Theatre. The theme for this year’s event is “Reflections on Race – Brookline Then and Now.” This year’s program will feature Brookline: Facing Civil Rights, a documentary film conceptualized by the MLK Jr. Celebration Committee and Produced by R. Harvey Bravman. Sign up here.

MLK Day of Learning: 50th Anniversary of the Poor People’s March

Saturday, January 19, 8:30am – 1:00pm at City Mission Boston, 185 Columbia Rd
Boston

Fifty years ago, Dr. King announced the Poor People’s Campaign. Although launched in 1968, this movement continues to be relevant today. Join City Mission for our annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Learning, where we will continue this important work. The US Census reflects the huge disparities in Boston, where the poverty rate for white residents is just under 7%, and for Black residents is 21.5%. The event is coordinated by City Mission Boston and will include guest speakers and facilitated small group discussion to help us learn from, and build community, with each other. Sign up here.

Boston Cares MLK Day of Service

Monday, January 21st, 10am to 1pm at Boston Latin School, 78 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston

On January 21, 2019 Boston Cares will organize 600 volunteers at the Boston Latin School, to support local immigrants and refugees through the creation of ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) learning tools for community organizations and schools throughout the city of Boston. Volunteers will create English journals, conversation games, and vocabulary and citizenship flashcards for organizations for immigrant and refugee families learning English and preparing for the citizenship exam. New this year, volunteers will also create magnetic lapdesks and phonetics kits for beginners who may not be literate in their native languages. Additionally, our sponsors will join us in building beds for families who do not have a bed of their own. MLK Day is always kid-friendly and open to youth 5+. No orientation is required. Register here.