Stepping Into Truth: Conversations on Race, Gender, and Social Justice
Season 3 Episode 20
The Boston Legacy of Martin and Coretta King
Tammy Tai
Greg Ball
Did you know that Boston played a major role in the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.? I didn't. Turns out Boston was where he got his PhD, studied with his mentor Howard Thurman, and met Coretta Scott.
Clearly, Boston was a significant place in both their lives. In 2022 a sculpture will be installed on the Boston Common in honor of them both. But that is just one part of what is happening.
King Boston, an organization dedicated to uplifting the role that Boston played in their lives, is creating numerous initiatives and programs with the goal of continuing and expanding the work that they were both so dedicated to.
In this conversation I speak with Tammy Tai and Greg Ball of King Boston about Martin and Coretta King as well as about what their vision is for how they can move Boston from being one of the most racist cities in the country to a city that honors and lives out the vision of the Kings.
In this conversation Tammy and Greg also give us insight into Dr. King as he truly was rather than the incomplete, and perhaps more palatable version for some, that most are familiar with.
I loved talking with them, I love what they are part of, and I think that anyone who holds Dr. and Mrs. King up as models and icons owes it to themselves to hear what King Boston is doing.
To listen to this episode:
Honoring the Legacy of Martin and Coretta King in Boston
with Greg Ball and Tammy Tai click here.
Tammy Tai joins King Boston as Deputy Director with more than 25 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. Her work has primarily focused in areas of youth development, mentoring, and leadership development, including her work at Tai Consulting, a multi-service global consulting practice grounded in principles of diversity, equity and inclusion, and strategic planning. Tai serves on the faculty of the Institute for Nonprofit Practice and is an Adjunct Lecturer on Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Greg Ball brings more than two decades of experience as a cultural curator, journalist, and content creator to his role as Director of Embrace Ideas and will be essential in helping guide the organization through ongoing Embrace Ideas programming and the Annual Embrace Summit. Ball will focus on community engagement and partnership development grounded in activities and campaigns addressing well-being initiatives, arts and spatial justice.
For a written transcript of this conversation click here.
Three Action Steps:
Connect with them at KingBoston.org (especially if you live nearby, get involved with their initiatives).
Spread the word about the work they are doing.
Financially support their work if you can.
Resources:
King Boston
Connect with Tammy and Greg:
Connect with Tammy on LinkedIn
Connect with Tammy at King Boston
Connect with Greg at King Boston
Credits:
Harmonica music courtesy of a friend