EMBRACE HONORS MLK: WE'RE BUILDING A HOME FOR BELONGING
See the full EHMLK 2026 Photo Album
Embrace Honors MLK 2026 brought together community, partners, and leaders to reflect on what is possible when people gather with shared purpose and care. The evening honored extraordinary individuals whose work embodies courage, equity, and collective responsibility, including Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III; Chancellor Julie Chen & Susu Wong; Lady Luella & Bishop William Dickerson; Patricia & Thomas O’Brien; Marie St. Fleur; and Kathy & Richard L. Taylor.
Powered by Everyone250, the event convened a broad coalition of partners committed to advancing equity, civic engagement, and community care, including the Roxbury YMCA, ACLU of Massachusetts, Project 351, Franklin Cummings Tech, HUE Boston, Boston Cares, Boston Children’s Chorus, and the MLK Jr. Memorial Breakfast Committee. Embrace Honors MLK was part of the inaugural MLK Boston Beloved Community Weekend, a citywide series of gatherings that marked the beginning of a year-long commemoration of the nation’s 250th anniversary, focused on unity, service, and history.
The evening also marked the official launch of Embrace Boston’s Campaign for Belonging, a call to action rooted in our shared responsibility to build a more just, inclusive, and connected future. Through remembrance, storytelling, and collective action, the campaign outlines a vision for deepened impact and sustained community engagement.
The experience was shaped and enriched by our artists-in-residence, whose work helped define the tone and spirit of the evening: DJ Mez.Wav; Marlene Marmolejos (Motion Mami); Marcia Kimm Jackson; Soul Solid Visuals (Lois Missowou); Zakiyyah Sutton; and White Snake Projects.
We are deeply grateful to everyone who joined us and helped make Embrace Honors MLK a meaningful moment of reflection, connection, and commitment rooted in the values the Kings envisioned.
Access the photo gallery from Embrace Honors MLK for community use. When sharing images, please include photo credit to Soul Solid Visuals.
