EMBRACE WHAT’S POSSIBLE
We invite you to "stand in the heart of their hug," - Hank Willis Thomas
THE EMBRACE & THE 1965 FREEDOM PLAZA
We unveiled The Embrace and the 1965 Freedom Plaza in January 2023 on the Boston Common, the first public park in our nation. The Embrace Memorial is an important cultural symbol of equity and justice for Boston residents and all those who visit the city.
The artwork is a permanent monument representing the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King’s love and powerful presence in Boston, a time that helped shape their approach to an equitable society.
LOVE. EQUITY. JUSTICE.
Five years in the making, The Embrace is a reflection of Boston’s diversity – standing bold and beautiful as a symbol of Boston’s rich history and expansive cultural community.
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King met in Boston in 1952. The Embrace is a memorial to their love and leadership. Inspired by a photograph of the Kings embracing, it reflects the power of collective action, the role of women in the freedom movement, and the forging of solidarity out of mutual empathy and vulnerability.
At the invitation of MASS Design Group, artist Hank Willis Thomas brought his distinct point of view to the national design competition held by Embrace Boston. Their collaborative concept seemed like a longshot—would anybody want a memorial to the Kings that didn’t include their faces?—but The Embrace resonated deeply. Though abstract, it captured the essence of the Kings as a couple and invited people to "stand in the heart of their hug," as Thomas put it.
THE STORY BEGAN IN BOSTON
The Embrace Digital Experience is a self-guided app offering storytelling, first-hand accounts, and historical photos and images to visitors.
MEET OUR HEROES
This digital experience allows visitors to explore the monument, and the 1965 Freedom Plaza beneath it at their own pace, while learning more about Boston’s civil rights legacy and the incredible contribution of the Kings. The Embrace and the 1965 Freedom Plaza are reminders of the Kings’ high ideals born from struggle—to foster a “beloved community.”
FEEL THE HISTORY & IMAGINE THE FUTURE
We welcome you to hear stories of local civil rights struggles while the Kings made Boston their home; be introduced to civil rights and social justice leaders active in Greater Boston from 1950 –1975; listen to reflections from the artist, Hank Willis Thomas; as well as behind-the-scenes insights on how The Embrace monument was created.
OUR HEROES: THE 1965 FREEDOM PLAZA
On the ground surrounding The Embrace, the 1965 Freedom Plaza honors 69 civil rights and social justice leaders active in Greater Boston from 1950 –1975. They marched. They spoke out. They fought. They resisted. They led and still remain advocates and agitators whose tireless work was fueled by collective action and love.
RE-SEARCH. RE-THINK. RE-PRESENT.
This monument to love and change sits in the heart of Embrace Boston’s multidimensional approach to transform Boston.
OUR MULTIDIMENSIONAL APPROACH
Monuments & Cultural Wealth:
Re-imagining our public spaces to honor diverse histories and inspire unity.
The destruction and subsequent loss of African people’s culture upon forced arrival in the States has had irreparable harms that still affect Black people today. A result of Jim Crow and ongoing discrimination has resulted in a denial of Black people’s right to openly express their cultures, a habit of cultural appropriation by the broader public, and a denial of resources and rights for Black people to be self-determining in this society.
In order to fully determine the harms done in this area, it is imperative to note the relevant and continued perpetuation of Black cultural erasure that can be seen in large cultural institutions in the city, the memorials that are chosen to be commemorated, the historical buildings that have been preserved, and the racial and ethnic makeup of faculty and students in art schools and colleges in the area. Boston is known nationwide for its predominantly White composition, but Black people have always existed here. The lack of Black culture is not accidental, but is instead a consequence of historical inequity and injustice.
OUR WORK
Engagement
Fostering community participation to ensure that people see themselves and are reflected in the work.
Narrative
Shaping our city's story to acknowledge past hardships, celebrate progress, and envision a just future
Spatial Justice
Striving for equitable access to resources and opportunities across all neighborhoods
Policy
Implementing inclusive policies that directly address inequities and promote sustainable development.
THE WRAP
The Embrace Memorial Fence Wrap Art Commission was envisioned as an opportunity to endorse and uplift Boston-based BIPOC digital artists and photographers to share their voice – through their art – along the fence while The Embrace memorial was under construction.
Embrace Boston believes that activating arts and culture is essential to reimagining and recasting cultural representations and practices grounded in equity, joy, and wellbeing.
As a part of an ecosystem committed to change, Embrace Boston engages arts, culture, research, and policy to dramatically transform Boston into a city that centers racial equity and justice.
Meet the artists that were commissioned as a part of this historic moment. The Wrap was meant to spark dialogue, engage and inspire through the creative spirit from across the city. This exhibit is the work of each artist responding to the prompt:
Embracing Boston’s 20+ Neighborhoods
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We acknowledge that Boston is situated on the traditional homelands of the Massachusett People. We also acknowledge their relatives and neighbors, the Nipmuc and Wampanoag Peoples.
We recognize the historical legacy of colonialism and racism by honoring and paying respect to the land. We do it to raise greater public consciousness of First Nation sovereignty and cultural rights as a small step toward equitable relationships and reconciliation.
It also raises questions of what it means to live in a new Boston. What did it take for us to get here? And how can we be accountable to our part in history?