A significant milestone in Martin Luther King Jr.’s life will be commemorated with a plaque unveiling ceremony in Boston’s Grove Hall, where the iconic civil rights leader became a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.
Scheduled for June 18, coinciding with the 72nd wedding anniversary of King and Coretta Scott King, this event will enhance ongoing efforts to integrate the King family’s legacy into Boston’s historical narrative while celebrating the rich Black history of the area.
Clennon L. King, a Georgia-based documentary filmmaker and historian responsible for the Martin and Coretta Love Story Trail, emphasized the importance of documenting Black history.
“It’s our jobs as Black folk to chronicle our history,” said Clennon King. “If we don’t mark our history, we’re condemned to repeat it.”
This plaque is part of a broader initiative in Boston to honor the Kings’ presence in the city and revive the historical significance of Grove Hall, where King once lived.
Clennon King, who is not related to the civil rights leader but is linked through his father’s involvement in the Albany Movement, noted that the upcoming ceremony will redirect attention from downtown to the heart of the Black community, where Martin Luther King Jr. had deep roots.
He pointed out that King was baptized out of the neighborhood, underlining the community’s influence on the civil rights leader’s formative years.
The house at 14 Wabon St., chosen for the plaque, resonates with local importance. It was once the family home of Judge Baron H. Martin, who captured a notable photograph of King. The area itself has a poignant history, marked by the 1967 riot surrounding the welfare office’s unjust practices, which occurred years after King returned to the South.
Lauren B. Martin, related to Judge Martin, expressed a personal connection to the area, recalling the memories tied to her family home.
“Those kinds of spirits and memories linger in that space,” Martin said, emphasizing the significance of the location.
King arrived in Boston in 1951 for theological studies at Boston University. At that time, he found himself in a city vastly different from Atlanta, where he was raised.
While he sought solace within the Black community in Roxbury and the South End, he discovered that the Black population in Boston was considerably smaller.
During his early years in Boston, Clennon King noted that Martin Luther King Jr. was not yet a household name but rather “just a number, just another student.”
The plaque unveiling also highlights the legacy of Alpha Phi Alpha and the National Pan-Hellenic Council, collectively known as the Divine Nine.
Jason Asirifi, district director and president of the Organization of New England Chapters of Alpha (ONECA), remarked on the fraternity’s focus on community betterment and advocacy for the Black experience.
The bond between King and the Divine Nine is profound, with many civil rights leaders surrounding him during pivotal moments.
King first attended an Alpha recruitment mixer on nearby Ruthven Street, where he was welcomed into the fraternity’s Sigma Chapter at Martin’s home.
King’s role as an older doctoral student made him a mentor figure for younger pledges.
“My dad never said it, but you could tell from his voice how much he admired [King],” recalled Myra Hemingway, daughter of fellow initiate Herman Hemingway, who witnessed King’s transformative impact.
A unique recall of King’s pledge experience was shared by the late Judge Martin, who recounted a moment when King refused to partake in a chore.
In keeping with fraternity traditions, Judge Martin playfully disciplined King with a wooden paddle, a stark reminder of the times that have changed in today’s society.
The legacy of King’s line brothers is equally significant, with many forging impactful careers post-graduation.
Herman Hemingway opened a law practice and became the founding director of the city’s Office of Human Rights under Mayor Kevin White, commemorated at the 1965 Freedom Plaza.
Myra Hemingway reflected on her father’s connection to the fraternity, acknowledging the bittersweet nature of the upcoming memorial, highlighting King’s lasting influence.
“He really loved his fraternity and the support they gave him through the brotherhood over the years meant so much to him,” she shared.
As Boston’s neighborhoods evolve, including those historically significant to the Black community, planners hope that the unveiled plaque will provide both residents and newcomers with a meaningful connection to the area’s history.
“Things are going to change, people are going to change neighborhoods,” said Lauren B. Martin.
“But hopefully these markers give the new neighborhood a reference and an understanding of how we’re all related.”
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