Boston Honors 1965 Freedom Rally with Dedication of "Freedom March Square"

Braving steady rain, Mayor Michelle Wu and hundreds of Bostonians retraced the steps of the 1965 Freedom Rally on Saturday April 26th, culminating in the dedication of "1965 Freedom March Square" at the entrance to Boston Common. The event, part of the City’s Boston250 commemorations, honored the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and renewed calls for continued progress toward racial equality.

Gathering at Trinity Church in Copley Square, participants marched down Boylston Street chanting, singing “We Shall Overcome,” and carrying the spirit of Dr. King’s original 1965 demonstration to the Boston Common. There, at the corner of Boylston and Charles Streets, Mayor Michelle Wu unveiled the new Freedom March Square marker, describing it as a permanent reminder of Boston’s role in the struggle for justice.

“For 250 years, Boston has been at the heart of the American story—a place where bold ideas and civic action have shaped our nation’s path,” Mayor Wu told the crowd. “Today we honor not just our history, but our continued responsibility to one another.”

The original Boston Freedom Rally on April 23, 1965, drew more than 20,000 demonstrators who marched from Roxbury to Boston Common in one of the largest civil rights demonstrations in New England history. Addressing the crowd then, Dr. King said, "We must not seek to rise from a position of disadvantage to one of advantage, but to a position of brotherhood and understanding."

Following Saturday’s dedication, marchers continued on to the Parkman Bandstand, where a rally featured performances, speeches, and calls to action. Martin Luther King III, son of the late civil rights leader, delivered a keynote address emphasizing the unfinished work of building a just society.  

“We must quadruple our efforts to create a more just and humane society," King said. "We don’t have the luxury of stopping. We don’t have the luxury of giving in or giving out."

Imari Paris Jeffries, president and CEO of Embrace Boston, which helped organize the event, spoke to the importance of collective memory and continued advocacy.  “Monuments and memorialization are a part of our collective memory,” Jeffries said. “It’s up to us as the next generation to ensure the memory of where we came from becomes a valuable lesson for the future.”

Sponsored by the City of Boston and Boston250, Saturday’s commemoration served not only to honor the past, but to call new generations to action in the ongoing pursuit of equality, justice, and unity.