Embrace Boston

One year ago today, Embrace Boston, Hank Willis Thomas, MASS Design Group, and Art Processors, along with other partners, unveiled The Embrace Memorial and the 1965 Freedom Plaza on the Boston Common, the first public park in our nation.

The annual MLK Beloved Community Weekend returns to Boston January 15–18, 2027, bringing together community, reflection, and action in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s enduring legacy.

Explore the weekend's events, and learn how to get involved at mlkboston.com.

Democracy doesn’t end on Election Day, and neither does belonging. It is sustained by those who stay involved, through civic engagement, dialogue, and action.

In the moments ahead, stay connected to the people and organizations doing the work of democracy around you.

Voting is how a community decides what comes next: who leads our city, how our schools are funded, what our neighborhoods look like, and whose voices count.

If you haven’t voted yet, make a plan to get to the polls today. Find your polling location at mass.gov/topics/voting.

Today on Boston Common, Zapatos Rojos by Elina Chauvet, presented by Lawyers for Civil Rights, honors victims of gender-based violence with nearly 200 red-painted shoes. Visit today before 7 PM to pause, reflect, and take in the message these shoes carry.