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.

BAFTAs let anti-Blackness air. At the Academy Awards, Teyana Taylor was stopped—and the Academy responded fast. Two moments. Two standards. This piece breaks down what they reveal about belonging: tinyurl.com/32cuv9b4

Journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones reminds us that while many fear the cost of speaking up, people across the country are losing something far greater: their liberty. Read The Fine Print: shorturl.at/d5FWy

What’s a radical future you imagine? ⤵️ “Radical work begins with radical dreaming.” — Rep. Ayanna Pressley Subscribe to The Fine Print to read full interview: tinyurl.com/8yujrne4

"Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past." -- George Orwell, "1984" The fight over our history is a fundamental battle over what America truly represents. Let's make sure we know our real past, so that we can shape our future.

This Women’s History Month, we lift up the women of the 1965 Freedom Plaza. Their names are etched in bronze. Their leadership shaped Boston. Their legacy still calls us forward. #womenhistorymonth #embrace #embracemonument #freedomplaza #boston

The inaugural MLK Boston Beloved Community Weekend brought community, celebration, and action. 11+ orgs joined us, their work amplified through our events calendar. Together, we can do more. Join the movement: mlkboston.com

Black History Month may be close to an "end", but the movement carries on. Looking back at Embrace Honors MLK 2026, thanks to YOU the evening was full of connection, joyful dancing, and hundreds of smiling faces. Watch the full event on YouTube ➡️ youtu.be/hnRThfFHQgM

Rev. Liz Walker names what many of us feel: we are living among scared and hurting people. Until we tend to the real pain we’ll keep fighting the symptoms instead of the cause. Watch the full episode of Good Trouble now: youtube.com/watch?v=uMLuvq…

“We’ve always been the patriots.” We sat down with Ayanna Pressley for a candid Q&A on building collective power, protecting democracy, and the role culture plays in shaping our future.

“He told the nation to keep hope alive, and he lived as if hope had obligations.” In a new opinion piece published by WBUR, our CEO Imari Paris Jeffries honors Jesse Jackson not only as a historic figure, but as a blueprint for this moment. wbur.org/cognoscenti/20…

Today we honor the life and legacy of Jesse Jackson, a relentless advocate for justice and opportunity for all. In his 1988 “Keep Hope Alive” speech, he reminded us that dreaming is an act of resistance.

Bill Russell wasn’t just one of the greatest basketball players ever. He was also a warrior for civil rights. On his birthday, let’s honor his complete legacy, not just his on-court accomplishments, and carry on his spirit. #BlackHistory #BlackHistoryMonth #BillRussell

“Black history is the mirror that forces this nation to keep looking at itself.” — Rev. Willie Bodrick. As we mark 250 years of the American Revolution, Black history reminds us that you cannot tell a story about liberty while leaving out the people who fought for it.

Amber Payne is naming the tension: we need this kind of storytelling more than ever, while platforms like Teen Vogue and BLK are disappearing. So what happens next depends on who keeps building. Support the work. Share the episode.

Celebrating 100 years of Black History Month together. Boston organizations unite to uplift Black excellence, resilience, and love. Gather with us in joy and purpose. Explore events at blackhistoryboston.org

100 years of Black History Month. One city. Many voices. ✊🏾 Boston orgs unite to uplift Black excellence, resilience, and power. Check out the calendar and make history together: blackhistoryboston.org

For more than 200 years, Union Church has been a beacon of love, resistance and changemaking in Boston--from helping people find affordable housing to being inclusive for everyone. Today, Everyone250 honored this Boston institution with the first of its memorial markers.

Thanks to "Java with Jimmy" for inviting Embrace President and CEO Imari Paris Jeffries on to talk about the need for Boston to invest in the Roxbury community at Parcel 3, where the developers are still appealing the city's decision to let its plans for the land expire.

"We need to be able to include both." Imari Paris Jeffries, Ph.D., and Rev. Jeffrey Brown of My City at Peace responded to Mayor Wu's decision not to renew HYM Investment Group and MyCAP's rights to a development project on Roxbury's Parcel 3.

Honored to have attended the ribbon-cutting for Jean Appolon Expressions' new home in Nubian Square, keeping the rich culture and history of Haitian folk dance alive in Boston! Learn more at their website: jeanappolonexpressions.org