This is the second in WGBH News' two-part conversation with Mel King, a political activist, educator, writer and trailblazing African American candidate for mayor of Boston 30 years ago.
King continues to make headlines, even as he is about to turn 85 this month. This past week he was arrested when he blocked the doors to Boston’s Municipal Court Building in protest of “no-fault” homeowner evictions.
In this one-on-one interview, King described his passion for all residents of the city goes back to his roots in Boston’s multiethnic South End. King’s book, Chain of Change, describes the history of the black community in Boston from the 1950s through the 70s—and it was in the late 70s when King made his first run for mayor. King spoke about what made him decide to run for mayor that first time, against incumbent Kevin White, and who he'd like to see replace Menino as mayor.
(In his interview, Mel King mentioned a song he recorded that expresses his hopes for the future. Listen to that song below.)
