BUSTH leads Walking Tour through Boston to “The Embrace” Memorial
On Wednesday, March 1, Dean G. Sujin Pak joined Associate Director for Alumni and Donor Relations Rev. Andrew Kimble (STH‘19) as he led a walking tour through Boston focused on the works of alumnus Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (STH/GRS‘55) and his wife Coretta Scott King. The tour started next to the School of Theology on Marsh Plaza, and attendees included STH alumni, current students, and faculty members. A talk was given at each stop of the tour by a featured speaker.
Talk 1: Free at Last
Standing on the Marsh Chapel plaza next to BU’s Free at Last tribute to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rev. Dr. Charlene Zuill explained how Martin and Coretta met in Boston, with a special emphasis on how Coretta’s intellectual and spiritual formation made a lasting impact on Martin — who knew he wanted to marry Coretta after their first date.
Talk 2: The Embrace (Part A)
Feet away from The Embrace, Rev. Mariama White-Hammond (STH‘17), the City of Boston’s Chief of Environment, Energy, and Open Space, spoke about the love ethic and its application in justice movements. She offered insight on how dozens of artists submitted proposals for the memorial, and that the only rendering including both Coretta and Martin earned the final bid.
Talk 3: The Embrace (Part B)
Since the unveiling, a nationwide discussion has ensued about the value, meaning, and role of public art. Opening words from Cynthia Perry (STH‘23) invited the group to wrap arms around ourselves, to embrace ourselves, as an act of self-love. The memorial’s significance, she reminded us, extends far beyond one’s interpretation of the sculpture. It is about the universality of love.
The group poses together in front of The Embrace on Boston Common.
Talk 4: Beloved Community
The final speech of the day from Assistant Clinical Professor of Religion and Conflict Transformation James McCarty reminded us of the beloved community’s future and Martin and Coretta’s imprint on ethical/moral leadership. He reminded us of the powerful symbolism of our tour coinciding with an SEIU rally to promote better wages and benefits for healthcare workers. The Embrace is a new site of advocacy for all persons striving toward equality and justice.