A Tribute to Black History Month:

On Monday, January 20th, as we celebrated MLK Day, I was honored to deliver the keynote address at Boston University during A Day of Celebration in Honor of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

It was such a fantastic event that honored not only the legacy of Dr. King, but also shined a spotlight on women who have

advocated for social justice in Boston, including Coretta Scott King and Sue Bailey Thurman.

The BU Band and Inner Strength Gospel Choir also performed the music of the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin.

Another event on MLK Day took place at the Museum of Fine Arts, where the winner of the

King Boston Essay Contest was revealed. Congratulations to Amelia Sanchez, a sophomore at

Boston Latin School, who took home first place for her essay which detailed the job

discrimination that those with Autism encounter.

I’d like to read an excerpt from that essay:

“One issue that is particularly important to me is rarely addressed, simply because there is still

so much stigma and bias surrounding it that few people are willing to question, and that is the

staggering unemployment rate of individuals with high functioning autism, with 85% of college

graduates on the autism spectrum unemployed. This is economic injustice, and as a high

functioning autistic teen, this is unacceptable to me. I believe that if Martin Luther King, Jr. was

alive today, he would be working to change this, as he played a large part in fighting for the

rights of those with disabilities, as well as playing his more well-known role as a black rights

activist. Capable people are being denied the American Dream, not because of a lack of skills or

ability, but because of deep rooted bias against those who think differently.”

 Read by Chairperson Michael Loconto

(Thank you, Amelia for finding the courage to use your essay as an opportunity to advocate.)