♪ PHILIP: WELCOME TO "BASIC BLACK."

SOME OF YOU ARE JOINING US ON OUR BROADCAST AND OTHERS OF YOU ARE JOINING US ON OUR DIGITAL PLATFORMS.

I'’M PHILIP MARTIN, SR.

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER, GBH NEWS CENTER FOR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING.

CALLIE CROSSLEY HAS THE NIGHT OFF.

TONIGHT, REMEMBERING MEL KING.

KING WAS A CHAMPION FOR THE PEOPLE.

HE ADDRESSED MANY CRITICAL ISSUES THAT IMPACTED THE LIVES OF A RAINBOW OF COMMUNITIES HERE IN THE CITY AND BEYOND.

HIS PRESENCE HISTORICALLY AND POLITICALLY WAS UNMATCHED DURING THE HEIGHT OF RACIAL TENSIONS IN THE 1960'S AND 1970'’S.

KING'S LEADERSHIP AGAINST RACISM LEAD TO WHAT WE HAVE TODAY, A MULTI-RACIAL GOVERNMENT.

HE WAS A GIANT OF A MAN WHO SPOKE SOFTLY, YET HIS WORDS WERE POWERFUL.

HIS PASSING AT THE AGE OF 94 IS A LOSS FOR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND ALL RESIDENTS OF BOSTON.

JOINING US NOW TO DISCUSS MEL KING, MARITA RIVERO, PRINCIPAL, RIVERO PARTNERS.

SHE IS ALSO THE FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND THE FORMER VP AND GM FOR RADIO AND TELEVISION AT GBH.

JAMES DILDAY, PRINCIPAL ATTORNEY, DILDAY LAW.

RAHSAAN HALL, PRINCIPAL, RAHSAAN HALL CONSULTING AND FORMER DIRECTOR, RACIAL JUSTICE PROGRAM, ACLU OF MASSACHUSETTS.

AND DARRIN HOWELL, POLITICAL DIRECTOR, 1199 SEIU UNITED HEALTHCARE WORKERS EAST IN MASS.

WELCOME TO YOU ALL.

ALL: THANK YOU.

PHILIP: ONE OF THE MANY CAUSES MEL KING TOOK UP, AND OF COURSE WE WILL TALK ABOUT THIS LATER, WAS HOUSING, BUT RIGHT NOW I WANT YOU TO TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU THINK IS MEL KING'’S LEGACY.

I WANT YOU TO DO THAT IN ONE MINUTE OR LESS.

[LAUGHTER] I AM GOING TO START WITH YOU.

MARITA: WELL, HIS LEGACY IS WALKING AROUND THE STREETS OF BOSTON AND MANY OTHER CITIES.

IT IS THE MANY, MANY PEOPLE HE TOUCHED WHO FOLLOWED HIS STYLE AND UNDERSTOOD WHAT HE TALKED ABOUT, HAD A CHANCE TO THINK ABOUT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, WHAT NEEDED TO HAPPEN, SO I THINK HIS LEGACY IS SOMETHING THAT IS LIVING.

HE MEANT TO PASS THAT ALONG AS WE WENT ALONG.

AS WE GET OLDER, WE LOOK BEHIND US AND SAY, WHERE ARE THEY?

I THINK HE DID THAT EARLY.

THAT IS A BIG LEGACY.

PHILIP: THAT IS A MAJOR LEGACY.

YOU HAVE KNOWN HIM SINCE YOU WERE 12 YEARS OLD?

JAMES: YEAH, WHEN HE WAS A SOCIAL WORKER AND HE GUIDED ME AWAY FROM THE STREETS.

WHEN I WAS THAT AGE, I WANTED BE A PIMP OR BOOKIE, BECAUSE THOSE WERE THE PEOPLE WITH MONEY I THOUGHT WERE LEADING A GOOD LIFE.

MEL SAID YOU ARE NOT GOING THAT ROUTE, AND HE GAVE ME THE INDICATION OF WHAT IT IS LIKE TO DO OTHER THINGS, BUT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT HIS LEGACY, FROM MY GENERATION, HE KEPT US STRAIGHT AND MADE US DO THINGS AND SEE THINGS THAT WERE POSITIVE WITHIN OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY, BUT I THINK THE BEST THING TO REMEMBER ABOUT MEL BECAUSE HE ALWAYS HAD A GOOD WORD FOR EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, AND HE WOULD LOOK FOR US.

THE THING THAT HE DID HIS HEAT UNITED PEOPLE.

HE BROUGHT ALL THE PEOPLE TOGETHER.

LOOK, EVEN LONG BEFORE HE RAN FOR MAYOR INSTEAD OF THAT RAINBOW COALITION, HE WAS A PERSON WHO WALKED THE STREETS AND DID POSITIVE THINGS FOR MOST PEOPLE.

PHILIP: THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WAS CENTRAL TO HIS CORE, THIS NOTION OF COALITION BUILDING.

YOU ARE OF A NEW GENERATION AND YOU GOT TO KNOW MEL ALONG WITH OTHER POLITICAL LEADERS IN THE CITY.

WHAT IS HIS LEGACY FOR YOU?

DARRIN: AN EXAMPLE OF HOW TO APPROACH THE WORK OF SERVICE AND HOW HE GAVE BACK.

SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE RESONATED WITH ME AT LEAST THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS IS COMPASSION, HUMILITY, HUMBLENESS, INTEGRITY, APPROACH TO HELPING OTHERS.

FOR ME, THAT IS SOMETHING I WILL REMEMBER ABOUT HOW HE WAS A GENTLE GIANT.

HE WAS ALWAYS SO WELCOMING.

IT IS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW TO APPROACH THE FIELD OF SERVICE IN THE WORK OF SERVICE, SOMETHING I WILL CHERISH.

PHILIP: WHICH ALSO REMINDS ME OF SOMETHING.

WE WILL TALK ABOUT HIS MAYORAL CAMPAIGN LATER, BUT YOU DID NOT KNOW MEL THAT WELL BUT HE THAT IS THE HAD A MAJOR IMPACT ON YOU?

RAHSAAN: YEAH, AND I AM HUMBLED TO BE ON THIS PANEL BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY OTHERS WHO COULD TALK ABOUT HIS LEGACY, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT MEL KING AND HIS LEGACY IS THAT HE WORE BOWTIES.

[LAUGHTER] I AM JUST KIDDING.

IN ALL SERIOUSNESS, THE WILLING TO STEP OUT FOR POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS, WHETHER SUCCESSFUL OR NOT COMMUNICATED TO COMMUNITY THAT THERE IS A PLACE FOR US WITHIN THE POLITICAL SPHERE.

MEL UNDERSTOOD THAT VERY WELL AND WORK TOWARDS THAT NOT ONLY RUNNING FOR OFFICE, BUT BUILDING THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE PEOPLE WHO COULD BE IN THESE POSITIONS.

WE DON'’T SEE THE FIRST BLACK MAYOR OF BOSTON IF THERE WAS NOT A MEL KING OR ANY NUMBER OF CURRENT CITY COUNSELORS, SO THAT VISION OF WHAT COULD BE FOR US IN HIS ACTIONS OF STEPPING FORWARD AND MAKING THE SACRIFICE OF HIS TIME IN HIS FAMILY TO RUN FOR POLITICAL OFFICE, TO CAST FORTH A VISION OF WHAT COULD BE POSSIBLE, NOT ONLY FOR BLACK PEOPLE, BUT ALL PEOPLE IN BOSTON AND WHEREVER WE REPRESENT OUR COMMUNITIES.

PHILIP: WITHOUT QUESTIONS, FOLKS ONE OF THE MOST LASTING AND OBVIOUS ASPECTS OF HIS LEGACY YOU CAN SEE NOW IN THE SOUTH END .

ONE OF THE MANY CAUSES MEL TOOK UP WAS THIS ISSUE OF HOUSING AND SPECIFICALLY THE FIGHT THAT BUD TO THE TENT CITY -- LED TO THE TENT CITY DEVELOPMENT.

THIS IS AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMPLEX IN THE SOUTH END.

LISTEN AS HE EXPLAINS THE PLANNING PROCESS.

MEL KING: IF THINGS GO AS THE TENT CITY CORPORATION HAS PLAN AND IS WORKING ON, THEN THEY WILL GET AN URBAN ACTION DEVELOP AND GRANT.

THEY WILL GET THE -- WHAT THEY NEED SO THAT THE CONSTRUCTION CAN GO FORWARD.

WE WILL HAVE CLOSE TO 300 UNITS OF HOUSING, 75% OF WHICH WILL PROVIDE FOR FAMILIES WHOSE INCOMES ARE LOW AND MODERATE.

PHILIP: OBVIOUSLY ONE REASON TENT CITY STANDS OUT IS BECAUSE WE ARE NOW IN THE MIDST OF FIGHTING FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT WHAT MEL KING ACCOMPLISHED IN THE SOUTH END IS REMARKABLE GIVEN WHAT THE SOUTH END REPRESENTS NOW.

THERE ARE FEW PEOPLE OF COLOR LEFT IN THE SOUTH END, EXCEPT FOR THOSE POCKETS HE CARVED UP THROUGH TENT CITY.

THEY STARTED FIGHTING TO KEEP THE BOSTON REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY FROM TAKING OVER THIS LAND THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A GARAGE IN 1968, AND BY THE 1980'’S YOU HAD AN HOUSING THE RELEVANT.

LET ME TURN TO JAMES TO ADDRESS THIS QUESTION OF KING'’S FIGHT FOR HOUSING.

WHY WAS THAT SO CENTRAL TO HIS CORE, WHY WAS THIS PARTICULAR DEVELOPMENT OVER 20 YEARS HE FOUGHT FOR SO VIGOROUSLY?

JAMES: DURING THAT TIMEFRAME, THE SOUTH END WAS REALLY A POOR NEIGHBORHOOD, POOR BLACKS, POOR WHITES, LEBANESE, SYRIANS -- NONE OF US HAD MONEY.

MEL HAD LIVED THERE ALMOST ALL OF HIS LIFE AND SAID HE WANTED TO MAINTAIN A PROCESS LIVING IN THIS COMMUNITY WHERE IT WAS NOT GOING TO BE COMPLETELY GENTRIFIED.

HE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE HAD A PLACE FOR PEOPLE WHO WERE MARGINALIZED IN THE INCOME STRATA OF OUR SOCIETY TO HAVE A PLACE TO LIVE, AND WHAT PEOPLE DON'’T TALK ABOUT AS WELL IS HE WAS ALSO ACTIVE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST I-95 FROM COMING THROUGH AND JUST BEGIN NO, COMING TO -- JUST, YOU KNOW, COMING TO THE BLACK COMMUNITY IN THE SOUTH END , AND JUST DIVIDE THE COMMUNITY TO MAKE WAY FOR THE HIGHWAY.

SO YOU LOOK AT THE HIGHWAY, THE GARAGE, MEL WAS IN THE FOREFRONT OF NO GARAGE/NO HOUSING -- HOUSING.

PHILIP: YOU CAME TO TUFTS UNIVERSITY, A STUDENT/ACTIVIST AROUND THIS TIME.

DURING THE TIME YOU WERE IN BOSTON, OF COURSE, WE ALSO HAD THIS FIGHT OVER STUDENT DESEGREGATION.

THE FIGHT TO OPPOSE SCHOOL DISAGGREGATION IN THE FORM OF BUSING, MEL KING STOOD OUT AT THAT TIME.

HE HAD JUST BECOME A STATE LEGISLATOR IN 1973.

WHAT WAS YOUR IMPRESSION AT THE TIME?

MARITA: I WAS NOTICING ALL THIS.

WE WERE IN FREEDOM SCHOOLS.

WE WERE BUSY PARTICIPATING IN THE CITY.

WE WERE NOT JUST SITTING ON A CAMPUS.

I WOULD SAY AS A NEW PERSON COMING TO TOWN, ONE OF THE THINGS I NOTICED WAS THE REAL LEADERSHIP FROM THE WEST INDIAN COMMUNITY IN BOSTON.

YOU KNOW, THERE WAS OVER HERE WITH THE ARTS, LEWIS WOLCOTT, FARRAKHAN -- OVER HERE.

YOU KNOW, MEL.

YOU KNOW IT WAS A COHESIVE, STRONG COMMUNITY HOLDING DOWN ROXBURY, BUYING HOMES, ACTIVE IN THE COMMUNITY.

I NOTICED THAT.

I NOTICED IT YEARS LATER WHEN I MOVE FROM BOSTON.

I CAN TALK ABOUT THAT LATER, BUT THESE WERE EXAMPLES OF WHAT COULD HAPPEN IN OTHER CITIES, SO WHEN I DID MOVE, I WENT TO WASHINGTON AT ONE POINT, THEY WERE LOOKING BACK AT WHAT MEL WAS DOING.

PHILIP: IN WASHINGTON?

>> YEAH, HE WASN'’T JUST A BOSTON PHENOMENON.

PEOPLE IN OTHER CITIES WERE PAYING ATTENTION TO THIS MEANT TAKING ON HOUSING, AFFORDABLE HOUSING ISSUES URBAN REDEVELOPMENT ISSUES.

ALL OF THIS WAS HAPPENING IN OTHER CITIES IN HERE IN BOSTON WE HAD A PERSON WHO IS DEDICATED TO BEING IN EVERYBODY'’S FACE ABOUT IT.

HE WAS A REAL MODEL.

I TOOK AWAY FROM THAT THE POSSIBILITY OF LEADERSHIP AT A COMMUNITY LEVEL THAT COULD HAVE INFLUENCE VERY BROADLY.

PHILIP: YOU KNOW, THE THING ABOUT WHEN A PERSON PASSES, SOMEONE THAT MEL KING'’S STATURE, THERE IS THE DEIFICATION, BUT AT THE TIME, HE WAS AN ACTIVIST, HE WAS OFTEN VILIFIED BY MEDIA AND OTHERS.

THAT IS SOMETHING YOU HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT, THAT VILIFICATION, AND, BUT I AM WONDERING DESPITE ALL THOSE NEGATIVE COMMENTS ABOUT MEL KING , HOW DID YOU CUT THROUGH THAT NONSENSE AND BASICALLY ARRIVED AT A POINT WHERE YOU FELT THIS MAN DESERVE MORE THAN WHAT HE WAS RECEIVING?

DARRIN: HOW I CAME IN CONTACT WITH MEL WAS AT THE REQUEST OF MEN WHO WERE SERVING LIFE SENTENCES TRYING TO HAVE A COMMUNITY MEETING WITH FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY, AND MEL WAS WILLING TO MEET WITH THOSE MEN.

I HAVE TO GIVE CREDIT TO THE INITIATOR AT THE TIME, INNOCENT MAN, DARRELLE JONES, AND TO SEE THE ACTIONS OF THOSE MEN BECAUSE IT WAS PREDOMINATE A LIFER POPULATION AND HOW THEY GREETED AND INTERACTED WITH MEL.

MEL FELT AT HOME WITH THOSE INDIVIDUALS.

THEY TALKED ABOUT HOW THEY SUPPORTED HIS CAMPAIGN AND REMEMBER HIM DOING CERTAIN THINGS.

FOR ME TO WATCH AND OBSERVE THAT, THAT WAS MY FIRST ORGANIZING ACTIVITY, SO TO REACH OUT TO COMMUNITY ELDERS AND SAY MEN BEHIND THE WALL WOULD LIKE YOUR ATTENTION AND ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW THEY CAN PARTICIPATE IN ANTIVIOLENCE ISSUES, BUT THEY NEED SUPPORT IN YOUR NAME IS SOMEONE THEY ASKED ME TO REACH OUT TO TO SEE HIS WILLINGNESS AND EAGERNESS, AND HE SAID, PASS ME THE BALL.

JUST SEEING HIS ENERGY BUT THAT WAS THE WAY TO SEE THE PERSON BEYOND THE RHETORIC.

PHILIP: IT WAS A NEVER -- NEVER A CARICATURE AS A RESULT.

DARRIN: RIGHT.

PHILIP: YOU SAID HE SEEMED TO BE COMFORTABLE.

HE WAS COMFORTABLE WITH EVERYONE.

THAT WAS -- HIS RAINBOW COALITION.

HE SUCCEEDED IN BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER ACROSS SPECTRUMS HERE IN BOSTON AT A TIME WHEN THERE WAS EXTRAORDINARY DIVISION.

THIS WAS MOST PRONOUNCED, OF COURSE, IN 1983 WHEN HE WAS BUILDING HIS CAMPAIGN TO BECOME THE MAYOR OF BOSTON, THE FIRST BLACK PERSON TO REACH THE GENERAL ELECTION, AND AFTER LOSING THE MAYORAL RACE IN 1983, MEL KING SAT DOWN WITH A HOST/PRODUCER ABOUT STAYING OPTIMISTIC ON THE FUTURE OF THE RAINBOW COALITION IN BOSTON.

TAKE A LOOK.

MEL KING: THEY HAVE WORKED HARD.

IT IS NOT JUST AROUND THIS CAMPAIGN, BECAUSE THEY COME OUT OF A LEGACY THAT SAYS THEY ARE GOING TO CHANGE THINGS.

THAT THEY ARE ABOUT SELF DEFINITION.

THEY ARE ABOUT SELF-DETERMINATION.

THEY ARE ABOUT SELF LIBERATION.

WHEN YOU HAVE PEOPLE LIKE THAT INVOLVED WORKING WITH YOU, AND WHO ARE POSITIVE PEOPLE AND WHO REALLY HANG IN THERE, THEN THERE IS A GREAT FUTURE FOR THEM, AND IT MEANS A GREAT FUTURE FOR THE CITY AND FOR THE COUNTRY AS WELL.

PHILIP: YOU KNOW, I FIND IT FANTASTIC TO GO FROM THIS PICTURE THAT MEL KING HERE AND TO GO TO YOU WITH THE BOWTIE.

[LAUGHTER] YOU JUST RAN A CAMPAIGN FOR DISTRICT ATTORNEY, AND LIKE MEL, YOU DID NOT WIN YOUR CAMPAIGN, BUT FORMED AS YOU ARE RUNNING, RAINBOW COALITION OF YOUR OWN.

MEL KING, DO YOU FEEL HE HAD A ROLE IN THAT EVEN IF IT WAS NOT DIRECTLY?

RAHSAAN: HE SHOWED WHAT WAS POSSIBLE.

TO RUN THE RACE THAT HE RAN BUILD THE COALITION IN AT A RACIALLY DIVISIVE TIME IN BOSTON SPOKE VOLUMES TO THE POSSIBILITY OF PEOPLE COMING TOGETHER CONNECTED ON THEIR LIVED EXPERIENCE IN THE IDEOLOGY OF LIFTING PEOPLE UP OUT OF POVERTY AND CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR EVERYONE AND I COULD NOT RUN THE RACE I RAN IN LIMIT COUNTY TRYING TO BRING THE HAITIAN/CAPE VERDE-IAN COMMUNITIES IN OTHER COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE REST OF PLYMOUTH COUNTY WITHOUT LOOKING TO AN EXAMPLE LIKE MEL KING, A COMING TOGETHER OF A RAINBOW OF PEOPLE, AND NOT FOCUSING ON THE DIFFERENCES, BUT FOCUSING ON WHAT BRINGS US TOGETHER, WHAT IS THE COMMON EXPERIENCE WE HAVE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED THAT GIVES US A PLATFORM TO INSPIRE HOPE AND MOVE THIS CONVERSATION FORWARD, OH ABSOLUTELY.

PHILIP: WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER, IT WAS SOMETHING YOU SAID AND MARITA SAID, HE BROUGHT PEOPLE TOGETHER ACROSS RACES, CLASSES, AND THERE WAS SOMETHING TRADITIONAL ABOUT THAT, WEST INDIAN TRADITION, MEL BEING ONE OF 11 KIDS, A FAMILY FROM THE CARIBBEAN, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN SOME POINT HAVE SET DOWN AT MEL'’S HOUSE WITH HIM AND JOYCE AND SOME OF THEIR KIDS, A MICRO AMONG THEM, FOR HIS FAMOUS BRANCHES.

-- BRUNCHES.

IT WASN'’T JUST A QUESTION OF FOOD OR QUESTION OF DISCUSSION.

IT WAS ALSO STRATEGY.

YOU WENT TO A BUNCH OF THOSE.

TELL US.

MARITA: AGAIN, I WAS A RELATIVELY NEW PERSON IN BOSTON.

TO BE WELCOMED, SOME PLACES WERE WELCOMING ME, TO COME OVER, YOU KNOW, AND TO BE THERE WITH ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE FROM THE CHINESE COMMUNITY MIGHT BE THERE, THE LEBANESE COMMUNITY, DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY, DIFFERENT LEADERSHIP LEVELS.

SOMETIMES FUN CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE LATEST MOVIE.

OTHER TIMES MOSTLY JUST SERIOUS CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHERE WE WERE GOING AND WHAT WE WANTED TO DO.

I THINK TO FIND A SPACE WHERE THAT CAN HAPPEN IN A CITY WHERE PEOPLE SAY, OH NO, WE ARE ALL IN OUR DIFFERENT ENCLAVES WAS VERY IMPORTANT, AND IT WAS THE BACKDROP OF THIS KIND OF RAINBOW COALITION IDEA.

I WAS IN WASHINGTON WHEN JESSE JACKSON CAME TO TWO ANNOUNCES RUN AT THE CONVENTION CENTER.

I REMEMBERED NEWSPAPERS HAD MENTIONED RAINBOW COALITION, BUT I HEARD MEL IN JESSE JACKSON'’S MOUTH WHEN HE TALKED ABOUT WHAT HAD TO HAPPEN AT A COMMUNITY LEVEL.

I KNEW SOMEBODY ACTING ON THAT.

PHILIP: IT IS IMPORTANT WHAT YOU SAID.

A LOT OF FOLKS DON'’T REALIZE THAT JESSE JACKSON WAS HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY MEL KING.

MARITA: I THINK SO.

PHILIP: BECAUSE MEL KING REPRESENTED A SUCCESSFUL RAINBOW COALITION.

IT WAS AMAZING, JAMES, I REMEMBER MEL KING TALKING ABOUT THIS IN 1983, AND THE REASON I REMEMBER IT IS, LIKE A LOT OF YOU, I PLAYED A ROLE IN HIS CAMPAIGN IN 1983, AND I REMEMBER AT ONE OF THE BREAKFASTS, I REMEMBERED HIM TALKING ABOUT WHAT HAD TO HAPPEN ON A NATIONAL AND LOCAL LEVEL.

IT HAD TO HAPPEN ON THE LOCAL LEVEL FOR US TO GO FROM EXTRAORDINARY RACIAL DIVISIONS IN THE CITY THAT HAD NOT EASED DRAMATICALLY IN 1983 TO ELECT, ALLOWING A BLACK MAN INTO THE GENERAL ELECTION IN BOSTON THAT YEAR?

JAMES: THE KING THINK THERE WAS SOMEBODY WHO PEOPLE COULD BELIEVE IN, AND MEL WAS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO HAD THIS ECLECTIC PERSONALITY.

PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD JUST GRAVITATE TOWARDS MEL, AND MEL WAS ABLE TO GET PEOPLE TO WORK WITH HIM, LISTEN TO HIM, AND SUPPORT HIM AND WHAT HE DID BUT WHEN YOU LISTENED TO HIM, IT DID NOT MATTER WHETHER YOUR BLACK, WHITE, LATINO, ASIAN.

HE LOOKED AT EVERYBODY AS AN INDIVIDUAL.

HE ACCEPTED YOU AS WHO YOU ARE AND WANTED YOU TO DO BETTER AND THAT ALLOWED PEOPLE TO GRAVITATE TOWARDS HIM AND SUPPORT WHAT HE WANTED TO DO.

MORE PARTICULARLY AT THAT TIME YOU HAD OTHERS, JIM KELLY, ALL OF WHOM WERE STAUNCH RACISTS, AND MEL STOOD OUT BECAUSE HE WAS THIS BIG BLACK MAN WHO WAS A WELCOMING FORCE TO EVERYBODY.

PHILIP: NOT ONLY WELCOMING, BUT HE SEEMED FEARLESS.

DARRIN, ONE OF THE INTERVIEWS I HEARD THAT MIKE HARLEY CONDUCTED WITH MEL KING ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO, I WAS STRUCK BY HIM SAYING HE HAD NO PROBLEM GOING TO THE CHARLESTOWN HOUSING PROJECTS IN 1983.

I CAN'’T BEGIN TO EXPLAIN TO YOU HOW DIFFICULT THAT WAS IN 1983 FOR A BLACK MAN TO WALK THROUGH THE CHARLESTOWN HOUSING PROJECTS, BUT THERE HE FOUND SOME ALLY-SHIP, A TERM WE USE NOW.

COMMENT ON YOUR IMPRESSION OF HIS FEARLESSNESS.

HE SEEMED TO BE WILLING TO GO ANYWHERE.

DARRIN: YEAH, I THINK HIS CONVICTIONS WERE TRANSPARENT.

HE STOOD ON HIS VALUES AND PRINCIPLES.

HE DIDN'’T HAVE NO PROBLEM BEING IN A SPACE FOR THOSE VALUES AND PRINCIPLES NEEDED TO BE SHARED.

YOU CAN FIND LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS AND I THINK THAT IS WHERE HE WAS WILLING TO GO TO FIND IT.

THERE WERE ALLIES ACROSS THE CITY THAT HAD THINGS OF COMMON INTEREST AND HE WAS ABLE TO TAP INTO THAT AND SAY, AND THAT IS WHAT I BELIEVE, BECAUSE EVERY TIME YOU MENTION 1983, I WAS ONE YEAR OLD.

[LAUGHTER] SO NOT BEING PRIVILEGED TO THAT EXPERIENCE, BUT IN MY OWN WAY WITH THE OCCUPY MOVEMENT THAT JUST TOOK PLACE AROUND THE ECONOMY, THE 99%, AND SEEING DIFFERENT PEOPLE COME TOGETHER LOOKING AT HOW ARE WE EXPERIENCING THIS ISSUE IN A NEGATIVE WAY AND WHAT CAN WE COLLECTIVELY DO TO ADDRESS IT, I HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE TO HAVE THAT EXPANDS WHERE I SAID THIS IS MY GENERATION CIVIL-RIGHTS MOMENT, THE FIGHT FOR $15 WITH FAST FOOD WORKERS GOING INTO THE STREETS.

WHAT I CONNECTED WITH MEL WAS ALWAYS THIS IS WHAT I WAS ALWAYS INVOLVED IN AND HE WOULD REMIND ME TO KEEP DOING IT.

IT WAS GOOD TROUBLE, I GUESS SO I HAVE ENJOYED KNOWING THAT THERE WERE OTHERS THAT CAME BEFORE THAT LIVED THAT MOTTO AND HOW IT COULD BE APPROACHED.

PHILIP: LET'’S WRAP THIS UP THE WAY WE BEGIN IT, IN TERMS OF MEL KING'’S IMPACT, LEGACY.

MURALS ALL OVER THE CITY WITH THE FACE OF MEL KING.

HE HAS LEFT BEHIND THE SOUTH END TECHNOLOGY CENTER HE FOUNDED AND CARED FOR AND NURTURED.

AND OF COURSE HIS WIFE JOYCE AND THEIR SIX CHILDREN.

WHAT ELSE HAS MEL LEFT BEHIND THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT IN TERMS OF ITS FORWARD TRAJECTORY?

>> I THINK ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS IS HIS LEGACY OF ORGANIZING.

A LOT OF PEOPLE TALK ABOUT BEING ORGANIZERS, BUT THEY DON'’T KNOW WHAT IT MEANS, AND IF ANYONE HAS NOT ALREADY READ CHAIN OF CHANGE, THAT BOOK DESCRIBES IN IMMACULATE DETAIL HOW ORGANIZING ACTUALLY HAPPENS AND HOW ONE VICTORY BUILDS TO THE NEXT VICTORY, AND IN HIS WILLINGNESS TO REACH BACK TO THE NEXT GENERATION OF POTENTIAL ORGANIZERS, YOU LOOK AT PEOPLE WHO WERE ON THE FRONT LINES, DOING ACTIVISM AND ORGANIZING WORK RIGHT NOW, LOOK AT FOLKS AT CITY LIFE AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS IN BALLSTON.

THOSE GROUPS HAVE BEEN -- BOSTON .

THOSE GROUPS HAVE BEEN INFLUENCED BY HIS LEGACY, SO THEY SHOULD ALSO GIVE TRIBUTE TO HIM BY ENACTING LEGISLATION ON THE THINGS HE WAS FIGHTING FOR.

>> INDEED.

MARITA: A FABULOUS MODEL OF LEADERSHIP.

THAT IS HOW YOU DO IT.

YOU LISTEN.

YOU WORK IN COALITION.

I WOULD CALL HIM UP WHEN I HAD SOMETHING.

HE WOULD SAY, DON'’T WORRY ABOUT IT.

DO WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO DO.

BE OPEN TO PEOPLE.

PHILIP: INDEED.

JAMES?

JAMES: HE WAS A PERSON WHO WAS HUMBLE.

HE LED, BUT WAS NOT CAUGHT UP INTO HIM HIMSELF.

HE WAS ALWAYS GIVING TO OTHER PEOPLE.

THAT IS WHAT I LOVED ABOUT MALE.

HE DIDN'’T WANT THE ACCOLADES.

HE WAS THE LEADER WHO SAID DON'’T SAY I AM THE LEADER.

JUST SAY I AM WORKING HERE TO DO SOMETHING POSITIVE FOR ALL OF US.

PHILIP: INDEED.

DARRIN, LAST WORD.

YOU ARE THAT LAST GENERATION, IF YOU WILL.

DARRIN: THE BUILD OFF WHAT HE SAID, I BELIEVE HE WAS A VISIONARY.

I BELIEVE THERE ARE LEVELS OF ORGANIZING, AND WHEN YOU REACH THE LEVEL OF A VISIONARY, YOU CAN SEE BEYOND OTHERS AND YOU KNOW ALL THOSE INDIVIDUALS WILL MAKE THAT A REALITY, SO HE WAS A VISIONARY.

PHILIP: INDEED.

MEL KING.

MEL KING.

GREAT MAN.

FOLKS, THANK YOU.

THAT IS THE END OF OUR BROADCAST AT THE END OF OUR SHOW.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

NOW STAY WITH US AS WE CONTINUE OUR CONVERSATION ON OUR DIGITAL PLATFORMS, YOU TUBE, AND FACEBOOK.

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