At Boston’s 2019 MLK Memorial Breakfast, President Johnson Encouraged Attendees to Carry on King’s Vision

Wellesley College President Paula A. Johnson spoke January 21 at the 2019 MLK Memorial Breakfast at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center in honor and celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.’s devotion to social justice on Monday.

“Now it is up to us to carry [King’s] vision forward,” Johnson said. “To insist that everyone deserves a seat at the table, regardless of what they look like, who they love, how they worship, their ability or disability, or where they come from.”

She joined leaders from across Massachusetts who addressed this year’s theme, “Pledge to Carry On King’s Work,” hoping to inspire others to start off the year following in Dr. King’s footsteps. The MLK Memorial Breakfast Committee hosts the annual event in support of community programs and scholarships in the Boston Public Schools.

“When I think of today’s young activists, I can't help but feel hopeful,” Johnson continued. “Their impatience moves us out of complacency. Their dreams drive us forward. I see such commitment—such passion—to create a better world. This is how progress happens. A new generation takes up the torch from those who have gone before.”

Photo: (L to R) U.S. Sen. Edward J. Markey, Rev. Ray Hammond, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura T. Healey, Massachusetts State Sen. Sonia Chang-Díaz, Boston Police Commissioner William Gross, U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Rev. Dr. Jay Williams, Sheyann Webb-Christburg, Rev. Dr. Monrelle Williams, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, Wellesley College President Paula A. Johnson, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, Rt. Rev. Alan M. Gates, WCVB-TV Anchor Shayna Seymour

Photo (inset): President Paula A. Johnson delivers remarks at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Breakfast in Boston.