Embrace Boston

For over 50 years, Jose C. Masso III has used music as a storytelling tool to reclaim space, uplift culture, and keep Afro-Latino community joy alive through his iconic radio show ¡Con Salsa! on WBUR. This year, we honor that legacy with the Embrace Massó ¡Con Salsa! International Music Festival. In times where we’re asked to stay silent, we remind you that resistance often speaks through rhythm, dance and food prepared with love and defiance. 🎶 Expect: ✨ Armando the Truth spinning powerful rhythms ✨ Live performances from Jonathan Suazo, aja monet &, our headliner, the legendary Spanish Harlem Orchestra ✨ A salsa workshop with Salsa y Control Dance Studio ✨ A powerful performance from Hyde Square Task Force’s young dancers ✨ Stories and voices from our vibrant communities We’re one rhythm, one community. Come dance, eat, celebrate, and resist together. 🗓️ Saturday, September 13, 2025 📍 Boston Common | 12–7 PM Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/ef5QU7G7 #salsa #latinosenboston #latinocommunity #afrolatino #pr #bostoncommon

The Final Word brings Boston’s mayoral candidates to the stage for a critical conversation about the city’s future. Mayor Wu and Josh Kraft will join this important forum to share their vision and priorities for Boston. Tune in on Wednesday, September 3 at 7 pm on NBC10 Boston, presented in partnership with Embrace and the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream and he fought for it. On August 28, 1963, more than 250,000 people gathered in Washington, D.C. for the March on Washington for jobs and freedom. It was one of the largest mass demonstrations in U.S. history, uniting people across race, class, and geography in a demand for justice, equality, and dignity. It was on that day that Dr. King delivered his historic “I Have a Dream” speech, a vision that continues to echo through generations. Sixty-two years later, we are still reminded that the fight is not over. The rights won through sacrifice and struggle are being threatened and stripped away. From voting rights to racial justice, from labor protections to equal opportunity, the dream Dr. King spoke of is still unfinished work. We keep the dream. We keep the fight. We honor the courage of those who marched before us by carrying their vision forward in resistance, in action, and in community.

Leaders, advocates and elected officials came together on Boston Common to defend the truth of African American history amid growing fears of a “whitewash” in the Trump era. Sen. Edward Markey and nearly two dozen Black community leaders gathered at the Embrace monument, which honors the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King. Led by Imari Paris Jeffries Ph.D., president and CEO of Embrace, the walk highlighted the importance of monuments and museums. “Memory needs a body, grass and granite, a place where stories breathe and people can gather. Monuments are a city’s vocabulary,” Paris Jeffries said. The tour ended at the African Meeting House, the nation’s oldest Black church still standing and home to the Museum of African American History. “President Trump and his minions are not just rewriting policy,” Markey told reporters. “They are trying to rewrite the history of the United States of America. The administration wants a climate of denial of the role of Black people, of brown people.” Read more in Boston Globe Media: https://lnkd.in/exU-Zr3j

Sixty years after the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the fight for the ballot is far from over. In "Why We Can’t Wait For America To Keep Its Promises," Imari Paris Jeffries Ph.D. reminds us that democracy doesn’t protect itself and that justice only moves when we push it. From Dr. King’s final call in Memphis to today’s voter suppression tactics, this is a story of memory, resistance, and the urgency of action. Read full piece here:

New data from the 2022 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts shows that people of color and immigrants in #Boston engage in festivals, museums, and concerts, at higher rates than their peers in other major cities. It’s a sign that Boston’s cultural ecosystem holds real potential. But let’s keep it real, disparities still exist within our city. Access isn’t equal, and racial and economic barriers remain. ➡️ Swipe to see what the numbers say and what we can build on.

This weekend, we honored a giant. W.E.B. Du Bois returns home to Great Barrington, where his legacy lives on as a reminder: the fight for justice, truth, and belonging continues. His timeless work remains as relevant as ever. Embrace is proud to be part of this powerful monument to his vision and voice. As Du Bois warned us, “America would either destroy ignorance or ignorance would destroy America.” His words echo through history, and now, through this place of remembrance and hope. #WEBDuBois #GreatBarrington

Embrace is joining the call to make #GoodTrouble on #July17 and honor the legacy of John Lewis. From Selma to today, the fight for democracy continues. It’s our turn to help redeem the soul of America. Join us this Thursday in #Boston at 4:30pm in Copley Square to march and 6pm at Liberty Mall on Boston Common to rally for democracy and freedom! RSVP at here: https://lnkd.in/e7Ur3Maa #NoKings #50501movement #50501protest

BOSTON! Don’t miss the 15th Annual Juneteenth Emancipation Observance this Thursday, June 19. Come honor the legacy and joy of Juneteenth with us!

Join the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus for their Juneteenth Flag Raising Ceremony on Wednesday, June 18 at 11 a.m. — a powerful tribute to Black freedom, resilience, and progress. All are welcome to gather in honor of this historic day.