“Call in Your Best Players Boston, the Bleachers Are Full: An International and Domestic Response to Boston Busing directed at Mayor Kevin White”
By: Caitlin Pinkham, graduate student in History
Since its foundation, Boston recognized itself as a “city upon a hill.” A city that fought against the crown, the first to have an underground subway system and provide a home to activists and political progressives abound. In various moments of history, Boston became the beacon providing insight into new political understandings and transformations. As the buses began to roll to combat segregation, Boston once again found itself in the national spotlight.
Sitting on the bleachers, countries and states watched Boston deploy players and officials to uphold a decision for the desegregation of schools made by Judge in 1974. As controversy and violence quickly arose in city neighborhoods, countries and states chimed in with their opinions on exactly what Boston should do to combat discrimination. Yelling from the bleachers, theses spectators brought their own perspectives and opinions into the city.
Through letters sent personally to Boston’s Mayor Kevin White and newspapers with editorials from different states and countries. I hope this archive will begin to shed light on how the situation in Boston grew from a citywide dilemma to an international issue. The mayor received letters from countries as far away as Australia (see below for aerogramme from R.M. Lewis in Sydney, Australia) and as close to the border as Mexico. Various states provided their perspectives to Boston as well. Everyone had an opinion about the correct maneuver that would outsmart discrimination. These letters will surely demonstrate various opinions and once again solidify Boston’s position as a “city upon a hill.”
