Timeline: African American Political Struggle in Boston
Created by Armani White & Chuck Turner
1600s–1700s: Origins of Black Boston
1638
First recorded Africans arrive in Boston on the slave ship Desiré.
1656
Bostian Ken becomes the first recorded Black landowner in Boston after purchasing land in Dorchester.
1770
Crispus Attucks is killed during the Boston Massacre, becoming the first casualty of the American Revolution.
1781
Slavery is abolished in Massachusetts following Black participation in the Revolutionary War.
1800s: Abolition and Early Political Activity
Early–Mid 1800s
Boston becomes a center of the abolitionist movement. Black abolitionists such as Lewis Hayden, David Walker, and John P. Coburn organize and lead resistance.
1836–1854
Multiple slave rescue actions occur in Boston including the cases of Small and Bates, Shadrach Minkins, and Anthony Burns.
1865-1870
Reconstruction amendments passed: the 13th Amendment abolishes slavery, the 14th Amendment grants citizenship, and the 15th Amendment grants Black men the right to vote.
1867
First African Americans elected to the Massachusetts Legislature: Edwin Garrison Walker and Charles Lewis Mitchell.
Late 1800s
Boston’s Black population increases rapidly as African Americans migrate north.
Early 1900s: Economic Struggle and Institutional Development
1900
Booker T. Washington founds the National Negro Business League in Boston.
1909
NAACP formed nationally; the Boston chapter begins organizing against discrimination and unemployment.
1910
Daniel E. Crawford opens the Eureka Co‑Operative Bank, a Black-owned bank in Boston.
1949
Freedom House is founded in Roxbury and becomes a major center of Black political organizing.
1950s: 'New Boston' and Urban Renewal
1949
John Hynes defeats Mayor James Michael Curley and begins the 'New Boston' redevelopment era.
1950s
Urban renewal policies begin displacing working‑class communities; West End demolished and thousands of residents displaced under urban renewal policies.
1951
Boston adopts a new city charter creating an at‑large city council, weakening neighborhood political representation.
1957
Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) is established to oversee development and redevelopment.
1960s: Civil Rights and Black Political Mobilization
1961
Royal Bolling elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives.
1966
Edward Brooke elected U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, the first African American elected to the Senate by popular vote.
Late 1960s
Black Power organizing influences Boston activism and political mobilization.
1967
Kevin White elected mayor with support from communities of color.
1970s: Community Control and Institutional Power
1970s
Community Development Corporations expand as a strategy to control neighborhood development and housing.
1972
Second Suffolk District created, expanding Black political representation.
1973
Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus formed.
1979
Black Political Task Force created to coordinate political strategy.
1980s: Electoral Politics and Institutional Growth
1980s
Growth of Black political leadership including Bruce Bolling, Charles Yancey, and Gloria Fox.
1983
Mel King runs for mayor of Boston and builds a 'Rainbow Coalition' political movement.
1990s: Institutional Consolidation and New Challenges
1990s
Expansion of nonprofit infrastructure and violence prevention organizing.
1993
Diane Wilkerson becomes the first Black woman elected to the Massachusetts Senate.
1999
Chuck Turner elected Boston City Councilor representing District 7.
2000s: Planning and Development Battles
2004
Roxbury Strategic Master Plan developed to guide community-driven development.
2009
Ayanna Pressley elected Boston City Councilor at‑large, becoming the first Black woman on the council.
2010s: Majority‑Minority City and Political Realignment
2010s
New generation of Black and Latino leadership rises including Tito Jackson, Kim Janey, Chynah Tyler, Andrea Campbell, and Ayanna Pressley.
2010
According to the 2010 Census, Boston becomes a majority‑minority city.
2013
Marty Walsh elected mayor.
Strategic Conclusion
The history of Black Boston reflects a continuous struggle for political power, economic justice, and community control. While representation and institutions have grown over time, challenges such as displacement, fragmentation, and uneven voter turnout remain.
The next phase requires sustained political education, organizing, and coalition-building to unify working-class communities of color and strengthen collective political power.