Advertisement

Washington Comes to Boston to Back King

Campaign '83

We re running a reform government and that means we'll have controversy," Washington told the small gathering of reporters and photographers.

"I've always said that in controversy there was creative tension" White added.

From Parkman House, the motorcade proceeded to the Harvard Club and then to two private meetings in Roxbury, a predominantly poor Black neighborhood.

At the Skycap Lounge, a nightclub in the heart of Roxbury. Washington told a small crowd of Black businessmen that they were essential to a successful assault on the mayoralty.

"The Black business community came out en masse." Washington said reffering to his own campaign, which was largely funded by Black businesses. "It was the seed money of the campaign," he added.

Advertisement

Pulpit Politics

From business, Washington and King moved on to religion meeting with an interracial and ecumenical group of Boston religious leader at the St. Mark's Church, where King garnered the blessings of 70 members of the Hub clergy.

At a closed-to-the-public service in the Roxbury church, a succession of Black and white religious leaders took to the pulpit to back the political candidate.

Rev. William E. Alberts, minister of the Community Church in Boston, explained the crossing of religion and politics by saying: "You can't keep religion out of politics unless you divorce religion from life. It's the politics of religion that keeps religion out of politics."

After a succession of religious endorsements, King and Washington entered the chapel to the strains of "Take My Hand, Precious Lord" and took their campaign to the clergy.

King called Washington--who once was once convicted on charges of tax evasion--"unquestionably an inspiration to the people of Chicago, to the people of the U.S., to the people of the world," and Washington responded by repeating a theme he had stressed all day.

"This movement is natural," Washington said, "It's nothing to be afraid of, nothing to be ashamed about. It's inevitable, it's manifest, there's a historical imperative."

Following the service, at a press conference in the church basement, the church group and Washington officially announced their endorsement of King.

King, wearing a red bow tie and a suit--a marked contrast from the robes he donned at the start of the campaign--accepted the endorsements with a prepared speech, largely bereft of political proposals.

King, who has been working to modify an image which many see as too radical, drew parallels between his campaign and Washington's victory.

Advertisement