Browse Exhibits (12 total)

An International and Domestic Response to Boston Busing directed at Mayor Kevin White

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Boston Qoute

"Although our situation is of national concern… 
the specifics are particular to Boston."

~ Kevin H. White

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 Garrity 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.The mayor received letters from countries as far away as Australia and as close to the border as Mexico. Various states provided their perspectives to Boston as well. These letters will surely demonstrate various opinions and once again solidify Boston’s position as a “city upon a hill.”

So who is Mayor White?

Kevin White served the city of Boston as Mayor from 1968 to 1984. After the Judge Garrity ruling of 1974, White's actions quickly faced criticism and praise by the public. Initially White took a stance against busing and the court ordered decision. Serving as a democrat, Mayor White was later described by the New York Times as "a stabilizing presence as he extended protection to the children and opposed order through a heightened police presence."(Fox, Jan. 27, 2012). Some of his lettered responses highlight this attribute in the exhibit. Mayor White served Boston during a trying and controversial period. He placed his faith in Boston and faced continued opposition while in office.

Mayor Kevin H. White Portrait, ca. 1975.

These letters reflect a unique perspective of public school integration--what became known locally as "Boston busing." They demonstrate the raw emotion that accompanied forced busing of students in Boston Public Schools. Names of letter senders have been redacted to respect the privacy of the individual who wrote them. Although these letters are only a beginning to understanding the international and domestic responses Boston received. Everyone had his or her eyes on Boston as it combated a controversial and difficult issue.

The exhibit contains three pages, international reactions, domestic reactions and a gallery. The International reactions page includes letters sent to Mayor Kevin White from outside of the United States. The Domestic reactions page exhibits letter sent to Mayor Kevin White outside of Massachusetts. The gallery page comprises all of the letters sent to Mayor Kevin White domestically and internationally and provides some background information on the mayor. 

 Feel free to browse the collection and come to your own conclusions about what was happening in the city and what others felt domestically and internationally. The letters place the city on a pedestal for judgment. Keep in mind that these letters are only a few of many and do not reflect all of the opinions on busing. They reflect individuals who were motivated enough and interested enough in the issue to draft a letter and send it to the mayor.  The full collection can be viewed at Boston City Archives in West Roxbury, Massachusetts.

Image credit

Photograph of quote, "If urban life is to have a new birth of greatness, let it be said that the renaissance began in Boston" - January 3, 1972, Inaugural Address," from Kevin H. White's inaugural address, 1972. Faneuil Hall, Boston, Massachusetts. Original image by Wally Gobetz on Flickr. Image Copyright: Creative Commons License: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic.

Boston's Neighborhoods

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Boston is a city of neighborhoods. These neighborhoods have their own histories, cultures, and communities. Some were originally incorporated as separate towns and did not become a part of Boston until they were annexed in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Some neighborhoods have changed considerably throughout their history. Certain areas of Boston saw massive demographic changes throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Each of these aspects of Boston’s neighborhoods influenced how citizens conceptualized them. Neighborhood stereotypes abound even today, and the stereotypes that we see today are influenced by the histories of the neighborhoods and how those histories are perceived and understood.

Boston's Neighborhoods

Neighborhood map of Boston, courtesy of the City of Boston