“Voices on King” testimonials and performances feature community leaders honoring legacy, motivating and inspiring future action

BOSTON (January 14, 2021): In partnership with Citizens and King Boston, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), will host its 2021 Martin Luther King Jr. Day community celebration online on Monday, January 18, to commemorate the life and work of Dr. King. The program, “Voices on King,” brings together nonprofit, corporate and community leaders to share personal reflections on the current impact and lasting legacies of Dr. King and Coretta Scott King. The event also includes a musical performance by Boston musician and activist Danny Rivera and an original poem by Boston’s Poet Laureate Porsha Olayiwola.

“Although we are not able to gather in person for our annual MLK Day celebration, we are looking forward to continuing to honor Dr. King’s legacy with a virtual program that will highlight art and community,” said Matthew Teitelbaum, Ann and Graham Gund Director. “Citizens has been a true partner as this event has grown year after year, and we are deeply grateful for their support. It is also incredibly meaningful to work alongside King Boston to deliver such powerful messages.”  

The event is sponsored by Citizens, which has supported the MFA’s annual community celebration for 19 consecutive years, helping the Museum welcome more than 120,000 visitors on MLK Day to enjoy free performances, tours, talks and art-making activities in the galleries. In moving the celebration online, Citizens is offering a virtual photo booth that lets participants place themselves in front of a variety of MFA backgrounds. 

“Citizens is proud to once again partner with the MFA on this community celebration that provides a platform to learn, connect with one another and celebrate Dr. King’s legacy,” said Jerry Sargent, President of Citizens, Massachusetts. “During a time that has presented us all with many obstacles, this opportunity to engage and build community is even more critical.”

“Voices on King” will stream on MFA’s Facebook, YouTube and website, and The Boston Foundation’s website at 5 pm; it will also be broadcast in its entirety beginning at 7:25 pm on NECN and WBTS (NBC10) and at 8 pm on NBC Sports Boston.

“Boston is where Dr. King and Coretta met, and they spent some of their most formative years in our City. This is where they started their work toward racial equity, and where Dr. King led thousands on a Freedom Rally in 1965,” said Imari Paris Jeffries, Executive Director, King Boston. “‘Voices on King’ motivates and inspires the community to envision a Boston where racism doesn’t exist, and to work toward that day with purpose and unity.”

 “Voices on King” features:

• Governor Charlie Baker
• Matthew Teitelbaum, Ann and Graham Gund Director, MFA
• Jerry Sargent, President of Citizens, Massachusetts
• Imari Paris Jeffries, Executive Director, King Boston
• Kim Janey, City Council President, Boston City Councilor, District 7
• Makeeba McCreary, Patti and Jonathan Kraft Chief of Learning and Community Engagement, MFA
• Lisa Owens, Executive Director, City Life/Vida Urbana
• Julia Mejia, Boston City Councilor, At-Large
• Rachael Rollins, Suffolk County District Attorney
• Rob “Problak” Gibbs, Artist and Cofounder of Artists for Humanity
• Giles Li, Senior Program Officer in Arts and Creativity, Barr Foundation
• Porsha Olayiwola, Poet
• Danny Rivera, Musician, Activist
• Paul Grogan, President and CEO of The Boston Foundation

Additional programming support is provided by The Lowell Institute.

About Citizens Financial Group, Inc.

About Citizens Financial Group, Inc. Citizens Financial Group, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest financial institutions, with $179.2 billion in assets as of September 30, 2020. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, Citizens offers a broad range of retail and commercial banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, large corporations and institutions. Citizens helps its customers reach their potential by listening to them and by understanding their needs in order to offer tailored advice, ideas and solutions. In Consumer Banking, Citizens provides an integrated experience that includes mobile and online banking, a 24/7 customer contact center and the convenience of approximately 2,700 ATMs and approximately 1,000 branches in 11 states in the New England, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions. Consumer Banking products and services include a full range of banking, lending, savings, wealth management and small business offerings. In Commercial Banking, Citizens offers a broad complement of financial products and solutions, including lending and leasing, deposit and treasury management services, foreign exchange, interest rate and commodity risk management solutions, as well as loan syndication, corporate finance, merger and acquisition, and debt and equity capital markets capabilities. More information is available at www.citizensbank.com or visit us on Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook.

About King Boston

Founded in 2017, King Boston is a privately funded nonprofit with a mission of honoring the legacy of Coretta Scott King and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and their commitment to economic and racial justice. Working closely with the City of Boston, The Boston Foundation and through building diverse community partnerships, King Boston is creating a memorial and programs honoring the legacy of the Kings’ work together in Boston. “The Embrace” will recognize the Kings, Boston civil rights leaders and Boston’s contribution to racial equity while the King Center for Economic Justice and Embrace Ideas will engage Boston citizens in realizing a radically inclusive and equitable city where BIPOC thrive, grounded in joy and healing. These initiatives serve as part of an ongoing movement toward racial equity, economic justice, and resiliency in Boston and the Commonwealth.

About the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Founded on February 4, 1870, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), stands on the historic homelands of the Massachusett people, a site which has long served as a place of meeting and exchange among different nations. The Museum opened its doors to the public on July 4, 1876—the nation’s centennial—at its original location in Copley Square. In 1909, the MFA moved to its current home on Huntington Avenue and today, the Museum houses a global collection encompassing nearly 500,000 works of art, from ancient to contemporary.

The Museum is located at 465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115. For more information, call 617.267.9300, visit mfa.org or follow the MFA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.