Russell and Roxbury Civil Rights

Bill Russell attended a Boston School Committee meeting with Roxbury school desegregation leaders Ellen Jackson and Rev. Virgil Wood. Neighborhood leaders hoped to stage a “Freedom Graduation” for Patrick T. Campbell Junior High School after the original ceremony was interrupted by Rev. Wood, who had objected to the presence of segregationist committee member Louise Day Hicks. Eventually, a nearby Catholic church hosted a ceremony in the church basement. Russell was deeply involved with local civil rights issues and organizations during his time in Boston.