The Freedom Graduation

One day after being denied use of the school by the Boston School Committee, Roxbury neighborhood leaders staged a “Freedom Graduation” for students at Patrick T. Campbell Junior High School. The original ceremony was interrupted by the presence of a anti-integrationist member of the Committee. In his address to the graduates, Celtics legend Bill Russell noted that Roxbury residents were often reminded to be “good citizens, civic-minded citizens that are proud of their city, but they are not treated as citizens of our city.” In more recent times, Russell has continued to fight for racial justice, saying in 2020, “And I sincerely hope that these kinds of strange days are forever behind us, and that real, lasting change will finally be realized. Our lives depend on it.”