Embrace Boston

05/22/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Embrace Honors Harry Hom Dow. It was a powerful evening celebrating legacy, leadership, and the people who continue shaping a more just and connected Boston.

You helped make The Embrace a space where communities can come together, connect, and feel welcomed. Seeing so many people gathered at the 1965 Freedom Plaza reminded us of the power of public spaces rooted in belonging.

We’re so grateful to everyone who showed up, shared space with us, and helped make the evening so meaningful. From the conversations to the community, the energy was truly special.

05/19/2026

Between portraits and interviews, history lives in the people telling the story.

We had the chance to sit down and talk with our Harry Hom Dow honorees.

You’ll be able to learn more about their stories at the premier of Living Histories of Color: AANHPI Legacy Series exhibit this Thursday, June 21 at 5 PM at the 1965 Freedom Plaza in The Embrace.

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05/17/2026

“Haiti is more than a country. It’s a symbolism.”

As Greater Boston’s Haitian community celebrates Haitian Heritage Month this weekend, Marie St. Fleur says Haiti's diaspora is celebrating more than a flag or a country of origin. It honors a history of Black liberation that has inspired nations across the world to fight for their freedoms.

05/16/2026

Today, we celebrated African American Military Heritage Day at Edward O. Gourdin Memorial Park in Roxbury, to honor Black Americans who have fought in every American war since our country’s founding—sometimes sacrificing everything for a country that often persecuted them in return.

Thanks to the Commonwealth for recognizing Embrace President and CEO Dr. Imari Paris Jeffries, a U.S. Army veteran himself, for his and Embrace’s work.

05/15/2026

From troubles on their home island to possible cuts to Temporary Protected Status for its migrants, Greater Boston’s Haitian community is facing its share of challenges.

But Boston City Councilor-At-Large Ruthzee Louijeune tells Embrace that making room for joy and celebration this Haitian Heritage Month, from flag-raisings to parades, is part of what makes the Haitian diaspora special.

05/07/2026

This Jewish American Heritage Month, get to know Kivie Kaplan, the Jewish businessman from Boston and former NAACP President whose fierce advocacy for civil rights earned him a place in the 1965 Freedom Plaza.

05/06/2026

This Jewish Heritage Month, get to know Kivie Kaplan, the Jewish businessman from Boston and former NAACP President whose fierce advocacy for civil rights earned him a place in the 1965 Freedom Plaza.

05/05/2026

"I feel a lot of sadness and pain. But what helps me reflect or hold that sadness or manage it is art and poetry."

Iranian-born filmmaker Homa Sarabi has watched the country she calls home bomb the country she comes from--and seen people both in the U.S. and in Iran suffer because of authoritarian leaders.

Sarabi spoke with Embrace about how artistic expression and creativity are the keys to keeping us human in times of conflict.

05/01/2026

"When we learn from each other's communities, that's when we grow."

Fred Hom Dow watched his father, Harry Hom Dow, live that lesson his entire life, helping not just the Chinese community to which he belonged but also working with figures like Mel King to improve life for all Boston's marginalized communities.

This AANPHI Month, we'll honor both Harry and Fred Hom Dow, along with several other AANPHI community leaders, for using their gifts to fight for freedom and justice.

Come to the 1965 Freedom Plaza on May 21 from 5-6:30 p.m. for Embrace Honors Harry Hom Dow.

04/30/2026

This week the Supreme Court handed down a decision that will shape who belongs in this democracy and who does not.

As we celebrate 250 years of America, our President & CEO Imari Paris Jeffries explores what this decision means for those who've spent their lives making this country keep its word.

His full piece on Louisiana v. Callais, the death of Section 2, and what we do next:

This is what the Court has often done when our freedom got out ahead of the country’s appetite for it. It reaches back. It calls our undoing a vindication of principle.

04/29/2026

When systems were built to exclude, Harry Hom Dow used the law to open doors. Now, a new generation is stepping forward to continue that work.

Join us for the inaugural Embrace Honors Harry Hom Dow: Carry it Forward as we celebrate AANHPI leaders shaping civic life across Boston and beyond.

This AANHPI Heritage Month, we honor a legacy rooted in justice and recognize the changemakers building what comes next: Fred Dow, Helen Chin Schlichte, Nick Chau, Paul Lee, Suzanne Lee, Tina Zhu Xi Caruso, and Senator Vanna Howard.

📍 1965 Freedom Plaza at The Embrace Monument
📅 Thursday, May 21, 2026
⏰ 5:00 PM

RSVP: https://tr.ee/embracehonorsharryhomdow