Boston’s King’s Chapel Unveils Memorial to Enslaved,Confronts Historical Ties to Slavery
BOSTON – King’s Chapel,a landmark on Boston’s Freedom Trail,has unveiled a new memorial acknowledging the 219 enslaved people once owned by members of its congregation. The statue, created in partnership with MASS Design group, aims to expand the narrative of the Freedom Trail and publicly recognize slavery’s deep roots in colonial New England.
Founded in 1686 as an Anglican church and now a Unitarian congregation, King’s Chapel’s history is intertwined with the transatlantic slave trade. Many original worshippers were business leaders connected to Caribbean plantations. Reverend joy Fallon, who has led the congregation since 2013, stated, “I felt because we’re on the freedom Trail, we had a special moral obligation to tell the truth.”
The memorial’s unveiling comes as cultural institutions nationwide face increasing pressure to address and reckon with the legacy of slavery and racism. Jha D Amazi of MASS Design Group explained the statue’s significance: “the significance of a piece like this in Boston and on the freedom Trail is that it layers what people understand to be the Freedom Trail.”
Dean Denniston, a member of the congregation’s memorial committee, noted that slavery was legal in all 13 original colonies, but rarely discussed, especially in New England.”I always like to say that of the original 13 colonies, slavery was legal in all 13 colonies at the time.But it was never talked about, especially hear,” he said.
During a recent worship service, congregants read the names of the 219 enslaved individuals and sang “Lift Every Voice And Sing,” frequently enough referred to as the Black national anthem. Leslie Robbins, a Massachusetts resident who witnessed the unveiling, emphasized the importance of honoring those brought to Boston against their will.
