Roxbury Unity Parade: A Big Celebration of Community and Love

What Happened at the Awards Ceremony

Before the parade started, Mayor Michelle Wu joined Toy Burton (the leader of the Roxbury Unity Parade) to honor special community leaders. Here is what went down:

• They gave out awards to standout people.
• The mayor greeted the award winners and took photos with them.
• Burton was given a "Welcome to Roxbury" t-shirt during the ceremony at Madison Park Technical Vocational High School.

Before the parade stepped off, Roxbury Unity Parade executive director Toy Burton is presented with a Welcome to Roxbury t-shirt during the community awards presentation ceremony at Madison Park Technical Vocational High School. (Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff)

Why the Parade Is a Big Deal

Mayor Wu said Boston has many festivals and parades for different cultures, but this one was missing for a long time.

Important Point: Wu said, “For Toy to step up, build a movement, and create a space for all of us to come together every year is really special. It builds momentum for all the work that happens every day in this community.”

The parade also remembers the history of Roxbury people who helped shape Boston. For example:

• Sarah-Ann Shaw was Boston’s first Black female TV reporter.
• The Shaw-Roxbury Branch Library was officially renamed to honor her on Saturday, and Wu went to that event too.

Wu said, “If you look at every major movement for justice and change, Boston has played a role in that, and someone from Roxbury has always been driving the progress that we have to keep pushing for.”

Other Leaders and Awards

Wu was not the only leader there.

• State House Representative Chynah Tyler, who represents Roxbury, got the Pillar of the Community Award.
• Tyler said: “So much work goes into making sure that the legacy of Roxbury continues to live, so to be a part of that and to be able to be honored as a part of that, it means a lot to me.”

Some awards were named after famous Roxbury people:

• The Michael L. Bivins Community Hero Award is named after Mike Bivins, who helped start the music groups New Edition and Bell Biv DeVoe. He still helps the community.
• Bivins personally chose Al McClain, a basketball coach and mental health advocate, for that award.
• McClain, 66, works at the Boston Center for Youth and Families Tobin Community Center. He said he has known Bivins since Mike was 10, so it feels unbelievable to be seen as a hero by him.
• McClain wants kids in Roxbury to see the parade and learn about love and getting along: “The camaraderie, the way everyone gets along with one another, pass that on and it’ll make our streets safer.”

The Parade Itself

As people lined up to walk through Roxbury, McClain said he hopes the parade keeps growing.

1. Residents cheered from their front steps.
2. People walked the route and rode a historic Boston trolley (an old-style public bus/train).
3. Dance teams and a majorette group (a team that dances with batons) performed.
4. The Tempo International Rhythm and Steel band played Caribbean music from an open-back truck.

City Councilor Miniard Culpepper, who also represents Roxbury, waved from a car near the end.

District 7 Boston City Councilor Miniard Culpepper rides in a car during the Roxbury Unity Parade. (Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff)

Culpepper said the parade celebrates the neighborhood’s history and “the greatness of Black people in the city of Boston.” He shared:

Important Point: “This day is something that I prayed for for years. I always wondered, ‘Why does everyone else have a parade except Roxbury?’ and it felt like there was something missing in our community. When Toy decided to do the Roxbury Unity Parade, I felt like my prayer was answered.”

Voices From the Parade

Next to Culpepper sat Antonia Edwards, a paralegal (a person who helps lawyers) and member of the city’s reparations task force (a group that looks at making amends for historical wrongs). Her family has been in Roxbury since 1940. She said the parade shows the neighborhood’s “pride, legacy, heritage” and called Roxbury “the heartbeat of the Blackness in Boston.”

Culpepper said Roxbury is strong because it is diverse (has many different kinds of people). He said the area has always welcomed newcomers: “If you wonder why Roxbury is so diverse, it’s because whoever comes to Roxbury, we receive them with open arms and love.”

When asked what the parade means, Culpepper said three words: “Roxbury is love.”

Summary

The Roxbury Unity Parade and its pre-parade awards ceremony brought together Mayor Wu, local leaders, and community members to celebrate Black culture and Roxbury’s history. Awards honored people like Chynah Tyler and Al McClain. The parade featured music, dancing, and a trolley ride, and leaders described it as a long-missing, love-filled celebration of a diverse and historic neighborhood.

FAQ

Q: Who started the Roxbury Unity Parade?
A: Toy Burton, the parade’s executive director, stepped up to build the movement and create the event every year.

Q: What is the Michael L. Bivins Community Hero Award?
A: It is an award named after Roxbury native Mike Bivins (from New Edition and Bell Biv DeVoe). He chose Al McClain, a coach and mental health advocate, as the winner.

Q: Why did leaders say the parade was important?
A: They said it fills a long-missing gap in celebrating Roxbury’s Black community, honors local history, and shows love and diversity.

Q: What happened at the awards ceremony before the parade?
A: Mayor Wu and Toy Burton honored community leaders, gave out awards like the Pillar of the Community Award, and Burton got a “Welcome to Roxbury” t-shirt.