A Dedication to the Boston Public Schools Desegregation Movement

Unveiled 2026 From 1923 to 1977, 15 Beacon Street housed the Boston Public School Department and was a focal point in the struggle for equitable education. In 1963, Ruth Batson, Paul Parks, and NAACP Boston Branch leaders presented the “14 Demands” to address segregated and inequitable schooling. After the proposal was rejected, community members organized a sit-in and Rev. Vernon Carter led a 114-day vigil here. The ongoing organizing efforts led to the 1974 federal court order desegregating Boston Public Schools, which included busing students across segregated neighborhoods. In 1999, the building became XV Beacon Hotel which has carried forward the site’s legacy, welcoming all visitors and centering diversity and belonging.