Name Sighting in Dorchester – Melnea

I was in Dorchester, MA a few months back and spotted a sign for Melnea Cass Boulevard. I’d never heard of Melnea Cass (though I did like her name) so I decided to learn a bit about her. Here’s what I found:

Melnea Agnes Cass (1896-1978) was a community and civil rights activist. According to Northeastern University, “she received numerous awards, including three honorary doctoral degrees for her involvement in community improvement and civil rights in the Boston area. She was known as “The First Lady of Roxbury.”"

Here is a short video clip of Melnea being interviewed in 1974.