Iconic Figures: Discover the People Who Helped Shape Boston

A leading suffragist and abolitionist, Lucy Stone dedicated her life to battling inequality on all fronts. Boston is home to the Women’s Heritage Trail, where visitors can explore the remarkable stories of women whose legacy shaped conversations on equality. Stone was the first Massachusetts woman to earn a college degree, and she defied gender norms when she famously wrote marriage vows to reflect her egalitarian beliefs refusing to take her husband's last name.

Malcolm X moved to the neighbourhood of Roxbury in Boston as a young boy and became its most famous son.  X was a founding member of the Nation of Islam, a charismatic leader and incredible orator. X became a figurehead for the anger and frustration of African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement. X is largely credited with providing the intellectual foundations behind Black consciousness movements in the United States. The neighbourhood has continued to thrive and today visitors can retrace its roots at the Cultural District and Museum of the National Centre of Afro-American Artists.