Thomas Irving Atkins

Born in 1939 in Elkhart, Indiana, Atkins was born a trailblazer. Atkins was the first Black student body president at Elkhart High School and proceeded to obtain the same title at Indiana State University. Atkins’ love for learning continued on to Massachusetts where he studied Middle Eastern Studies and Law at Harvard University. 

Atkins became the first Person of Color elected to the Boston City Council in 1967, and was a major actor in changing the landscape of racial relations throughout Boston. Atkins was a member of the Boston City Council during a tumultuous time: at the height of desegregation efforts in Boston. Atkins worked tirelessly to maintain peace among his constituents. His most notable moment on The Council was assisting in preventing riots from happening following the assassination of Martin Luther King Junior. After his time on The Council, Atkins played a large role in the desegregation of Boston Public Schools in the 1970s.

Even today Atkins continues to be a trailblazer as the Atkins room is the first room in Boston City Hall to be named after a person of color.