Roxbury's Story Has Finally Been Told
Praise from Community Leaders
"Roxbury is something worth saving. Yes, we have to boast about Roxbury.We have a powerful story to tell — a story that helps shape the larger narrative of Boston and beyond. I invite you to discover the rich history of Roxbury and this book serves as a roadmap. "
Recognized (Top 7) by
2026 IBPA Book Awards
Clarke ensures that the people, places, and events that shaped Roxbury, Boston, and America will, in fact, not be forgotten. Roxbury was long a predominantly Black community, and it continues as the heart of Black culture and community in Boston.
As such, the hundreds of dazzling photographs of people, churches and schools, businesses and homes, and marches and street cars bring life to both the stories of activism, art, and achievement and the moments from everyday community life. Something Worth Saving is a beautiful celebration of Black history—and American history.
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Windows into Roxbury’s Forgotten Past
Every photograph holds a world. Every artifact carries a voice long unheard. The images gathered here span three centuries of Roxbury life: its pioneers and everyday people, its cultural giants and forgotten community, its moments of triumph and quiet resilience.
Altogether, they tell a story that is inseparable from the story of Boston, and from the story of America itself. These images and objects have waited generations to be seen again.
When Imagination Meets Heritage
One of Roxbury's Earliest Treasures
Boston's Only Black-Owned Drugstore
When Fortune Came to Camden Street
Dreaming in the Heart of Roxbury
Two Volumes.
One Extraordinary Legacy.
Something Worth Saving spans two volumes and eleven chapters — each one a distinct window into a neighborhood that shaped American history. Drawn from 25 years of research and a personal collection of more than 1,800 artifacts, every chapter pairs authentic historical ephemera with rigorous research and narrative storytelling that brings the past to life.
Eleven chapters. Countless stories. One neighborhood that refused to be forgotten.
Ch. 1 — Significant Historical Sites & Events
The landmarks and moments that defined the neighborhood across three centuries, from colonial Roxbury to the Civil Rights era
Ch. 2 — The World of Arts & Culture
The musicians, artists, writers, and performers who made Roxbury a creative force in New England and beyond
Ch. 3 — Business Enterprises & Industries
The entrepreneurs, craftspeople, and business owners who built economic life in Roxbury, often without access to the capital or credit extended to others
Ch. 4 — Houses of Worship & Religious Organizations
The faith communities — AME churches, Baptist congregations, Catholic parishes, and more — that anchored social life and drove civic activism
Ch. 5 — Modes of Transportation & Mobility
How Roxbury’s residents moved through a city that was not always designed for them, and what that movement meant for community and identity
Ch. 6 — Ordinary People Creating a World of Difference
The neighbors, parents, teachers, and volunteers whose names never made the papers but whose lives made the neighborhood
Ch. 7 — Influential Figures & Personalities
Malcolm X, Coretta Scott King, William Monroe Trotter, Edward Brooke, Elma Lewis, Roy Haynes, and others whose Roxbury roots shaped their extraordinary lives
Ch. 8 — Historic Ruins to Reimagined Spaces
What was built, what was lost, and what was transformed — the evolving physical landscape of a neighborhood in constant motion
Ch. 9 — Hidden in Plain Sight: The Unseen Threads
The surprising connections and convergences that link Roxbury to the broader American story in ways that have never been documented
Ch. 10 — The Heartbeat of Community
The social institutions, informal networks, and daily rituals that held the community together across generations
Ch. 11 — Learning & Educational Institutions
The schools, libraries, and community programs that educated and empowered generations of Roxbury residents
Notable Figures Featured in the Books
Malcolm X
— his Roxbury roots and early political formation
William Monroe Trotter
— founder of The Guardian, civil rights pioneer
Coretta Scott King
— her years in Boston and early life before the movement
Edward Brooke
— first Black U.S. Senator since Reconstruction
Elma Lewis
— founder of the National Center of Afro-American Artists
Roy Haynes
— jazz drumming legend, Roxbury native
Gloria Steinem
— featured at the 1978 Roxbury fundraiser
Voices From the Community
Educators, historians, and readers share what the book means to them
For many years, Something Worth Saving has been a labor of love for Mr. Leland Clarke. I appreciate the passion for history and the resilience of the many people, places, and stories told within. I hope this is the beginning of many discussions and, therefore, new chapters. We need this.
Something Worth Saving is a gem for those exploring Boston and its history. It calls on us to notice what is hidden in plain sight and to better understand that history is more complex than many realize.
In “Something Worth Saving,” author Leland Clark takes readers on an expedition through Roxbury’s hidden past, unveiling the stories of forgotten people, places, events, and celebrating the voices that deserve to be heard. Clark illuminates the rich tapestry of a community often overlooked and underestimated. It is a captivating love letter to Roxbury, serving as both a tribute and a reminder of the enduring legacy of those who came before, inviting readers to discover the beauty and resilience of a neighborhood that continues to thrive amid the challenges of modern life.
As a Chronicle producer, I tell the “Stories of New England”. Dr. Clarke’s stunning new book unlocks the “hidden history” of Boston, one image at a time. Each page offers not just beauty, but truth: the untold layers of a neighborhood whose story is essential to understanding the broader history of our state. You’ve never seen Roxbury like this
Professor. Musician. Historian.
Curator of Stories.
- Professor at Boston University College of Fine Arts — Musicology & Ethnomusicology
- 31-year teaching career at Wheelock College (now incorporated into BU)
- Composer, conductor, and solo performer — collaborated with Donna Summer, Bishop Marvin Winans, and Wintley Phipps
- Producer of 9 albums
- Founder: The Roxbury Center for Community Research, Conservation, Teaching and Learning, LLC — Randolph, MA
“I want people to understand that there is beauty, there is dignity, there is a rich history in Roxbury — and it’s still there.”
Dr. Leland Clarke
The Archive Needs a Home.
The Story Needs Your Voice.
Help bring priceless artifacts to permanent public access — or add your story to the living record
A Home for Our Roxbury History
For libraries, archives, museums, and cultural institutions
For over 25 years, Professor Leland Owen Clarke assembled one of the most comprehensive private collections of Roxbury historical ephemera in existence — photographs, letters, newspapers, church records, musical instruments, and artifacts spanning the 1700s to the present. The collection is now seeking a permanent institutional home where it can be professionally preserved, catalogued, and made accessible to researchers, educators, and the public for generations to come. If your institution is committed to preserving the history of Black Boston and American community life, we want to hear from you.
What the collection includes:
- Approximately 1,800 pieces of original ephemera
- Photographic prints and archival images spanning three centuries
- Religious and civic documents, including an 1783 church sermon
- Newspapers, letters, and personal correspondence
- Musical instruments and performance artifacts
- Materials connected to nationally significant figures including Malcolm X, Coretta Scott King, William Monroe Trotter, and Elma Lewis
Archival restoration support provided by the Northeast Document Conservation Center, Andover, MA
Your Memory Is Part of This Story
For anyone who lived, loved, or grew up in Roxbury
Roxbury’s history isn’t only in archives and institutions. It lives in shoeboxes, scrapbooks, family albums, and the stories people carry with them. Dr. Clarke’s work began with one scrapbook found in his father’s papers. Yours might be the next piece that completes the picture.
If you have photographs, documents, family stories, or memories connected to Roxbury — we want to hear from you. Every contribution helps ensure that the full, living history of this community is never lost.
What the collection includes:
- Family photographs or portraits
- Personal letters, programs, or printed materials
- Stories about Roxbury businesses, churches, schools, or neighbors
- Memories of events, figures, or places featured in the book
- Anything you’ve held onto because it felt too important to throw away
All submissions are reviewed by Dr. Clarke personally. Contributors retain ownership of their materials.