How MLK Inspired the First CEO of the Urban League of Greater Hartford

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we remember the impact the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. had on our country and people in our state, including one man who wanted a better future for the Black men and women in Hartford.

At the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History is a pair of brown leather shoes - a piece of United States history worn by William J. Brown.

"Bill Brown was so instrumental and so poignant in advocating for the community and really being a champion for economic empowerment," said David Hopkins, President and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Hartford (Hartford, CT).

After spending time in the Urban League Movement around the country, in places such as Detroit, Michigan and Southbend, Indiana, Brown settled in Connecticut.

In 1964, he became the first person to lead the Urban League of Greater Hartford.

Brown wanted to see Black people treated equally and given the same economic opportunities.

"I believe he had garnered the nickname of the 'Dean of the East Coast of the Urban League," said Hopkins.

That's why he laced up his shoes and took steps toward a brighter future.

Brown participated in the March on Washington on Aug. 28, 1963, when the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous 'I Have a Dream' speech.

"Over 250,000 people attended this march, so it was very well attended. If you look at the aerial photos, the area is just packed," said Andrea Rapacz, chief curator of collections at the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History.

"Brown attended that event and wore the shoes, and they were so important to him that he kept them throughout his life," said Rapacz.

It's believed that Brown and his children knew King very well.

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