"Where does Boston stand in relation to these dramatic steps?" King asked, referring to Washington's attempts to fight the political machine built up over several decades by Daley and nurtured by Chicago's last mayor, Jane E. Byrne.

"Is our city ready for changes like there? I say. "Yes'" he added.

At the conference. King and Washington both downplayed the issue of race and distanced themselves from the radicalism that marked one strain of Black political movements in the '60s.

"Mcl King is not interested in turning the tables on the white community," Washington said, adding that it is essential that the struggle for power be conducted through the "legitimate political process."

The Washington-King entourage then moved several blocks south to join the Grove Hall rally, which had been steadily gaining strength throughout the afternoon.

Bald is Beautiful

The crowd, which grew to more than 1500 through the course of the afternoon, including many whites, as well as a smattering of socialist and communist workers. The rally, which took on a carnival atmosphere, featured many colorful Mel King balloons, as well as dozens of banners proclaiming everything from "Gays and Lesbians for Mel King" to "Bald is Beautiful--Vote for Mel King."

Disco music blared from the speakers and a gospel group called Silver Linings performed for the crowd.

Lee Farris, who volunteered to work for King for the day, said she thought the mix the size of the crowd would make people" stop saying that Mel King can't win."

Neighborhood residents at the rally agreed that political awareness is low in Roxbury and Black areas of Dorchester, and that the Washington visit would stir up support for the local candidate, King.

King and Washington's arrival was greeted with raucous chants of "Mel King Mel King and prompted the most demonstrative reaction by King of the day. Smiling broadly. King and Washington raised their hands together in a victory salute before the partisan crowd in King's home base.

Washington was preceded by Gregory, who joked about the Chicago mayor's former tax problems and then proceeded to criticize President Reagan, who, he said, was so bad that "even whites are suffering."

"Things is bad for white folks," Gregory joked. "I was walking in the park in New York City and I saw two pigeons feeding two old white folk.

Gregory then vowed. "We are going to change the complexion of America."

The most emotional address at the rally came from City Councilor Bruce Bolling, who introduced Washington by saying that he had "sent a message across the country that Black folks are going to stand up and take what's theirs."