On this date 52 years ago, then-Boston Mayor John Collins declared “Melnea Cass Day.” Now, Mayor Marty Walsh has again officially declared this Tuesday "Melnea Cass Day" in honor of the late civil rights advocate.

'The First Lady Of Roxbury'

For many Bostonians today, Melnea Cass is best known for the street bearing her name that cuts across lower Roxbury.

The Walsh administration declares May 22, 2018, "Melnea Cass Day" in the city of Boston. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Cass didn't gain her nicknames — the 'First Lady of Roxbury,' and sometimes the 'Mayor of Roxbury' — through a single action. Over many decades, Cass delivered on a series of efforts — big and small — to improve the lives of those living in her community.

The focus of her activism often mirrored her roles in life.

First, as a young woman, she helped lead "get out the vote" drives in the years immediately after women’s suffrage. Then, in the 1930s, she passionately encouraged shops to hire black workers.

When her children needed schooling in their community, Cass launched a kindergarten program at the Robert Gould Shaw House.

In 1962, she became the president of the Boston branch of the NAACP and led the organization for two years. From that perch, she held sit-ins at the Boston Public School Committee office to protest its segregation policies.

After her tenure, she remained on the board of the NAACP, and was there for its filing of a class-action lawsuit that spurred court-ordered busing in Boston.

In 1977, Mayor Kevin White hosted an event honoring seven "Grand Bostonians." Cass was one of them, and in an interview with WGBH about the honor, she spoke about her approach to activism.

"You never give up hope, never, because just when you think you’re gonna give up, that’s when you could really gain the victory — if you just kept on going, just a little bit more."

Among the honorees at Mayor White's 1977 gala: Melnea Cass; Florence Luscombe; Leverett Saltonstall; Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr.; Elliot Norton; Walter Muir Whitehill and Sidney Rabb. (Courtesy Northeastern University Libraries, Archives and Special Collections Department)

Throughout her social activism, Cass inspired younger generations to be smart, strong and confident, too.

Sarah Ann Shaw knew Cass her whole life. Cass was even the leader of her Girl Scout troop. Shaw said one of her most distinct memories from the time was when her troop marched in the holiday parade in Charlestown.

"We were the only African-American girls in the parade," she said, "and someone called us the N-word, and we were like, 'Huh? What?' and Mrs. Cass said, 'Don’t pay attention to that. That’s not who you are.' ”