The 240th Anniversary of Slavery Declared Illegal in Massachusetts
Quock Walker, a determined and persistent self-emancipated Western MA slave from Barre, took his case to the state’s highest court 240 years ago. On July 8, 1783, the Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, declared that “the idea of slavery is inconsistent with our own conduct and Constitution.”
Quock Walker was 30 years old when his judicial victory made slavery illegal in Massachusetts, the first state to do so. Massachusetts was the only state to count no Black residents as slaves in the US Census of 1790. Quock Walker and his siblings bought property in Massachusetts. His nieces and nephews worked to improve civil rights in Massachusetts and to abolish slavery across the country.
Three years ago, Sean Osborne of Lexington, a public historian, activist and water engineer, undertook a successful campaign to have the state declare July 8 Quock Walker Day aka Mass. Emancipation Day. I joined him and others in the effort, enlisting the support of (then) Sen. Anne Gobi who represented Barre, and our Sen. Jo Comerford who said, “Quock Walker stood bravely for racial justice, liberty, and equality under the law. These issues remain pressing today. We should tell Quock Walker’s story, celebrate it, and learn from it.”
On Nov. 1, 2022, the governor signed into law : “The governor shall annually issue a proclamation setting apart July 8 as Massachusetts Emancipation Day, also known as Quock Walker Day, in recognition the significant contributions made by Quock Walker to abolish slavery in the commonwealth…and recommending that the day be observed in an appropriate manner by the people.”
This year, as more communities learn about Quock Walker Day, they plan celebrations for July 8 (Lexington, Cambridge, Lowell and Worcester), and issuing proclamations. Lexington’s proclamation begins “Whereas, This year marks the 240th Anniversary of the Quock Walker cases that constitutionally ended slavery in Massachusetts;” and concludes, “We, the Select Board of the Town of Lexington,….urge all of the citizens of the Town of Lexington to celebrate the tenacity and audacity of Quock Walker while building upon his legacy to make Lexington and the Commonwealth a more just place to exercise our natural, essential, and unalienable rights.”
Another celebration this year, notable for baseball fans, is the Red Sox will host a Quock Walker Day event on the infield during their July 8 game at Fenway Park.
On July 8, 2023, let’s celebrate the 240th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in Massachusetts and honor the courage and legacy of Quock Walker!
For more on the Quock Walker story, and to work on issuing a proclamation in your town, contact the Association of Black Citizens of Lexington, admin@abclex.org. https://www.abclex.org/black-history-portrait-banners
Sharon Tracy lives in New Salem, MA.