Date: March 24, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CITY COUNCILOR MALO BROWN AND REP WILLIAMS HOLD PRESS CONFERENCE AT SPRINGFIELD CITY HALL ON MARCH 26, 2026 AT 12:00 NOON
Commemorating 236 Years of Constitutional Division—and Launching a Movement to Restore Trust, Equality, and Liberty
Springfield, Massachusetts
— On Thursday, March 26, 2026, at 12:00 PM (midday), City Councilor Malo Brown and Representative Bud Williams will hold a press conference in solidarity with Rev. Torli H. Krua and Liberians seeking to restore U.S. citizenship. On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence created a new nation founded on the blueprint-”all men are created equal.” On June 15, 1780, citizens of Massachusetts rectified the Constitution of 1780: “All men are born free and equal.” Mumbet, illiterate and an enslaved Black woman hear of the new law and filed a lawsuit-Brom and Betts V. Ashley. She won her freedom and monetary damages. This led to the 1783 Judicial Review that outlawed slavery in Massachusetts.
Nine years later, March 26, 1790, Congress voted and President George Washington signed into law the Nationality Act of 1790 limiting citizenship to “free white persons,” creating a constitutional division that contradicted the founding promise of equality. This law led to the United States colonizing Black citizens born in America in Africa-Liberia. The Massachusetts Colonization Society assisted the colonization of citizens in Liberia.
The individuals who codified racial exclusion into law are dead and gone, but the racial divisions they created remain. The constitutional contradiction—limiting citizenship to “free white persons”—continues to shape inequality in the United States and beyond.
As America approaches its 250th anniversary, this moment should not be only a celebration. America 250 does not fully add up to 250. It is also a time to confront the past, repair the damage, and restore liberty and equality—consistent with the promise of the 1780 Massachusetts Constitution that “all men are born free and equal.” Article 1 of the Liberian Constitution approved in Washington: “All persons born in Liberia or removing there to reside shall fe free and entitled to all such rights and privileges enjoyed by citizens of the United States of America.” Massachusetts led before and Massachusetts is ready to lead again.
This will take place at 36 Court Street, City Hall Steps, Springfield, Massachusetts
Sean Young
Administrative Aide-Springfield City Council–Tel: +1-413-787-6172