WE WILL MISS HIM DEARLY - WILLIAM “BILL” OWENS WHO HAS CELEBRATED TODAY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS CAMPUS CENTER BALLROOM AS A COMMUNITY ACTIVIST, A HERO, A FIGHTER, AND AN EFFECTIVE LEGISLATOR AND AMONG MANY OTHER TITLES BUT MOST OF ALL HE WAS A POWERFUL VOICE FOR BLACK PEOPLE OF BOSTON, THE US, AND THE GLOBE.HE HAS LEFT A LEGACY AND A BODY OF WORK THAT IS UNMATCHED TODAY AS HE BECAME THE FIRST BLACK SENATOR IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS. HIS LEGACY LIVES ON IN EDUCATION, HOUSING, RACIAL AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE, AS PRIMARY AREAS OF HIS CAREER ALTHOUGH THERE ARE MANY OTHERS.
THIS CHALLENGE TO YOU AND THOSE YOU KNOW IS TO CONTINUE THE FIGHT FOR JUSTICE AND EQUALITY ACROSS THE BOARD IN ALL AREAS. AND TO MAKE OUR VOICES HEARD BY JOINING THE MANY OTHERS WHO ARE SEEKING THE SAME OUTCOMES WHICH HE PASSIONATELY PIONEERED FOR THE BENEFIT PRIMARILY OF THE PEOPLE OF COLOR WHO HAVE BEEN MARGINALIZED OR UNDERSERVED FOR DECADES.JOIN YOUR VOICE TO THOSE IN THE MATTAPAN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION BY LEAVING YOUR NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION AND TOGETHER WE CAN CONTINUE TO MAKE THE DIFFERENCE THAT SENATOR OWENS'S LEGACY DICTATES.
RICHARD PHIPPS CHAIRMAN OF THE MATTAPAN CDC CHALLENGED ATTENDEES TO KEEP HIS LEGACY ALIVE AND MOVING FORWARD BY SUPPORTING COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHERS WHO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT THE PRINCIPLES AND IDEAS WHICH HE FOUGHT FOR MANY YEARS TO BRING TO OUR CONSCIOUSNESS AND ON WHICH HE TOOK POSITIVE ACTIONS TO ELIMINATE CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH INEQUITY AND TAKE ACTION LEADING TO POSITIVE ADVANCEMENT
