Boston — Massachusetts Senate President Karen Spilka (D – 2nd Middlesex and Norfolk District) recently announced that a bust of freedom fighter Elizabeth Freeman, the first enslaved woman to successfully sue for her freedom in the United States, will be commissioned and placed in the Massachusetts Senate Chamber. The Senate will also commission a bust of women’s rights leader and presidential advisor Abigail Adams. Freeman and Adams will be the first permanent busts depicting women in the Massachusetts State House, and the first in the Senate Chamber’s collection of sculptures.
“The story and spirit of the Berkshires’ own Elizabeth Freeman serves as a testament to the promise of equality and freedom that our Commonwealth was founded upon,” said State Sen. Paul Mark (D – Berkshire, Hampden, Franklin, and Hampshire District). “I am so grateful to my Senate colleagues who voted to memorialize this amazing woman with a bust in the Senate Chamber, bringing further equality, inspiration, and representation to our historic State House building.
“Whether by accident or design, the contributions of women who have shaped our Commonwealth and nation have too long been absent from State House art,” said Senate President Karen Spilka. “Today we raise up Abigail Adams and Elizabeth Freeman as trailblazers and leaders who should rightfully be honored in the Senate Chamber. Their presence will help us send a clear message to every woman who walks our halls: You belong here. I am deeply grateful to Sen. [Julian] Cyr for his leadership, and to the Senate Art Committee members for lending their expertise to a Senate that strives for better representation.”
“Representation is not meant to be a crumb. The decision to place busts of two women in the Senate chamber is a meaningful testament to the extraordinary contributions of scores of women to our Commonwealth,” said State Sen. Julian Cyr (D – Cape and Islands District). This marks an important step in our ongoing work to recognize the women and individuals who have shaped Massachusetts but have too often been overlooked in our history books. It has been an honor and a privilege to chair the Senate Art Committee through this spirited yet rigorous process, and I’m grateful for Senate President Spilka’s vision of a Senate that more closely reflects the diversity that has defined our Commonwealth.”
Elizabeth Freeman, born into slavery around 1744, became the first Black woman to successfully sue for her freedom in Berkshire County. Inspired by the promise of liberty in the Massachusetts Constitution, her 1781 case, Brom and Bett v. Ashley, helped establish that slavery was incompatible with the state’s founding principles. After gaining her freedom, Freeman became a respected healer and midwife, later securing her place in history as a trailblazer for civil rights.
Abigail Adams, known for urging the Founding Fathers to “remember the ladies,” was an early advocate for women’s rights and education. As a trusted advisor to her husband, President John Adams, she managed their household and finances while influencing political discourse through her letters.
Adams and Freeman were the top two choices of the Senate, where members selected them from four finalists chosen by the Senate Art Committee out of a pool of over 300 nominations submitted by Massachusetts residents. Committee members selected the finalists following a series of public meetings.
The Art Committee will now select an artist to create the sculpture. It will be only the third piece of art in the Senate honoring a woman leader, joining portraits of Abigail Adams and former Senate President Therese Murray, and the 22nd permanent piece of art honoring a woman in the State House.
