Former state Sen. Bill Owens, the first Black state senator in Massachusetts, has died at the age of 84.According to a statement from his family, Owens died peacefully in his sleep Saturday night with loved ones by his side. His family said his health had been declining recently and that he tested positive for COVID-19 three weeks ago.Owens was first elected as a state senator in 1975 and his list of accomplishments included securing the funds to build Roxbury Community College and the Reggie Lewis Track & Athletic Center; advancing the rights of the LGBTQ+ community; creating the State Office of Minority and Women Business Assistance (SOMBA) and the Summer Youth Jobs Program; instituting the ban on assault weapons in Massachusetts; and later establishing the Black Men’s Health Initiative.In their statement, Owens’ family said he continued to fight for inequities that exist in every corner of society until the end of his life.”He was a transformational leader and kicked down barriers to access opportunities for people who were marginalized. He made his mark on the world stage from the United States to Europe, Asia and Africa,” reads the family’s statement.Owens also pushed for reparations for the descendants of slaves in the United States. He was nationally known as the modern “Godfather of reparations.”According to the Massachusetts Black & Latino Legislative Caucus, Owens aggressively fought housing discrimination and was a steady voice in the aftermath of Boston’s busing crisis.U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, the first Black woman to be elected to Congress from Massachusetts, tweeted that she was “devastated” by the death of Owens.”Sen. Owens’ work on reparations and housing was historic, and we owe him a debt for the trail he blazed,” Pressley tweeted. “Holding his family and loved ones in my prayers.”U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, the junior senator from Massachusetts, tweeted that he and Owens came into the Massachusetts State House together. They became freshmen state representatives in 1973, and Owens would become the state’s first Black state senator in short order.”Bill Owens learned the lessons of our nation’s history, he rewrote them, and then taught the-powers-that-be from his own textbook on building political and economic power,” Markey wrote in a series of tweets. “For 50 years, Bill Owens was my friend and inspiration. His presence grounded me in the realities of today’s struggles, and his spirit lifted my gaze and countless others to the opportunities and justice that remained to be created for future generations.”My deepest condolences go out to the Owens family, his friends, his loved ones, and all of those whose lives have forever been impacted by his pioneering presence and achievements. Bill Owens will be forever missed.”Owens was born July 6, 1937, and his family said he came from very humble beginnings in Demopolis, Alabama. He moved to Boston when he was 15 years old, and in his 20s, he opened three neighborhood dry cleaning businesses in the city. He is an alumnus of Harvard University.
BOSTON —
Former state Sen. Bill Owens, the first Black state senator in Massachusetts, has died at the age of 84.
According to a statement from his family, Owens died peacefully in his sleep Saturday night with loved ones by his side. His family said his health had been declining recently and that he tested positive for COVID-19 three weeks ago.
Owens was first elected as a state senator in 1975 and his list of accomplishments included securing the funds to build Roxbury Community College and the Reggie Lewis Track & Athletic Center; advancing the rights of the LGBTQ+ community; creating the State Office of Minority and Women Business Assistance (SOMBA) and the Summer Youth Jobs Program; instituting the ban on assault weapons in Massachusetts; and later establishing the Black Men’s Health Initiative.
In their statement, Owens’ family said he continued to fight for inequities that exist in every corner of society until the end of his life.
“He was a transformational leader and kicked down barriers to access opportunities for people who were marginalized. He made his mark on the world stage from the United States to Europe, Asia and Africa,” reads the family’s statement.
Owens also pushed for reparations for the descendants of slaves in the United States. He was nationally known as the modern “Godfather of reparations.”
According to the Massachusetts Black & Latino Legislative Caucus, Owens aggressively fought housing discrimination and was a steady voice in the aftermath of Boston’s busing crisis.
U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, the first Black woman to be elected to Congress from Massachusetts, tweeted that she was “devastated” by the death of Owens.
“Sen. Owens’ work on reparations and housing was historic, and we owe him a debt for the trail he blazed,” Pressley tweeted. “Holding his family and loved ones in my prayers.”
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Devastated by the passing of former State Senator Bill Owens, who broke barriers as the first Black state senator in MA.
Sen. Owens’ work on reparations & housing was historic, and we owe him a debt for the trail he blazed.
Holding his family & loved ones in my prayers. pic.twitter.com/9tUymfd9CX— Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (@RepPressley) January 24, 2022
U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, the junior senator from Massachusetts, tweeted that he and Owens came into the Massachusetts State House together. They became freshmen state representatives in 1973, and Owens would become the state’s first Black state senator in short order.
“Bill Owens learned the lessons of our nation’s history, he rewrote them, and then taught the-powers-that-be from his own textbook on building political and economic power,” Markey wrote in a series of tweets. “For 50 years, Bill Owens was my friend and inspiration. His presence grounded me in the realities of today’s struggles, and his spirit lifted my gaze and countless others to the opportunities and justice that remained to be created for future generations.
“My deepest condolences go out to the Owens family, his friends, his loved ones, and all of those whose lives have forever been impacted by his pioneering presence and achievements. Bill Owens will be forever missed.”
Owens was born July 6, 1937, and his family said he came from very humble beginnings in Demopolis, Alabama. He moved to Boston when he was 15 years old, and in his 20s, he opened three neighborhood dry cleaning businesses in the city. He is an alumnus of Harvard University.
Courtesy of family
