President Dr Julius Maada Bio has renewed Sierra Leone’s call for reparatory justice over the enduring consequences of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade, invoking the historic Amistad struggle as a powerful reminder that remembrance of past injustice must be accompanied by responsibility, justice and reconciliation.

President Bio made the call on Sunday, 27 September 2026, while addressing a gathering at the United First Parish Church, popularly known as the Church of the Presidents, in Quincy, Massachusetts, United States, during an event held under the theme: “Celebrating Courage: Honouring the Historic Link Between Quincy and Sierra Leone.”

The President described the relationship between Sierra Leone and Quincy as one rooted not only in history but also in a profound human connection shaped by the Amistad story and the struggle for freedom led by Sengbe Pieh, known in the United States as Joseph Cinqué.

His address followed a visit to the Adams National Historical Park, where he viewed the historic Mendi Bible preserved in the Stone Library. President Bio described the Bible as an enduring symbol connecting Sierra Leone and the United States across generations and the Atlantic Ocean.

Reflecting on the Amistad episode, President Bio recalled that in 1839, Sengbe Pieh and other Mende Africans were unlawfully enslaved aboard the Spanish schooner La Amistad. Their resistance eventually led to a landmark legal battle before the United States Supreme Court.

Former United States President John Quincy Adams represented the Africans before the Supreme Court, arguing for their freedom. In 1841, the Court ruled in favour of the captives, paving the way for their release. The United States National Park Service confirms John Quincy Adams’ central role in representing the Mende Africans before the Supreme Court.

President Bio said the historic episode demonstrated two powerful expressions of courage: Sengbe Pieh’s determination to resist injustice and John Quincy Adams’ willingness to confront injustice through law, conscience and principle.

“Nearly two hundred years ago, Sengbe Pieh came to these shores in chains. Today, the President of the Republic of Sierra Leone comes to Quincy in freedom and friendship. That is the distance history has travelled,” President Bio said.

Despite that historical progress, President Bio stressed that the passage of time should not erase responsibility for the consequences of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade. He reaffirmed Sierra Leone’s position that reparatory justice should form part of a broader effort to acknowledge historical wrongs and address their continuing effects.

According to the President, reparatory justice should not be viewed simply as reopening painful chapters of history, but as recognizing historical truth, honouring those who suffered and building a fairer future.

“It is about memory joined with responsibility and justice joined with reconciliation,” he stated.

President Bio further connected the courage demonstrated by Sengbe Pieh to Sierra Leone’s resilience in modern times, pointing to the country’s recovery from the eleven-year civil war, the Ebola epidemic, the 2017 mudslide disaster and the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said those experiences demonstrated Sierra Leone’s ability to recover from national adversity while underscoring the importance of building lasting peace through strong institutions, education, justice and respect for human dignity.

Turning to present-day challenges, President Bio said courage must now be demonstrated through efforts to educate every child, address hunger and food insecurity, expand opportunities for women and girls, protect peace and create conditions in which Africans can determine their own future with dignity and agency.

“Sengbe Pieh fought for freedom. Our responsibility is to give that freedom meaning,” President Bio said, linking meaningful freedom to education, opportunities for young people, greater participation of women and the ability of nations to shape their own destinies.

The President thanked the people of Quincy, the Adams National Historical Park and the United First Parish Church for preserving the historic relationship with Sierra Leone. The United First Parish Church has deep connections to John Quincy Adams, who worshipped there and whose tomb, alongside that of his wife Louisa Catherine Adams, is located in the church’s crypt.

President Bio called for the relationship between Sierra Leone and Quincy to continue growing around the shared principles of truth, justice, freedom, friendship and humanity.

He maintained that the Amistad story should remain more than a historical account of resistance and freedom, arguing that its lessons should continue to guide contemporary efforts to confront injustice.

“History must not merely be remembered, it must instruct us,” President Bio said. https://thecalabashnewspaper.com/archives/65017