Bio Renews Sierra Leone’s Reparatory Justice Call in Quincy

President Dr Julius Maada Bio has renewed Sierra Leone’s call for reparatory justice, linking the issue to the Amistad struggle and the longstanding relationship between Sierra Leone and Quincy, Massachusetts.

Bio made the remarks on Sunday, 27 September 2026, while addressing a gathering at the United First Parish Church in Quincy. The event was held under the theme “Celebrating Courage: Honouring the Historic Link Between Quincy and Sierra Leone.”

Amistad legacy

In his address, Bio described the relationship between Quincy and Sierra Leone as being shaped by the Amistad story and the fight for freedom led by Sengbe Pieh, also known in the United States as Joseph Cinqué.

The Amistad episode involved Pieh and other Mende Africans who were unlawfully enslaved aboard the Spanish schooner La Amistad in 1839. Their resistance led to a legal battle before the United States Supreme Court. John Quincy Adams represented the Africans and argued for their freedom, with the court ruling in favour of the captives in 1841, according to the account presented at the event.

“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,” Bio said.

Bio also visited Adams National Historical Park, where he viewed the Mendi Bible preserved in the Stone Library. The United States National Park Service is cited as confirming Adams’s central role in the Amistad case.

Justice and responsibility

Bio said Sierra Leone’s call for reparatory justice should form part of a wider effort to acknowledge historical wrongs and address their continuing effects. He described reparatory justice as involving recognition of historical truth, honouring those who suffered and building a fairer future.

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

The president connected Sierra Leone’s historical experiences and resilience to present-day priorities, including education, justice, peace, opportunity and human dignity. He also called for efforts to educate every child, address hunger and food insecurity, expand opportunities for women and girls, protect peace and enable Africans to determine their futures with dignity and agency.

“Sengbe Pieh fought for freedom. Our responsibility is to give that freedom meaning,” Bio said.

He pointed to Sierra Leone’s recovery from its eleven-year civil war, the Ebola epidemic, the 2017 mudslide disaster and the COVID-19 pandemic as evidence of the country’s ability to recover from national adversity.

Historic Quincy connection

The United First Parish Church, popularly known as the Church of the Presidents, has connections to John Quincy Adams, who worshipped there. His tomb and that of his wife, Louisa Catherine Adams, are located in the church’s crypt.

Bio thanked the people of Quincy, Adams National Historical Park and the United First Parish Church for preserving the historic relationship with Sierra Leone. He called for the connection to continue growing around truth, justice, freedom, friendship and humanity.

“History must not merely be remembered, it must instruct us,” Bio said, urging the lessons of the Amistad story to guide contemporary efforts to confront injustice.