Association of Black Citizens of Lexington

The Association of Black Citizens of Lexington is a community organization that presents programs on Black history in Lexington and is listed under fundraising. Its signature event is the annual Quock Walker Day, which honors Quock Walker, born in 1753, who freed himself from enslavement in 1781. His legal victories led to the 1783 Supreme Judicial Court case that ended slavery in Massachusetts, more than 70 years before the Emancipation Proclamation.

Quock Walker Day begins with a family-friendly morning hike of about 4.3 miles on the ACROSS Lexington Route E(mancipation) Loop. The route passes the foot of Belfry Hill, where Venus Roe was enslaved, and Lexington Green, where Prince Estabrook, an enslaved soldier, was wounded in the battle of April 19, 1775. A community celebration follows, with a reading of the governor’s proclamation, live music and dancing from Ghana, and interactive exhibits on Black life in colonial Lexington.

What to Know

• The 2026 events were held on the lawn of the Lexington Visitors Center.
• Hikers who register online can pick up a T-shirt on the day of the event.
• The 2026 celebration featured the William Diamond Junior Fife and Drum Corps and a keynote by Chief Justice Kimberly S. Budd.
• The town of Lexington issues its own Quock Walker Day proclamation, read before the hike.