On August 22, 1844, a significant event took place in Boston when a mass meeting of African Americans gathered to protest the segregation of public schools. The attendees adopted a resolution declaring that the segregation of public schools violated the Massachusetts State Constitution. Despite their efforts and the clear appeal for equality, their request for integrated schools was denied at the time. This event is considered an early example of organized resistance against racial segregation in education in the United States, reflecting the ongoing struggle for civil rights and equality.

The denial of their petition highlighted the entrenched nature of racial segregation in many parts of the country, even in states that had abolished slavery and were seen as more progressive. However, the persistence of such activism would contribute to the broader civil rights movements that would take place later in the 19th and 20th centuries.