Nell was outraged by the US Supreme Court ruling in '' Dred Scott v. Sandford '' ruling in 1857 , which said that ethnic Africans had no legal standing in the United States as they were not considered citizens under the Constitution . In 1858 He organized a memorial celebration of Crispus Attucks at Faneuil Hall , a traditional site of commemoration , and worked with others to have a " Crispus Attucks Day " designated in Boston . He reminded people of the participation of African Americans in the fight for independence from Great Britain , and helped have Attucks recognized in the commemoration of the Boston Massacre . That same year , Nell organized the Convention of Colored Citizens of New England . While it was contrary to his earlier dislike of segregated abolitionist efforts , he argued that the '' Scott '' decision was such an insult to blacks that they needed to act separately
Boston Massacre
Boston Massacre
William Cooper Nell