Senator Gómez’s Statement on the Passing of Former State Representative Benjamin Swan

State Senator Adam Gómez (D-Springfield) released the following statement regarding the passing of former State Representative Benjamin Swan — a towering civil rights leader, community advocate, and public servant whose decades of work helped shape Springfield and the Commonwealth for generations.

“Today, Springfield lost a giant. Benjamin Swan devoted his life to service — fighting for civil rights, expanding opportunity, and standing firmly for dignity and justice for all. His legacy lives not only in the policies he championed or the offices he held, but in the countless lives he touched through his leadership, mentorship, and unwavering commitment to community.

Representative Swan marched alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement, led the Greater Springfield NAACP, and spent more than two decades representing our city on Beacon Hill. Throughout his career, he remained a steadfast voice for equity, criminal justice reform, educational opportunity, and for those whose voices too often went unheard.

For generations of leaders in Springfield and across Western Massachusetts, Representative Swan helped light the path forward. His work strengthened our city and challenged all of us to build a more just and equitable community.

Springfield is better because Ben Swan called it home. His example of service, courage, and conviction will continue to inspire future generations.

My thoughts are with the Swan family, his loved ones, and all who are mourning this tremendous loss. May he rest in power.”

Benjamin Swan served Springfield in the Massachusetts House of Representatives for more than two decades and was widely recognized as one of Western Massachusetts’ most influential civil rights leaders. Beyond elected office, he dedicated his life to community organizing, education advocacy, and decades of civic engagement that helped shape the city’s social and civic landscape. In recent years, Springfield honored his legacy through the naming of “Ben Swan Way” and other acknowledgments of his lifelong contributions to civil rights and public service.