Former Springfield Mayor Michael Albano (who now lives in Longmeadow) insulted every single member of Springfield’s Black community (including Bud Williams) when he declared Bud Williams as its “unquestioned torch holder” while writing about many of the recent community and political leaders who have died as though he knows more about them and our community than we know.
Albano wrote: “Today, with so many of Springfield’s civil rights pillars passing on, Bud Williams is the unquestioned torch holder for “this” (emphasis added) community.”
The arrogance and insensitivity reflected in Albano’s June 15th Op Ed email started with him discussing the passing of Ben Swan (even as the Swan family, especially, but also close friends and the community at large were still mourning his passing) and the recent passing of other prominent Black community leaders. And that email could not have been better debunked than in the response that followed from Bishop Talbert Swan to Albano.
I have heard Bishop Swan speak many times and have read and published many of his articles in Point of View. But nothing matches the poignancy, insight and accuracy of his response to Albano’s misplaced “white liberal-like” condescending diatribe, which is why (with his permission) we have reprinted Bishop Swan’s response to Albano below.
I spoke to Bud Williams about Albano’s writing and we both agreed that, besides also being a personal insult, it was probably the most divisive message that anybody – especially a so-called friend – could have sent so close to the upcoming September elections, although Bud seems to think, as does Bishop Swan, that Albano’s message was that of a well-meaning, misguided liberal white friend.
And, of course, I don’t fully agree. Albano is a very intelligent man who doesn’t send unintended messages. The best that I can give him is that his thoughtless message was selfishly intended for an audience other than the Black community of Springfield with all the implications that my suspicion carries. Mike Albano is not an innocent man.

(We decided not to reproduce Albano’s one-and-a-half-page email because to do so would only worsen the insult but it is available on social media.)