Emancipation Day
Dublin Core
Title
Emancipation Day
Description
"The first of January is a day that aught to be celebrated, and it should be handed down to ages unborn as the greatest of days to the colored race in the United States. To us it is greater than the Fourth of July. It is true that on the Fourth day of July the United States gained its independence, but that did not free the colored man. But on the First day of January 1863, by a proclamation issued by Abraham Lincoln, then president of these United States declaring all slaves in the United States free, and by that act the shackles that day fell off of three million slaves.
In commemoration of that great event, every man, woman, and child with one-eighth of Negro blood in his veins should deck themselves in their very best attire and show their appreciation for the birthday of their American liberty. Whatever attainments we shall make as a race in this country commences from the first day of January 1863. It is the alpha of our citizenship and be ye ever so high, or ever so low your liberty was born on that day. From henceforth let its memory be perpetuated; let it be told from the hill tops and from the vallies; let it be instilled in the mind of your children at your fire-sides that the first day of January is Emancipation Day, and it is a day of rejoicing for the colored man.
There is a movement on foot to have the coming day properly celebrated. Every civic and secret societies, together with the military should turn out. There will be a meeting held on Tuesday afternoon to perfect arrangements, and it is hoped that there will be a hearty response by the representatives of the different institutions."
In commemoration of that great event, every man, woman, and child with one-eighth of Negro blood in his veins should deck themselves in their very best attire and show their appreciation for the birthday of their American liberty. Whatever attainments we shall make as a race in this country commences from the first day of January 1863. It is the alpha of our citizenship and be ye ever so high, or ever so low your liberty was born on that day. From henceforth let its memory be perpetuated; let it be told from the hill tops and from the vallies; let it be instilled in the mind of your children at your fire-sides that the first day of January is Emancipation Day, and it is a day of rejoicing for the colored man.
There is a movement on foot to have the coming day properly celebrated. Every civic and secret societies, together with the military should turn out. There will be a meeting held on Tuesday afternoon to perfect arrangements, and it is hoped that there will be a hearty response by the representatives of the different institutions."
Creator
N/A
Publisher
The Savannah Tribune
Date
1891-12-12
Collection
Citation
N/A, “Emancipation Day,” African American Fourth of July, accessed April 25, 2024, https://africanamerican4th.omeka.net/items/show/443.