Emancipation Celebrations Past and Present
Title
Emancipation Celebrations Past and Present
Description
These items are all connected to Emancipation Day celebrations of the past and the present. These items are important visual representations of individuals and groups associated with these celebrations.You will find items from the 1860s - 2014, these items are linked by the desire of the African American community in Washington, DC to remember and honor the past.
Collection Items
Celebration of the abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia by the colored people, in Washington. April 19, 1866
Large crowd of African Americans celebrating the abolition of slavery in Washington, D.C.
Colored People of the District of Columbia's Recent Emancipation Celebration
A newspaper article from the Cleveland Gazette covering in great detail the 25th anniversary of the DC Emancipation Act. The article highlights prominent two locals who participated in the event: Professor James Monroe Gregory and the Honorable…
Rev. Henry Highland Garnet
When the District of Columbia celebrated the four year anniversary of the Emancipation Act,. there was a large parade, and the crowds were addressed by many including Rev. Henry Highland Garnet.
Aerial view of Franklin Square, Washington, D.C.
This is a current aerial view of Franklin Square in Washington, DC. This was the site of the first Emancipation Act anniversary celebration. Compare this photo to the F. Dielman sketch from 1866.
The Emancipation Memorial
Designed and sculpted by Thomas Ball and erected in 1876, the monument depicts Abraham Lincoln in his role of the "Great Emancipator" freeing a male African American slave modeled on Archer Alexander
Also known as the Freedman’s Memorial or the…
Also known as the Freedman’s Memorial or the…
Emancipation Celebration Parade Routes and Events
This Google map was created to allow you to zoom in and out and gain a relative perspective of the events, which took place in 1866 and 1991.
Click here to access the interactive features of this map.
John Mercer Langston (1829-1897)
Langston was the first African American elected to Congress from Virginia. He was one of the many prominent African Americans who addressed Emancipation Act celebration participants.
Senator Blanche K. Bruce 1841-1898
Senator Blanche K. Bruce was a former Virginian slave, who through ambition and drive advanced to become the first African American to preside of the US Senate.
Current Emancipation Day Celebrations
These photos represent a small snap shot of the multitude of various events and activities that occur each ear in the District of Columbia to celebrate their official holiday - Emancipation Day.
Loretta Carter-Hanes
Movement to reinvigorate enthusiasm for remembering and honoring this Act reemerged in 1991 thanks in part to efforts of Loretta Carter Haynes. Through her work parades began again in 2002 and have continued each year since. On April 5, 2005 the…