| DC Emancipation Day Parade and Program |
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Wednesday, April 16 2008, 8:00am - 5:00pm |
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IN HONOR OF THE ANCESTORS - YOU ARE ALL INVITED TO COMMEMORATE DC'S ONLY OFFICIAL HOLIDAY:
DC Emancipation Day Parade and Program: The African American Holiday Association, The American Friends Service Committee, DC Black History Celebration Committee, Friends of DC Emancipation Day, and Stand Up! for Democracy in DC Coalition (Free DC) invite everyone to attend the DC Emancipation Day Parade program and parade to commemorate the freeing of over 3,100 enslaved persons in DC from bondage by a bill passed by the U.S. Congress and signed by President Lincoln on April 16, 1862, after years of slave rebellion and protest. This was 9 months before the Emancipation Proclamation.
The commemorative activities will begin at Franklin Square, the original site of the first DC Emancipation Day parades. Commemoration will include a spiritual dedication to the ancestors, a “breaking the chains” ceremony by re-enactors dressed in *traditional slave clothing, and an historical overview and music - from slavery to a commitment to complete emancipation of DC residents through true democracy and statehood. Following the parade through the downtown area, the march will end at the DC Historical Society located in the Carnegie Library (801 K Street, NW, Washington, DC) for an exciting series of cultural events honoring DC Emancipation Day. The American Friends Service Committee will also display the boots of DC soldiers killed in the Iraq war with the theme of "Bring Democracy Home".
WHEN: 11:00 am – 12:00 noon, Wednesday, April 16, 2008
WHERE: Historic Franklin Square – located between 13th and 14th and I (Eye) Streets, NW, Washington, DC
*ALL INVITED TO WEAR PERIOD CLOTHING FOR THE CEREMONY OR COME AS YOU ARE!
Contacts: Anise Jenkins, Stand Up! for Democracy in DC Coalition - 202-232-2500 - www.FreeDC.org, Ayo Handy Kendi - African American Holiday Association - 202-667-2577, Brenda Sayles - 202-635-9337
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| Contacts: Anise Jenkins - 202-232-2500 - , Ayo Handy Kendi - 202-667-2577, Brenda Sayles - 202-635-9337 |
