As the District celebrates the 161st anniversary of the Emancipation, local educators consider how to convey the significance of D.C. Emancipation Day.
Emancipation Day honors the day slavery ended in Washington, D.C. after President Lincoln signed the DC Compensated Emancipation Act in 1862.
District residents marked the first anniversary after the Civil War with a parade. For the last 159 years, D.C. has marked the important date with celebrations including concerts, parades and more.
Although there won t be a big, public celebration in 2021 due to the pandemic, we have ideas below on how to celebrate.
How did D.C. s Black community react to the news?
African-Americans had been traveling to D.C. to escape war and bondage for years, and the District s Black community felt deep joy upon learning of the Emancipation Act, historian C.R. Gibbs wrote in an explainer.