Emancipation Proclamation anniversary is celebrated in Effingham
By Tony Chiariello
The Concerned Citizens of Effingham County, a combination of churches and civic organizations, held a drive-up celebration of the 158th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1 in the parking lot of the Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Association in Guyton.
The proclamation issued by President Abraham Lincoln on Jan. 1, 1863, announced that all slaves in the rebellious states shall be henceforth, and forever, free.
It was not until the 13th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified by three-fourths of the states on Dec. 18, 1865, that the abolition of slavery actually took place.
At the ceremony, Torian A. White, the principal of South Effingham High School, served as the master of ceremonies. He was valedictorian of the 1999 SEHS graduating class.