PAST: Honor DC Emancipation Day on WED, April 16th! Events 11:00am -2:00pm

Wednesday is DC Emancipation Day!

There are events all day long to honor and celebrate the emancipation of slaves in DC on April 16^th, 1862 when Abraham Lincoln signed the DC Emancipation Act, nine months before the Emancipation Proclamation. 3100 people were friend in the District of Columbia on April 16^th that year. In 2005, DC Emancipation Day was officially recognized as a holiday and in 2007. Mayor Adrian Fenty dedicated the day to DC’s struggle for equal rights and democracy.

At Franklin Square, located between 1^th and 14^th and I St, NW, there will be a DC Emancipation Day Parade and March beginning at 11:00am and going ‘til noon. See www.freedc.org for more details.

Activities on Wednesday will include a Reenactment of Frederick Douglass’ 1833 DC Emancipation Seech at 1:00pm at the Historical Society of Washington at 801 K St, NW and will be kicked off with a musical performance by Freedom Blues at 12:30pm. See www.historydc.org for more details.

See http://os.dc.gov/os/cwp/view,a,1207,q,608954.a for more info about DC Emancipation.