What is Emancipation Day?The DC Compensated Emancipation Act of 1862 ended slavery in Washington, DC, freed 3,100 individuals, reimbursed those who had legally owned them and offered the newly freed women and men money to emigrate. It is this legislation, and the courage and struggle of those who fought to make it a reality, that we commemorate every April 16, DC Emancipation Day. |
Mr. Johnny Branes, Executrive Director Emeritus of the American Civil Liberties Union in the Nation's Capital and Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgetown University, will discuss the emancipation of slaves in Washington, DC, the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
