Lecture: The Nannie Helen Burroughs Project with Colonel James Wyatt
Benning (Dorothy I. Height) Neighborhood Library t 3935 Benning Road, NE
Emancipation DayThe District of Columbia officially celebrates Emancipation Day on April 16th. |
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. |