Hailey Heseltine
ECB Publishing, Inc.
Next week marks the anniversary of Florida Emancipation Day. On May 20, 1865, the Emancipation Proclamation was read in Tallahassee, declaring enslaved people in the state to be officially freed. one hundred sixty years later, millions of Floridians are still celebrating.
This year's annual celebration theme is “Celebrating Our Proud History,” highlighting the diversity of Jefferson County's community. As usual, it will be hosted by Community Friends of Jefferson County, Inc., a local 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has organized the celebration since 2009. For the last two years, the event has been held at the Jefferson Recreation Park, but this year, there's going to be a change of scenery.
The Emancipation Day celebration will be hosted at Old Howard Academy, located at 835 Mamie Scott Rd. Howard Academy is the of two educational facilities constructed in the 1930s and 40s, financed with the Rosenwald Fund. Many Jefferson County residents fondly remember their time at the high school and later middle and elementary schools before Jefferson County schools were desegregated and Howard Academy became non-operational in the 1970s. In recent years, the Community Friends have been preforming restoration work on the nationally-registered historic buildings, funded by grants, with the intention of eventually turning the restored buildings into community centers for residents of Monticello to connect with one another. The lawn of Howard Academy being the site of the 160th celebration of Florida Emancipation Day is a significant step toward that dream becoming reality.
“It will kind of showcase the place, show the community what's being done there and that there's a lot of history there,” explains Essie Norton, a vice president of the Community Friends. “We're trying to help the community to recognize Howard Academy and how important its history is for everybody...our mission really is to bring the community together, all people, of all ages and races and nationalities, because that's what makes us strong as a community...I just want people to come out and have a good time, and in the process, be educated about the history of the proclamation. We're excited about it!”
Guests can join the family-friendly and free event at Howard Academy from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. There will be vendors, including food and drink, a DJ and performances, including a skit and dance group. There will also be two featured inspirational speakers, one teen and one adult, to reach a wide audience.
Franklin Brooks, President of Community Friends of Jefferson County, Inc., comments, “This is something we've been doing since 2009, and it's something that our forefathers did before us; they've been celebrating Emancipation Day on May 20th, and it's something we want to keep going for the next generation and the next generation. It's a very important event for history and especially for the Black community, so I hope we'll have good turnout. It's been a success the past few years, and I hope it'll be a success this year, too.”
Leadership at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center is currently discussing plans for a possible Emancipation Day parade. For the latest updates on parade plans, please contact Bill Hawkins at (850) 322-1193.