1
Contact Information:
State Of Connecticut African-American Affairs Commission
Contact: Denise Drummond - 860-240-8555
Denise.Drummond@cga.ct.gov
December 12, 2012
150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION
TUESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Hartford, CT – The African-American Affairs Commission, the Amistad Committee, State of Connecticut Freedom Trail Committee and the Office of the Secretary of State will commemorate the150th Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation in the South Lobby of the State Capitol Building - 210 Capitol Ave. (Hartford, 06106) on Tuesday, January 1, 2013 beginning at 11 AM.
The Amistad Committee is proud to bring this inspiring event to Hartford, CT. This will mark the 150th Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation that President Abraham Lincoln signed proclaiming all slaves in Confederate territory to be forever free. It will also be the time to recognize that milestone in the long struggle against slavery and for equality and justice in our land.
State Senator Toni N. Harp (New Haven) will be the keynote speaker. Senator Harp is the Chair of the Appropriations Committee for the Connecticut General Assembly. The Mass Choir, under the direction of Minister Wayne Dixon, will perform selected songs. Pastor Kenric Prescott of Union Baptist Church (Hartford) will offer the Invocation. Attendees will participate in a litany reading on the Emancipation Proclamation by Glenn Cassis, Executive Director of the AAAC. Poems written by Connecticut students celebrating of the Emancipation Proclamation will be read. The commemoration will conclude with the ringing of the Liberty Bell in the Capitol Building by Emmanuel Gomes of the Descendants 2
of the 29th Connecticut Colored Infantry Regiment and Aniya Cassis, a second grade student attending Noah Webster Micro Society Elementary School in Hartford.
Speaking on the significance of this ceremony, Al Marder, President of the Amistad Committee said, "Africans and African Americans have always fought for their freedom. To overcome, there must be Black and White unity. The struggle continues today for equality and racial justice."
The Amistad Committee has asked churches and places of worship throughout Connecticut to participate in this commemoration by ringing their church bells at noon on January 1st and to inform their congregation of the historical significance of this event. Call Al Marder (2-3-387-0370) for more details for participating.
Doors to the Capitol will open at 10:15 AM on Tuesday, January 1, 2013. For more details contact Denise Drummond at 860-240-8555 or denise.drummond@cga.ct.gov
********************************************
The mission of the African-American Affairs Commission (AAAC) is to improve and promote the economic development, education, health and political well-being of the African-American community in the State of Connecticut
The mission of the Amistad Committee is to shed light on such issues as slavery, freedom, cooperation, leadership, equality and human dignity. It also calls attention to the issues of racism, bigotry, greed, injustice, and intolerance, which are the causes of so much violence in the world today.
The mission of the State of Connecticut Freedom Trail Committee is to document and designate sites that embody the struggle toward freedom and human dignity, celebrate the accomplishments of the state's African American community and promote heritage tourism.
The mission of the Secretary of State is to seek and support business development opportunities, and foster a more inclusive political process by educating, informing and engaging communities in youth and civic preparation.
###
Comments