Live Session With Robert Crawford President of The Emancipation Proclamation Association in Charleston, South Carolina
January 1st, the beginning of a New Year, also signifies the beginning of a new era in America which began on that day in 1863 with the official enactment of the Emancipation Proclamation signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln. In this Live Session with Robert Crawford President of The Emancipation Proclamation Association in Charleston, South Carolina we discuss the 156th Emancipation Proclamation Parade celebration which has been an annual tradition in Charleston, South Carolina since 1866, beginning just three years after the proclamation became the law of the land. The city’s recognition of 156 years of the annual celebration is the most consistent parade in the United States and in this writer’s opinion is as significant a celebration as any we hold dear in the United States.
This year’s Grand Marshal was Tokyo Olympic silver medalist (shot put) and media darling Raven “Hulk” Saunders.
The Parade’s purpose is to celebrate the signing of the Proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln to “forever free all slaves in Southern states”. The document became law on January 1, 1863, as the nation approached its 3rd year of the bloody civil war.
Backstory: The Emancipation parade celebration has been an annual tradition in Charleston since 1866. The city’s recognition of 156 years of this annual celebration signifies the most consistent parade in the United States. The Parade’s purpose is to celebrate the signing of the Proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln to “forever free all slaves in Southern states”. The document was announced on January 1, 1863, as the nation approached its 3rd year of the bloody civil war.
Moreover, the Proclamation announced the acceptance of Black men into the Union Army and Navy, enabling the liberated to become liberators.
In collaboration with the City of Charleston’s Mayor John Tecklenburg, the Association made the January 1, 2022, Emancipation Proclamation Parade the biggest and most memorable in the 158 years of its signing history. The parade assembled on January 1, 2022, at Burke High School and concluded at the site of the International African American Museum which begins construction soon. The International African American Museum will explore cultures and knowledge systems retained and adapted by Africans in the Americas, and the diverse journeys and achievements of these individuals and their descendants in South Carolina, the United States, and throughout the African Diaspora.
The Emancipation Proclamation Association Incorporated is a Non-Profit Organization. Proceeds received from sponsorships, participation, financial donations, and other gifts benefit the Association’s A.W. Hunt Educational Scholarship which is awarded annually to qualifying High School students attending college.
Photos from 2022s parade
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Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.
