By Rick Lott
for the Effingham Herald
After two years of celebrating the Emancipation Proclamation in a drive-in, stay in your car event due to COVID, a live, in-person remembrance was held Sunday at St. Mark Baptist Church in Clyo by the Effingham County branch of the NAACP.
The theme for the event was, “Stronger Together.” Former Savannah mayor Dr. Otis Johnson was on hand to offer some scholarly insights into the seminal order issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863.
The order stated that all slaves in the rebellious states of the Confederacy shall, “henceforth and forever, be free.” In his remarks, Dr. Johnson reminded the audience that at the time Lincoln’s aim was not to abolish slavery but to preserve the Union. In fact, he said that the order was given as a “threat” to the Confederate states that if they did not return to the Union, the order would be given, as it ultimately was.
Johnson related how Frederick Douglas said at the time, “We shout out for joy that we lived to record this righteous decree.”
He said the Emancipation Proclamation was one of the most important events in American history. He said the first important event was the Declaration of Independence that said, “all men are created equal.”
The Emancipation Proclamation did not free every slave in the country, but in fact, only those in the “rebellious states.” The order, which was set to be enacted on January 1, 1863, was not issued immediately that day.
Johnson spoke about how all over the South, people of color met in what were known as “Praise Houses” to watch for the moment the order was issued. This came to be known as “Watch Night.”
It was not until the afternoon that it was finally signed by President Lincoln. Even then, freedom didn’t become a reality for those in the south until the Civil War ended in 1865. Dr. Johnson said that it wasn’t until the 13th amendment to the Constitution that all slavery was finally abolished.
Dr. Johnson said that, to help protest the oppression of the Jim Crow South, the NAACP was formed in 1909 and that in 1968 the Effingham Chapter began. Following Dr. Johnson’s remarks, the NAACP Humanitarian award was given by Dr. Franklin Goldwire to Michael Garvin Jr.
Elected officials for the Effingham branch were sworn in for the 2023-2025 term of service. Henry Allen – Pres., Thomas Lonon – 1st VP, Doug Kirkland – 2nd VP, Sabrina Holmes Gibson – Asst. Sec., Hurlene White – Treas., Theodora Moody – Asst. Treas., Lucy Powell – at large, Michael Garvin – at large, Sabrina Scott – at large.
Music for the evening was provided by the Voices of Praise from the Union Springs IMC.
