The Black Ministers Alliance of New Britain held the annual New Britain Emancipation Proclamation Day celebration online January 1, 2021.
The event celebrated 158th anniversary the effective date of the Emancipation Proclamation, signed by President Abraham Lincoln, freeing millions of the people who had been held in slavery in states rebelling against the Unites States. Slavery was later abolished nationwide on December 6, 1865 by the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution.
According to the National Archives,
After January 1, 1863, every advance of federal troops expanded the domain of freedom. Moreover, the Proclamation announced the acceptance of black men into the Union Army and Navy, enabling the liberated to become liberators. By the end of the war, almost 200,000 black soldiers and sailors had fought for the Union and freedom.
The event was led by Reverend Gervais Barger of Peace Missionary Ministries, who, discussing the legacy of the Emancipation Proclamation, and the continuing work toward equality, said,
Today, we uphold that tradition by honoring those lives lost that opened the door to an idea that, even today, some still do their best to withhold by denying men and women of color equal access to wealth, positions of honor and their refusal to remove old laws on the books that support systemic racism. We stand today in a continued battle to fight for those rights, even when those in power cannot see or feel what we see and feel, as a people. Our prayer is that all eyes will be open to the facts that change is inevitable.
The Black Ministers Alliance named Alicia Strong, President of the New Britain Racial Justice Coalition, as its person of the year. Rev. Barger said, “The Black Ministerial Alliance would like to acknowledge her hard work and excellent leadership skills in striving to make New Britain the best version of itself possible.” Rev. Brian K. Riley presented Strong with the Alliance’s annual award.
Strong thanked the Black Ministerial Alliance for the honor and said that the work of the Racial Justice Coalition was, “created through the will of the community, through the strength of the community.”
The event included singing by Rev. Tre Brown and a message by Rev. Andre McGuire.
The Black Ministers Alliance of New Britain says that it is, “an alliance of churches that is a catalyst for growth, unity, and spiritual leadership in New Britain and beyond.”
