{"id":21195,"date":"2026-05-21T00:47:20","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T04:47:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wfsu.org\/local-routes\/?post_type=wfsu-news&#038;p=21195"},"modified":"2026-05-21T01:41:07","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T05:41:07","slug":"tallahassee-celebrates-florida-emancipation-day-where-it-all-began","status":"publish","type":"wfsu-news","link":"https:\/\/wfsu.org\/local-routes\/wfsu-news\/tallahassee-celebrates-florida-emancipation-day-where-it-all-began\/","title":{"rendered":"Tallahassee celebrates Florida Emancipation Day where it all began"},"content":{"rendered":"<!--[if lt IE 9]><script>document.createElement('audio');<\/script><![endif]-->\n<audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-21195-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/cpa.ds.npr.org\/s390\/audio\/2026\/05\/emancipationday0521full.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/cpa.ds.npr.org\/s390\/audio\/2026\/05\/emancipationday0521full.mp3\">https:\/\/cpa.ds.npr.org\/s390\/audio\/2026\/05\/emancipationday0521full.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n<p>Wednesday, May 20 was observed as Emancipation Day in Florida. The ceremonial re-enactment of the original reading of President Lincoln&#8217;s historic proclamation took place in downtown Tallahassee, just as it did in 1865.<\/p>\n<p>Children from the Brownsville Preparatory Institute sang, as did well known local vocalist Christopher White.<\/p>\n<p>FAMU History Professor Larry Rivers gave a stemwinding keynote address:<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We&#8217;re here today to remember the ancestors, the steppingstones. The ancestors who looked forward to freedom!&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>And the role of Union General Edward McCook was for the first time portrayed by Mark Rominger, the ailing Brian Bibeau having retired.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I have hereto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed,&#8221; he said, concluding the missive from President Lincoln, issued 2 and-a-half years earlier.<\/p>\n<p>This was all followed by a community picnic in Lewis Park, enjoyed by hundreds of people, including Mayor John Dailey.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;To be able to come out as a community, join together and celebrate the reading of the Emancipation Proclamation and the reenactment is second to none.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>This was Emancipation Day in Tallahassee. <\/p>\n<div class=\"fullattribution\">Copyright 2026 WFSU<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":35,"featured_media":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","wds_primary_category":0},"categories":[],"tags":[1136,1135],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.3 - 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