KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — On January first in 1863, former president Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. The document freed slaves in the Confederacy.
The Knoxville community remembered the enactment of the Emancipation Proclamation. The Knoxville Branch of the NAACP held the celebration at the Greater Warner AME Zion Church.
"This day commemorates the anniversary of the abolition of American slavery, one of the most brutal chapters in our country's history," said Rev. Sam Brown of Logan Temple AME Zion Church.
Brown said the day is about remembering history more than a century ago.
"Emancipation day is an opportunity for all of us to acknowledge the harsh experiences of the enslaved and to pay tribute to their resilience and determination," Brown said.
Knoxville vice mayor Gwen McKenzie said African American history cannot be forgotten.
"We can never forget our history and we cannot get comfortable just because things are a little bit better today," McKenzie said.
She said African American history is the backbone of American history.
"I encourage each and every one of us tell those stories that were told to you," McKenzie said.
While the Emancipation Proclamation was first issued January 1, it wasn't until June 19th, 1865 that slaves in Texas learned about their freedom. That day is celebrated today as Juneteenth.