Citizens of all ages, including children from local schools, sat in lawn chairs across from the historic Knott House Museum to commemorate May 20, 1865, when the Emancipation Proclamation was first read in Florida and all enslaved people in the state gained their freedom.
The date is separate from Juneteenth, which commemorates the day that enslaved people in Texas learned they were free. Texas was the last state to honor the Emancipation Proclamation.
The event included a performance from the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra and a re-enactment of the reading of the Emancipation Proclamation from the steps of the Knott House on Park Avenue, where the original reading took place more than 150 years ago.
"All persons held as slaves within said designated states and parts of states are, and henceforth shall be, free."
Patriva Mack, who traveled from Clearwater for the event, said she valued the education it provided to citizens.
“There’s an onus on me to start digging deeper," Mack said. "And I can’t rely on anybody else to help educate me. I’m at that point now where I need to educate myself so I can help educate my grand-nieces and nephews.”
Events throughout the day included lunch in Lewis Park and free tours at local Florida history museums.
