WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) – The Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor NHA and community partners are holding a “Freedom’s Eve: A Gullah Geechee Watch Night and Emancipation Day Celebration” in Wilmington to bring in the new year reflecting on the importance of commemorating the date of January 1, 1863, when enslaved people throughout the United States emerged from bondage as a result of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.
This year’s hybrid event will take place at Historic Warner Temple AME Zion Church at 620 Nixon Street.
Organizers say the event will showcase the rich, cultural heritage of the Gullah Geechee people with performances from acclaimed performers the Magnolia Singers of Charleston; storyteller Dontavius Williams of Edgemoor; the NC Ring Shouters of Wilmington; and the African American Dance Ensemble of Durham.
The event — which will be hosted by Dr. Eric Crawford of Orangeburg — is free and open to the public, online and in-person. Organizers warn that there is a limited capacity for in-person attendance.
Registration is strongly advised via Eventbrite. To join in-person or online, visit Eventbrite: Freedom’s Eve Wilmington Celebration, and claim your ticket.
The event is a part of the Commission’s larger initiative to partner with Gullah Geechee communities across North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida to raise awareness about a celebration that is almost 160 years old.
On December 31, 1862, Gullah Geechee people gathered in sacred spaces and places of worship to await a new year, one that would mark the beginning of the end of slavery when the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect the next day.
Watch Night services are regularly held at churches across the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor
You can find more details here.