DPR Media Contact: Brian Armstead, (202) 746-2092, [email protected]
(WASHINGTON, DC) – On Thursday, April 16, DC Emancipation Day, DC residents will join with the DC Department of Parks and Recreation, the National Park Service and Washington Parks & People to light 2,000 candle luminaries in honor of thousands of African Americans who were buried in what is now Adams Morgan after they gained their freedom during the U.S. Civil War. Each illuminated candle will be a tribute to the people who were buried in the cemetery.
The persons interred in Walter Pierce Park and parts of the adjoining National Zoo and Rock Creek Park comprise the largest unmarked African American cemetery in the nation’s capital. At least 8,428 African American men, women, and children were buried in the Mount Pleasant Plains/Colored Union Benevolent Association Cemetery between 1870 and 1890. More than half of those buried were children.
All are invited to join in the free program at Walter Pierce Park, located off of Calvert Street, N.W. at the east end of the Ellington Bridge. Lighting of the candles will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a brief program at 7 p.m. followed by a moment of silence. The candles will be displayed until 9:00 p.m.
“The program will be a moment of reflection for the thousands of African American men, women and children who helped build this great nation in their own way,” said DPR Acting Director Keith A. Anderson.
DC Emancipation Day pays tribute to the ending of slavery in the District of Columbia. The celebration began on April 16, 1862, shortly after President Abraham Lincoln signed the District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act. This decree led to the freeing of 3,100 slaves, reimbursed slaveholders, and offered the freed men and women funds to emigrate. Each year, educational and commemorative activities are held celebrating the end of slavery in DC.
ABOUT WASHINGTON PARKS AND PEOPLE
Washington Parks & People - a non-profit organization dedicated to restoring and enhancing public parks in the National Capital Region. For more information, visit www.washingtonparks.net
ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
The National Park Service preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System and its 401 National Park sites for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. The National Park Service works with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this country and the world. For more information, visit www.nps.gov
ABOUT THE DC DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
The mission of the Department of Parks and Recreation is to enhance the quality of life and wellness of D.C. residents and visitors by providing equal access to affordable and quality recreational services, by organizing programs, activities and events, and by building and maintaining safe and beautiful open spaces and recreational amenities. For more information, visit www.dpr.dc.gov
To volunteer to help with this event, please visit http://www.washingtonparks.net/volunteer or call (202) 462-7275