WS Chronicle

Staff Report

The Chronicle

— Leaders, faith communities and residents will gather Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, at 11 a.m. to mark Emancipation Day at Grace Presbyterian Church, 3901 Carver School Road, in a ceremony organized by the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Emancipation Association.

The event, themed “Remembering the Roots, Celebrating the Rise,” will feature Rev. Dr. Pamela S. Mitchell, pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church, as guest speaker. Organizers say the annual service underscores both the historic importance of emancipation and the ongoing struggle for equity, justice and opportunity in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County.

A living tradition rooted in freedom and faith

Emancipation Day commemorations are not only about history; they are living civic traditions that connect past struggles for freedom to present-day efforts to expand opportunity, education and community power—especially for Black residents whose ancestors were directly impacted by slavery.

For more than a century, local congregations and civic groups have observed the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation — the 1863 executive order by President Abraham Lincoln declaring freedom for enslaved people in states rebelling against the Union — through services that blend remembrance, worship and celebration.

The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Emancipation Association’s tradition dates back to the early 20th century and has included readings of the proclamation, public addresses and youth scholarship awards aimed at uplifting emerging leaders. In recent years, dozens of residents have gathered on New Year’s Day to honor emancipation while recognizing local students for academic achievement and community service.

“These observances have long served as one of the few sustained community spaces where history, faith and civic responsibility meet.”

Preserving intergenerational memory

These observances have long served as one of the few sustained community spaces where history, faith and civic responsibility meet — reinforcing intergenerational memory and affirming Black achievement in the face of historic exclusion.

While Jan. 1 has been celebrated across parts of the South as a symbolic Emancipation Day, historians note that the arrival of freedom unfolded unevenly across the former Confederacy.

In North Carolina, early freedpeople and Union troops held one of the state’s first Emancipation Day observances in New Bern on Jan. 1, 1865, with parades, readings and speeches that later influenced similar celebrations statewide, according to state historical records.

Local historical accounts also describe the arrival of emancipation news in Salem and what is now Winston-Salem in 1865, when Union military orders were read to formerly enslaved residents, including at St. Philips Moravian Church, marking a profound moment of transition for Black families whose labor had long sustained the region.

Freedom as a process, not a moment

Understanding when and how freedom reached Winston-Salem matters because emancipation was not an instant or uniform experience. It required enforcement, community organizing and faith institutions that helped formerly enslaved people navigate a new and uncertain future.

Contemporary Emancipation Day services continue that legacy by pairing remembrance with forward-looking investment. Over the years, the local Emancipation Association has awarded scholarships to graduating seniors — linking the legacy of liberation to education, leadership and economic opportunity.

History also shows that emancipation news spread slowly in many parts of the South — most notably in Texas, where enslaved people did not learn of their freedom until June 19, 1865, now commemorated as Juneteenth. While Juneteenth has gained national recognition, Emancipation Day observances in North Carolina continue to center Jan. 1 as a day of reflection, faith and renewal.

Carrying the promise forward

Multiple emancipation commemorations reflect a deeper truth: freedom was not a single moment but a process. Local observances preserve community-specific histories that might otherwise be overshadowed in national narratives.

The Jan. 1, 2026, service at Grace Presbyterian Church will offer residents an opportunity to reflect on this layered history, hear from community leaders and recommit to principles of justice, equity and collective responsibility.

Organizers encourage attendance from all ages and welcome community support for the Emancipation Association’s scholarship efforts, which they say help carry the promise of freedom into future generations.