Savannah honors emancipation with Jubilee Freedom Day

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) -The City of Savannah teamed up with several local organizations to observe the anniversary of the emancipation of slaves in Savannah on Saturday.

Jubilee Freedom Day commemorates December 21st, 1864 when the U.S. Army arrived in Savannah to enforce President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.

For 116 years, Africans lived and worked under slavery in Savannah.

Patt Gunn, the co-founder of the Center for Jubilee, says the day is Savannah’s version of Juneteenth.

She also says the organization is focused on educating visitors and locals alike about the legacy of slavery in Savannah.

“One of the goals we have for 2020, we need markers in Savannah," said Gunn. "There are no markers in Savannah that tell you from point to point, what happened with slavery. There are over 1200 bodies at Calhoun Square, of slaves, no marker. Johnson Square was the auction block, no marker.”

The event featured Gullah-Geechee’s art and performances.

Saturday was the 7th annual event at the Savannah Cultural Arts Center.

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