TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — On this day in history, in the year 1865, Brigadier General Edward McCook stood on the front steps of the Knott House in Tallahassee and read the Emancipation Proclamation.
It's now Tallahassee tradition for community members to remember this declaration of freedom with a special celebration each year.
All day Monday, the Knott House Museum and various organizations will participate in a city-wide celebration to conclude this year's Festival of Freedom.
Sunday, The Tallahassee Museum offered free tours of the Bellevue Plantation, the Concord School House, and Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church.
All three historical buildings and artifacts are on site at the Tallahassee Museum.
The festival uses the month of May to highlight the many pieces of black history and contributions to the growth of Tallahassee and the state Florida.
"They really encompass what Tallahassee was built upon," said Lacie Ballinger, the Tallahassee Museum Director of Collections and Exhibits. "At the time of Emancipation, 70 percent of Tallahassee was black. We need to acknowledge that. 90 percent of Florida was enslaved."
The John G. Riley Museum Civil War Commemorative Service starts at 10 a.m. They'll decorate graves at the Old City Cemetery. At 11:30am, there will be a dramatic reading of the Emancipation Proclamation on the front steps of the Knott House.
And from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., you can enjoy free admission to local African American History Sites.
To see the full list of participating locations, click here.
