Emancipation Proclamation Anniversary Remembered In Macon County
Community members came together in the historic Shiloh Baptist Church, founded just a few years after Abraham Lincoln signed the emancipation proclamation.
Community members came together in the historic Shiloh Baptist Church, founded just a few years after Abraham Lincoln signed the emancipation proclamation.
Attendees proudly sang The Battle Hymn of the Republic, recalling the days that began the path to the civil rights movement.
“It is the day that negros 150 years ago prayed for, they fought for, more than 200,000 african americans fought in the civil war for freedom,” said Tuskegee Mayor Johnny Ford.
Mayor Ford was the keynote speaker, He says this is the first time that the entire county has come together to remember such an important date.
“We are a clear example here in Tuskegee and Macon County of how we have taken advantage of our freedom. We have the responsibility to vote, we voted and that voting right has been eroded by Luther Strange, the attorney general of the state,” said Ford.
Strange is appealing a court decision that would allow Victoryland Casino to reopen,
This comes after a lengthy battle between the attorney general’s office and the casino, along with many in Macon County.
Ford says it’s the main economic driver of the area, and means thousands of jobs coming back to the county.
“It is important that responsibility goes along with freedom and if you don’t use freedom you will lose it. And we don’t intend to lose it in Macon County,” said Ford.
