The Connective Corridor is pleased to help promote:  A Jubilee Celebration: 1863-2013 – Party to Honor the 150^th Anniversaries of Syracuse’s Emancipation Jubilee and the Founding of OHA – January 25.

Onondaga Historical Association (OHA) will host A Jubilee Celebration: 1863-2013, Friday, January 25 from 6-10 p.m. at the Carnegie Library Building on Montgomery Street at Columbus Circle, Syracuse, to commemorate two important 150^th anniversaries – Syracuse’s Jubilee Celebration of the Emancipation Proclamation, and the founding of Onondaga Historical Association. Co-chairs of the event are retired Syracuse City Court judge, The Honorable Langston McKinney, and OHA’s Executive Director, Gregg Tripoli. Guests of A Jubilee Celebration will enjoy music by the Excelsior Coronet Band, tapas food stations by Parisa Restaurant, dancing with Soft Spoken, a cash bar, and special presentations by historic characters. Proceeds will benefit OHA and the Black History Preservation Project. Tickets are $80 per person, $150 per couple. Complimentary parking is available for Jubilee guests. Sponsorships are available. For information and reservations, call Lynne at (315) 428-1864, ext. 314.

The Emancipation Proclamation – an executive order signed by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863 – placed slavery at the heart of the conflict between the states, immediately freed tens of thousands of slaves, allowed African American men to serve in the United States military, and was a first step towards the passage of the 13^th Amendment.

Many celebrations were held throughout the country in honor of the Emancipation Proclamation, which went into effect on January 1, 1863. Syracuse’s Emancipation Jubilee was held January 20, 1863 at the Wesleyan Methodist Church, presently the site of the Mission Restaurant. According to the January 21, 1863 Syracuse Journal, there was some controversy about where the celebration should be located. The Journal criticized the alarmist and racist argument behind the decision to move it from City Hall to the church. At the church, a mixed-race audience heard many speakers remark upon the significance of the decree of Emancipation.

The Black History Preservation Project (BHPP) is a collaborative effort between community organizations interested in compiling and interpreting the African American history of Central New York. To this effort, the BHPP supports Our Stories, a virtual museum that records the accomplishments and contributions of the area’s black community. For more information, go to ourstories.syr.edu.

Onondaga Historical Association (OHA) is a private, nonprofit association of history-related museums, research and educational centers, historic sites, and retail stores in Onondaga County.  Officially chartered by the New York State Regents in 1863, OHA has been collecting, preserving and interpreting the community’s history for the past 150 years.  Through exhibits, research, educational programming, publications, product development, and media productions, OHA utilizes historic perspective to add value throughout our community and bring the great stories of Onondaga County’s history to a worldwide audience. Visit cnyhistory.org for a calendar of exhibits and events.