Civil War re-enactors from the Stone Soul Soldiers Peter Brace Brigade include, from left, Raymond McClam Sr., Sheila Fisher, Charleston Morris, Joyce Davis, William Griffin,
SPRINGFIELD — When it was formed eight years ago, Jay Griffin’s living history brigade felt much like the newly emancipated black soldiers in the Civil War.
Noble intentions. Nationalism. No shoes.
“We were an orphaned group. Just like the African-American former slave during the Civil War. We felt unattached and we sought some support from a group, a white group, and they provided us with some uniforms and some equipment - just like the African-American soldiers of the Union Army. They didn’t have weapons at first, and no shoes,” Griffin, 68, said, a member of the city-based Peter Brace Brigade.
Their group, which re-enacts the Civil War landscape and battles in authentic costumes, will be central to the 150th anniversary celebration of the Emancipation Proclamation this New Year’s Eve.
The event is open to the public and will take place at the Sovereign Bank Building from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. The program will including music, entertainment, refreshments and champagne.
The document signed by President Abraham Lincoln on Jan. 1, 1863, freed slaves in the Confederate states during the Civil War and set a foundation for the civil rights movement over the next century and beyond.
The event begins an educational initiative by a 14-member planning committee.
“We are hoping to use this 150th anniversary commemoration of the Emancipation Proclamation as the kickoff of an effort to provide a deeper understanding of the Civil War and its implications, especially to the young people of the area,” Wayne E. Phaneuf, executive editor of The Republican and a member of the committee, said. “We have more than two more years of the Sesquicentennial Celebration in which we hope to bring the story to classrooms.”
On New Year’s Eve many African-American churches hold prayer and worship services from the late evening until midnight when they welcome the new year with praise, thanksgiving, prayer and confession. These services are called watch night meetings. December 31, 1862, was a significant evening for the African-American community, because it was the night before the Emancipation Proclamation took effect.
Other committee members noted that there are misconceptions about the history of the proclamation and Lincoln’s evolution as an abolitionist.
“He wasn’t always against slavery, not overtly anyway,” said state Rep. Benjamin Swan, D-Springfield, referring to the nation’s 16th president. “But I see that as critical in the whole change process. We’ve seen that kind of change in philosophy in the lives of members of the U.S. Supreme Court. We’ve seen that in the lives of other presidents. We could say that was true with Truman and Lyndon Johnson.”
Swan will read the Emancipation Proclamation at midnight during the celebration. Griffin noted that organizers hope to attract people of all races and creeds.
“This is not just for black folks, and we’re encouraged that we have diversity in our planning committee,” he said. “The Emancipation Proclamation is one of the most critical moments in American history.”
State Sen. Stanley C. Rosenberg, D-Amherst, another member of the planning committee, said the seeds planted and public policy established by the proclamation forged the way for current strides in racial equality.
“It is the diversity of America that acted Nov. 6 to elect an African-American president for the second time. It was done by whites and blacks and Asians and the whole population of America. This is what President Lincoln envisioned; 150 years later we can celebrate that that has happened,” Rosenberg said.
The committee will sell parchment copies of the original Emancipation Proclamation to help raise money for the associated educational efforts.
IF YOU GO:
What: Springfield's 150th Anniversary Celebration of the Emancipation Proclamation
When: Dec. 31, 8 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Where: Sovereign Bank Building, 1350 Main St.
Cost: $25 per person; includes entertainment, refreshments, champagne
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