Hopkinsville’s Human Rights Commission, the Museums of Historic Hopkinsville and others celebrated the 8th of August with festivities Sunday at the museum downtown.
While the Emancipation Proclamation was issued to free slaves on January 1, 1863, it wasn’t until August 8 that most slaves in Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee received their freedom.
Hopkinsville Mayor Wendell Lynch noted during the opening ceremonies that not all Americans were freed with the Declaration of Independence on the 4th of July, 1776.
He says it’s important to remember that it took those 84 years before African-American slaves received their own freedom.
There was story-telling, poetry, music, food and other festivities at the event.