Emancipation Day Celebration in Thomaston, Georgia

By Leslie Wright

Emancipation Day Celebration parade in Thomaston, Georgia, on 5-26-18. Thomaston's is the oldest celebration of the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation in the country. Image: King C. Davis

On Memorial Day weekend, residents of the Thomaston, Georgia, area held their annual Emancipation Day Celebration. The event, which has been held in Thomaston since 1866, is the country’s longest-running commemoration of freedom from slavery. Thomaston-Upson Community Heart & Soul was there to hear from attendees and invite them to share what they love about their town. In the image above, Heart & Soul Project Coordinator Jennifer Rogers greets residents.

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