The Emancipation Proclamation, President Lincoln's executive order during the Civil War to free the slaves in Confederate territory, turned 150 years old this week, and Southampton Village is joining in the celebration of the anniversary.
The start of the event, named "Bells Are Ringing," will be heard throughout the village on Saturday, as all the church bells in Southampton will ring in unison for one minute, according to the Southampton Historical Museum. Residents are invited to bring bells to the corner of Jobs Lane and Main Street in front of the First Presbyterian Church at 1 p.m. to join in the ringing.
A round-table discussion led by Carol T. Spencer, the founder of Diaspora Books, will follow at 2:30 p.m. across the street at the Rogers Mansion. A panel of historians and authors will discuss the meaning of the Emancipation Proclamation and how it affected the nation and its citizens, according to the museum.
Then from 4 to 5:30 p.m., jazz, poetry and food will be served up at the Rogers Mansion, led by Brenda Simmons, the director of the African American Museum of the East End.
The African American Museum on the East End, Diaspora Books, First Presbyterian Church, Rogers Memorial Library, Saint John’s Episcopal Church, Southampton Chamber of Commerce, Southampton Historical Museum and Southampton Village are co-sponsoring the celebration.
