Historical Spotlight: 8th of August
Freedom for Black American slaves didn’t happen all at once. Despite the Emancipation Proclamation being delivered in January 1893, slavery continued in the Deep South untouched for multiple months and even years later. Slaveowners didn’t willingly give up control and feared that the infrastructure, which heavily relied on manual labor, would collapse. While we’re aware of national celebrations like Juneteenth that have grown in notoriety over the years, join me as we shine a Historical Spotlight on one of the smaller celebrations of freedom local to Tennessee and Kentucky that is still revered today.
The 8th of August is a day of joy that has been cherished by the descendants of slaves in Kentucky and Tennessee for more than 150 years because in 1863, future President Andrew Johnson freed his own slaves in Tennessee. He was the Military Governor at the time and the state wasn’t initially included in the Emancipation Proclamation because it was technically a part of the Union and not the Confederacy. Kentucky wasn’t included either because it was a neutral border state in the Civil War, despite the fact that slavery was an integral part of the local economy.
The 8th of August is also known as Emancipation Day in the region and the very first celebratory event in Greeneville, Tennessee was organized by a Freedman named Samuel Johnson in 1871. There was a parade and Andrew Johnson and a few other elected officials attended the festivities. As Freedmen moved away from the plantations where they were enslaved, the tradition was spread and preserved.
The day has been celebrated with parades, barbecues, family gatherings, rest, and remembrance of the egregious act against an undeserving demographic that literally built the nation. It has also helped bring together the Black community by reinforcing the culture and teaching the history of our ancestors.
Even when slavery officially ended and redlining, Jim Crow, and segregation took its place, Black Americans continued their celebrations. During Jim Crow, Black people in Tennessee were only allowed to visit the Chilhowee Park one day out of the entire year, which was the 8th of August. The day grew in importance over time to eventually be celebrated in at least seven states and 55 distinct communities.
The traditions typically have been passed down from generation to generation and there are many Black people who were born and raised in Kentucky and Tennessee who travel back home for the festivities each year. There’s also a good portion of people who have never even heard about the festivities of Juneteenth simply because of the distance between the states.
In 2007, Governor Phil Bredesen signed House Bill No. 207 to acknowledge August 8th as an annual day of special observance. Taking it a step further, a bill to designate Emancipation Day as a legal state holiday was proposed by Tennessee State Representative Rick Staples and passed on March 2, 2020.
The Beck Cultural Exchange Center hosted its First Annual 8th of August Jubilee in 2015 at Chilhowee Park and has continued hosting them yearly to commemorate Emancipation in the area. The Libation, a spiritual ceremony that pays tribute to the formerly enslaved people who have passed on, is hosted at a historic cemetery on the morning of the Jubilee.
There is also an 8th of August Heritage Award given to honor people who have made significant contributions to preserving the legacy of Black American history, culture, and education. The very first recipient in 2015 was Ned Arter, the great-great grandson of 8th of August founder, Samuel Johnson.
By 1902, thousands of Black Americans were travelling near and far to attend the festivities and rejoice in their freedom. The legacy of Emancipation lives on today and we honor the sacrifices our ancestors made to continue fighting against injustice. They never once laid down and gave up, but always kept future generations in mind as they suffered through intense heat, ridiculous treatment, and poor living conditions until things eventually got better.
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Signed,
Jessica Marie
