The 12th annual Peterboro Emancipation Day will take place on Saturday, Aug. 6 starting at 10 a.m. Peterboro is located in Central New York near Syracuse. It is the location of several sites connected to the Abolition movement period immediately before the Civil War. Gerrit Smith, whose home will host the ceremony, reportedly helped 3,000 slaves escape to freedom. According to local media:
The public is invited to attend the gathering at the Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark in Peterboro.
- At 11 a.m., there will be a processional and annual laying of wreaths. In the tradition of the century ago ceremonies, wreaths will be laid on two graves: one on a gravestone that reads “Born a slave. Died Free” and another on the gravestone of abolitionist Gerrit Smith.
- At 2 p.m., there will be two programs about the life and work of Mary Edmonia Lewis, also known as “Wildfire” — an American sculptor of mixed African-American and Native American heritage born in Upstate New York. The 2 p.m. program is titled “Edmonia Lewis: International Sculptress in Peterboro.”
- The 2:20 p.m. program is titled “Edmonia Lewis: A Sculptor of Determination and Courage.”
- At 2:40 p.m., there will be a program entitled “Songs of Slavery and Emancipation: Intro, History, and Future.”
For more information or updates, visit www.gerritsmith.org
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