The Leadership Conference is working diligently to see that Tom Perez is confirmed as U.S. Secretary of Labor. Perez is an eminently qualified public servant and consensus builder who has dedicated his career to ensuring that all individuals are treated fairly and have the opportunity to succeed. He has served with integrity and distinction at the local, state and national level, compiling an outstanding record of achievement.
The District of Columbia Celebrates Emancipation Day Today
April 16, 2009 - Posted by The Leadership Conference
A District resident at the "Emancipation Day Parade and Rally for Statehood" in Franklin Square in Washington, D.C.
April 16 is Emancipation Day in Washington, D.C.
On April 16, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Compensated Emancipation Act. The Act immediately freed 3,100 slaves within the District, provided up to $300 of compensation to former owners who remained loyal to the Union, and provided opportunities for freed slaves to return to Africa by offering $100 to any former slave that chose to emigrate.
This happened nine months before the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed slaves in the Confederate states.
In 2005, Emancipation Day became an official holiday in the District. City employees receive the day off and public schools are closed and there are a number of educational and commemorative events.
When Mayor Adrian Fenty took office in 2007, he used Emancipation Day celebrations to highlight the continued struggle for D.C. voting rights.
Currently, District residents do not have full-voting representation in Congress. A bill that will give Washington, D.C., a full-voting member in the House of Representatives for the first time passed the Senate in February and is currently pending in the House.
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