A parade, festival, go-go rhythms and popular headliners 鈥� rapper T.I. and singer and D.C. native Mya 鈥� drew hundreds to the nation’s capital on Sunday for the 21st annual D.C. Emancipation Day celebration.
The day marks April 16, 1862, when President Abraham Lincoln signed the Compensated Emancipation Act, freeing more than 3,100 enslaved people in the District 鈥� three years before the Civil War ended.
In 2005, D.C. leaders made April 16 a public holiday, and local government offices closed last Thursday in observance.
Sunday鈥檚 D.C. Emancipation Day parade, festival and free concert lined up with another historic event: On April 19, 1866, thousands of Black Washingtonians gathered at Franklin Park for the city鈥檚 first major post-Civil War freedom celebration.
The 2026 Emancipation Day organizers had planned to hold the celebration in Franklin Park, but the event was moved a few blocks south to Pennsylvania Avenue in Northwest D.C. due to expected demand.
‘We’re still going on’
For those attending the weekend festivities, music was a big draw.
鈥淚 knew the music was going to be here, so I said, 鈥楥ome on, let’s go down here and spend some time,鈥欌�� Diane Scott told 草莓传媒.
Scott, 69, was born and raised in the District, but she didn鈥檛 know until Sunday about D.C.鈥檚 long history of celebrating slavery鈥檚 end. She said it made her feel good to learn about it 鈥渂ecause we鈥檙e still going on. We鈥檙e still going on.鈥�
For Kent, who did not give his last name, the day was also about remembering the more than 11,000 free Black people who lived in D.C. at the time.
He was also there for the music.
鈥淭he Go-go music, I love the Go-go music,鈥� Kent said. 鈥淲hen I moved here 鈥� I found out about Go-go music and Chuck Brown. Chuck Brown is the start.鈥�
This was Shamese Forgione鈥檚 second D.C. Emancipation Day concert.
鈥淚 came to see T.I. and Mya perform,鈥� Forgione said. “This time I get to see T.I., and it鈥檚 free, and it鈥檚 something to bring my kids to.”
Forgione鈥檚 10-year-old, Shamyia, showed off some of the artwork she created at one of the festival鈥檚 activity booths as her 15-year-old son Shamari said he was in attendance to take photos and videos.
He also appreciated the history behind the event.
鈥淚 think D.C. Emancipation Day is something to celebrate when the slaves were released,鈥� Shamari said. 鈥淚 am an African American male, and I wouldn鈥檛, really, wouldn鈥檛 want that to be my future, especially living in 2026 and, honestly, I鈥檓 kind of 鈥� not even kind of, I鈥檓 appreciative of that.鈥�
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