Gullah Geechee community celebrates historic and significant Freedoms Eve [Video]

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) – New Year’s Eve festivities are happening all across the Lowcountry on Tuesday, but for some, the holiday is a chance to showcase their rich and unbreakable bond of shared history.

Morris Brown AME Church held a Watch Night service Tuesday afternoon to celebrate Freedom’s Eve.

Watch Night is a Gullah Geechee cultural celebration that commemorates when President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863.

It’s a tradition that began about 160 years ago and is still celebrated today.

Reverend Demett Jenkins said Freedom’s Eve is central to Gullah Geechee culture, and it’s important to educate others about its significance.

“So, Freedom’s Eve, the night before this actual proclamation came into existence, that’s where our African ancestors were singing and praying and worshiping and celebrating the possibility of freedom. And so, it did come to pass, but only in those 10 Confederate states. So …