ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Mt. Olivet Baptist Church in Rochester held a service on New Year’s Eve honoring Watch Night, the day that enslaved people secretly gathered at homes and churches to wait for the Emancipation Proclamation to take effect.
Many historically African American churches across the country mark the night. Enslaved people gathered on New Year’s Eve of 1862 and celebrated their freedom at midnight as the year turned to 1863. Church leaders say that Watch Night is a celebration of gratitude, faith, freedom, and remembrance.
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