Watch Night Re-enactment, Nov. 4
Nazareth College is going back in time to recreate Watch Night of December 31, 1862 – the night before President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, an executive order that would declare the end of slavery in the 11 states that had seceded form the Union. Nazareth’s Institute for Pluralism and the Center for Spirituality are collaborating to create a historical re-enactment of the event. The re-enactment will unfold on Tuesday, November 4 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in Linehan Chapel located in the Golisano Academic Center; this event is free and open to the public. Nazareth College is located at 4245 East Avenue, Rochester, N.Y., 14618.
History of Watch Night:
The scenes will unfold at a “hush harbor” near a Southern plantation, and in Rochester’s African Methodist Episcopal Church, and will be re-enacted by AKWAABA: the Heritage Associates living history performers featuring Nazareth’s own visiting community scholar Dr. David Anderson.
Watch Night, an end-of-year religious service was brought to colonial America by Europeans. By mid-nineteenth century, “Watch Night,” had been transformed into a sacred ritual for millions of African-descended people. At secret worship services on southern plantations, as well as in the nominally free black churches in the North, people of color reaffirmed their humanity and were determined to become free.
For More Information
Julie Long, Nazareth Chief Public Relations Officer: (585) 389-2456
Nazareth University is an inclusive community of inspired learners, educators, and changemakers who for nearly 100 years have been driven by a bold commitment to action, empathy, equity, and leading innovation for the common good. Impact experiences are at the heart of a Nazareth education, preparing each student to discover within themselves the potential to cultivate positive change in their life's work, in any career field, and in a world that is constantly evolving and infinitely interconnected.
Our broad academic offerings present a range of study options typical of larger universities, yet achieved in our supportive campus culture. Nearly 2,100 undergrad and 600 graduate students enroll in degree and certificate programs and engage in collaborative, transformative learning experiences, preparing for the professions and society of today and tomorrow. In a learning community that purposefully integrates liberal arts and professional programs, Nazareth University graduates are able to launch a lifetime of impactful leadership in communities and workplaces near and far.
