Happy New Year YBPs! Whether you are out kickin it or chillin at home with loved ones, I hope you have a safe time celebrating the end of yet another year. I also know that many of you are at church right now enjoying watch night service. It just occurred to me that not every person, or even every black person, is aware of watch night service or the history and significance of it. Here’s a brief summary:

“Watch Night Services in black communities can be traced back to gatherings on December 31, 1862, also known as ‘Freedom’s Eve.’ On that night, Blacks came together in churches and private homes all across the nation, anxiously awaiting news that the Emancipation Proclamation had actually become law. Then, at the stroke of midnight, it was January 1, 1863, and all slaves in the Confederate States were declared legally free. When the news was received, there were prays, shouts, and songs of joy as people fell to their knees and thanked God.”