 Black Eyed Peas,
Watch Night, and The Power Of Prayer Dear MSS Members, Family, Valuable Friends, Clients, and Colleagues: From my home to yours, I wish you rich blessings into the New Year. Here is a special article I created about the history of Watch Night Service in the African American community. The tradition predates the importance of the famous 1862 Watch Night Services and originated with the Moravians in Germany many years earlier. However, it is particularly important in the Black Church, with its evolution in the early to mid-1800s. Wishing You The Best in 2016 ! Carole Copeland Thomas, MBA CDMP, CITM --------------------------- The History Of Watch Night Services In The Black Church by Carole Copeland Thomas With the festivities of Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa now on full display, there is still time to reflect on the ritual of my ancestors and many other African Americans, whose forefathers sat around campfires and wood stoves in the twilight of December 31, 1862. There they sang spirituals acapella, prayed, and thanked the Good Lord for what was about to happen the next day. A Look Back...153 Years Ago Tonight... It was on January 1, 1863 amidst the cannon fire, gun shots, and burnings at the height of the Civil War that President Abraham Lincoln sealed his own fate and signed the Emancipation Proclamation. It begins with the following decree: Whereas on the 22nd day of September, A.D. 1862, a proclamation was issued by the President of the United States, containing, among other things, the following, towit: "That on the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free; and the Executive Government of the United States, including the military and naval authority thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of such persons, and will do no act or acts to repress such persons, or any of them, in any efforts they may make for their actual freedom. "That the Executive will, on the first day of January aforesaid, by proclamation, designate the States and parts of States, if any, in which the people thereof, respectively, shall then be in rebellion against the United States; and the fact that any State, or the people thereof, shall on that day be, in good faith, represented in the Congress of the United States by members chosen thereto at elections wherein a majority of the qualified voters of such State shall have participated, shall, in the absence of strong countervailing testimony, be deemed conclusive evidence that such State, and the people thereof, are not then in rebellion against the United States." CAROLE' S TRANSLATION: Effective January 1, 1863 all slaves in the states in rebellion against the Union are free. Technically that is all that President Lincoln could do at the time. He used his wartime powers as Commander in Chief to liberate the "property" of the states in rebellion of the Union. The act did not free the slaves of the Union or border states (Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, Missouri, or West Virginia) or any southern state under Union control (like parts of Virginia). It would take the 13th Amendment (that freed all slaves in 1865), the Union Army winning the Civil War (April 9, 1865), and the assassination of President Lincoln (shot on April 14th and died on April 15, 1865) for all of the slaves to be freed. That included the liberation of the slaves in rebellious Texas on June 19, 1865 (Juneteenth Day) and finally the ratification of the 13th Amendment on December 18, 1865, giving all black people freedom and permanently abolishing slavery in the US. So in 1862 on the eve of this great era, the slaves "watched", prayed, and waited. My ancestors, including Bishop Wesley John Gaines of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) and the other four million slaves prayed for divine guidance and an empowered Abraham Lincoln to do the right thing. It is as important today as the tradition of black people eating black eyed peas on New Year's Day for good luck. That is the history of Watch Night in the African American culture. May you and your family enjoy a spirit filled New Year throughout 2016. Thank you for ALL of your support you have given to me and my business throughout 2015. -Carole
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 For Christians, Jesus is the reason for the Season. But for humanity, Christmas provides an opportunity for all of us to stop, count our blessings while we enjoy the holiday season with friends and family. Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and ALL faiths can join in the spirit of Christmas with prayers of Peace on Earth, Good Will to ALL Men and Women!
One of the BEST movies that you can watch this Christmas is "It's A Wonderful Life," the 1946 classic starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed. You will count your blessings after watching that film no matter what your circumstances, challenges or problems happen to be. I watched it for the umpteenth time last night and found new reasons to count my blessings. From my home to yours I wish you the very best throughout the season. Celebrate, reflect and live another day knowing that YOU are making the difference in someone's life both now and in the future. Merry Christmas!! -Carole Copeland Thomas By Carole Copeland Thomas, MBA, CDMP, CITM  You are cordially invited to attend the March 3, 2016 Black History Breakfast that will honor African Americans in the Military Past and Present. This is our most ambitious Breakfast since its creation in the year 2000, and it will indeed become our best yet. This is our 23rd Breakfast and we are partnering again with the Boston Colonnade Hotel to host a meaningful tribute to our men and women who have protected and defended the United States through the years. Particular emphasis will highlight those African Americans who have served from World War II to our present day forces. However, we will salute the African American presence in the Armed Forces since the American Revolution.
This event is expected to SELL OUT quickly. We encourage you to buy your tickets and tables in December and reserve your space! Register Online Here Click Here For Complete Breakfast Details Our guest keynote speaker will be Ernest Washington, Jr. He is a well respected Vietnam Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, Entrepreneur and Co-Founder of Concerned Black Men of Massachusetts. Ernest has been actively involved in veteran affairs for many years and will deliver a compelling message designed to inspire us all. Confirmed Honorees include the following: Mr. Willie Shellman -Past President New England Chapter Tuskegee Airmen Inc. The Boston Area Tuskegee Airmen 1st Sargeant Michael C. Wiltz - Iraq Veteran Patricia Odom - First Black Female Military Recruiter In Massachusetts Revs. Sandra & Ken Whitley - Career Air Force Veterans and AME Ministers Mary Tuitt - Military Veteran and Chief of Staff To Massachusetts Representative Gloria Fox Rev. Dr. Carlita Cotton - Retired Military, AME Minister and College Professor Ernest Washington, Jr. -Vietnam Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient & Entrepreneur And Other African Americans In The Military From World War II To The Present And A Special Family Tribute To: The Late 2nd Lieutenant Wilson A. Copeland - Tuskegee Airmen & US Diplomat The Late Dr. James Fitzgerald - Korean War Physician - Purple Heart Recipient -MASH Unit It’s the Black History Breakfast you won’t want to miss! Come and celebrate all of our African Americans in the military during this exciting upcoming event. This event is expected to SELL OUT quickly. We encourage you to buy your tickets and tables in December and reserve your space! Click Here For Complete Details. |
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