February 1 is National Freedom Day. Americans celebrate the end of slavery and the nation recognizes its symbol of freedom. Major Wright, who was a former slave, created the holiday. February 1 was chosen because that is the day in 1865 that Lincoln signed the 13th Amendment, outlawing slavery. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Research anti-slavery activists such as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Ralph Nader. Make a commitment to learn about a reformist that you hadn't heard of before.
2. Celebrate the holiday in a huge fashion, just as you would the Fourth of July. Bring out fireworks, if they are legal in your area. Throw a party. Revel in the fact that you live in a nation where there is no legal slavery.
3. Strive to find a way to help bring illegal slavery and human-trafficking to an end. Organizations like Free the Slaves need donations and volunteers. Illegal slavery still occurs in countries around the world, including the U.S. Make a difference by giving your time and passion to the cause.
4. Educate yourself on the countries that don't have laws abolishing slavery. Be knowledgeable about other people's experience with legalized slavery.
5. Contact your local tourism group and request a community celebration, if there isn't one for your town. Come together with your neighborhood, job, and schools to start new traditions such as parades, cookouts, or dramatic plays that bring to life the story of slavery and its end.
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