On Sunday, 20 people gathered at the Freedmen’s Mission Historic Cemetery adjacent to Knoxville College’s campus for a special ceremony honoring the lives of people who were once enslaved in Tennessee.
Hosted by the Beck Cultural Exchange Center,the historic ritual is known as a libation ceremony. It’s the act of offering water or alcohol to the spiritual world as a method of remembering and honoring ancestors and has roots in West African culture.
The Beck Center hosts the ceremony each year on the Sunday before August 8, the day Tennessee Military Governor and future President Andrew Johnson freed his personal slaves at his farm in Greeneville in 1863. Festivities commemorating August 8 began in 1871, led by Sam Johnson, one of the men freed by Johnson.
Reverend Reneé Kesler, the president of the Beck Center, said the ceremony is supposed to honor enslaved individuals before celebrations commence.
“It felt appropriate that before you could really celebrate freedom, you needed to honor the ones who came before you,” she said. “We want their spirit to be present too. And so while we drink, they drink.”
Three of Johnson’s freed personal slaves are buried at the cemetery, including Liz Johnson. Her headstone is adorned with a white rose wreath.
Alan Jones, a local minister, cast water in each cardinal direction in front of the wreath.
“We use cool water as a symbol of the continuity of life,” he said.
After Jones poured the water, Felecia Outsey performed a dance to the sound of African drumming and song. She had performed at the ceremony years prior.
“In [enslaved people’s] journey towards freedom, they always had the drum,” she said. “So they were… mentally liberated before they were physically liberated. So I wanted to celebrate that with the music.”
Following her performance, Olga Welch sang “It is Well With my Soul,” written by Horatio Spafford in 1873. Dan Brown, a former mayor of Knoxville and one of the attendees, called the ceremony “inspirational.”
“It's always good to remember those who suffered,” he said. “And we want to always remember what they experienced.”
Beck is hosting events throughout the week to commemorate August 8, including a special ticketed event for Negro League Night with the Knoxville Smokies on Friday.
