We truly appreciated the feedback on the essayand poem onWatch Night, which revisited the "lost" African American history behind religious serviceson New Year's Eve. The Afro-American newspapers in Baltimore andWashington requested permission topublish the essay and several people used it as part of the Watch Night Services intheir churches. Here's a sampling of the comments we received (identifiedby first name only):
"Thanks very much for this background.I've shared it with many of my church family and friends. We will be holdingWATCH Night Service this year, as we've done as long as I can remember.Combining this historical with the spiritual truly makes it all the more specialand powerful a gathering."
~Harriett
"Thanks for sharing this bit of history with all of us."
~Bertie Mo
"Thanks for the enlighteninginformation."
~Barbara
". . . I've attended Watch Night servicesall my life, and I never knew the original meaning behind it. It was justcustomary. Strangely enough, my best friend and I just had a lengthyconversation about Watch Night services. This was GREAT."
~Anonymous
"I am impressed [with] this wonderful pieceof Black history. We need more and more people to read it."
~Neal
"I am in receipt of a copy of the pieceon "Watch Night" and it's origin. I would like to share it with others. . . This was most informative and could serve as an educational tool."
~Linda
"How wonderful was the article on the watchnight service's history. I teach American History at a Community collegein Detroit Mi. I shall include this article in all my futureclasses. Readers should read Frederick Douglass' speech at the dedicationof the Lincoln Monument to get a real feel of the first Watch Night. Douglasswas in a Baltimore Church on that New Years' Eve Night and his remembrancesof that night and the excitement in that church as they watched and waited forthe glorious announcement of our freedom will even today bring tears to thereaders' eyes."
~Wallace
~Vel
"I too will be praying on Watch Night.When I grew up new years eve meant going to Watch Night services. I think itwould be nice for people of color in Tobacco Control to lock ourselves into amovement of "oneness" in prayer at that time . . . ."
~Milly
"Good job and an interesting bit of history, Iwill pass it on. Bless you and keep up the good work."
~Julia
"Thank you very much for the additional informationon Watch Nights. I will add the URL to those we plan to add to the DiviningAmerica "Getting Back To You" answers."
~Marianne
"Thanks for that vital piece of missinghistory. I, too, attend Watch Night services at my church every year. All I can say is "Bless be the ties that bind...". Thanksagain!!!"
~Sally
"Thanks for that interestingpiece of history. I am sharing it with my familyand friends. It never before even dawned on me to question the origin ofwatch night. It has just always been a tradition in my family, my churchand my community."
~Delores
"The Watch Night history is VERYinteresting indeed because it reminds me of the "faith that our dark pasthas taught us." Still, let us not forget that the EmancipationProclamation, while a wonderful document of hope for our ancestors, was an actof war and therefore not a binding document at the time that it was issued. Lincoln had no jurisdiction over the Confederate States of America; therefore,our ancestors who were enslaved in those states during that "nation's"thankfully short-lived tenure were not legally freed until the ratification ofthe 13th Amendment, which affected all slaves in the newly re-unified UnitedStates of America."
~Lauren
"This was interesting and I enjoyed finding out about this."
~Patricia
"Thanks for shedding light. Ireally never knew what Watch Night services were about, although I had gone forthe last three or four years. Now I can truly rejoice and thank the Lordfor bringing me safely and freely through another year."
~Anonymous
"I read the essay on WATCH NIGHT and theassociated poem. My soul was touched! I, too, have participatedwithout knowing the full significance. I will now remember my ancestors who truly suffered but held out for the hope of Watch Night!"
~Gwen
"Thank you for the very interesting bitof history. Even though I didn't attend watch service this year, I still try tokeep a watch service frame of mind. The Bible says that we should watch aswell as pray." The Onyx Group
~Tonya
Let us never forget the bridge that brought usover.
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