WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons joined Rev. Dr. Johnny Ray Youngblood and participants at the August Quarterly Worship Service on Sunday to present a Senate resolution and letter from President Obama commemorating the 200th anniversary of Wilmington’s August Quarterly Festival. The August Quarterly Festival, held August 18th through August 25th this year, is the nation’s oldest African-American festival celebrating religious freedom, freedom of speech, and the right of assembly.
“Throughout America’s history, African-American churches across our nation have enriched communities and contributed to the rich fabric of our culture,” Senator Coons said. “Since Wilmington’s first Big Quarterly in 1814 – one which brought thousands of African-Americans together to celebrate their faith – this festival has served as an enduring example of the connective tissue of faith, and how it strengthens our communities, our culture, and our freedom. As we reflect on this momentous anniversary, we are reminded of African-Americans’ long struggle for civil rights and equality, and the important role churches have played as a platform to organize, empower, and effect change. The August Quarterly Festival stands as a testament to the immense power of African-American faith and fellowship, and I am pleased to join my Senate colleagues in honoring its proud tradition with this resolution.”
In 1813, Reverend Peter Spencer founded the Union Church of Africans in Wilmington, Delaware, the first independently incorporated African-American Church in the United States. The August Quarterly Festival, also known as Big Quarterly, is an annual celebration commemorating the church’s founding, and the religious independence of African-Americans on the Delmarva Peninsula.
Senator Coons and Senator Carper were the lead sponsors of the August Quarterly resolution, passed by the entire Senate on August 1, 2013.
Text of the resolution follows:
Celebrating the 200th August Quarterly Festival taking place from August 18, 2013, through August 25, 2013, in Wilmington, Delaware.
Whereas, 200 years before the date of agreement to this resolution, in 1813, Peter Spencer founded the African Union Church, one of the first African-American institutions legally incorporated within the United States;
Whereas, one year later, in 1814, Spencer and the African Union Church convened the first August Quarterly meeting and festival in Wilmington, Delaware, bringing thousands of African-Americans together to celebrate their faith;
Whereas the August Quarterly (or “Big Quarterly”) Festival became a meeting place for African-Americans celebrating freedom, sharing in solidarity, and looking for relatives lost or sold in the institution of slavery, and a means through which Harriett Tubman and other conductors and station masters of the Underground Railroad met with those looking to escape the bonds of slavery;
Whereas the August Quarterly Festival is well recognized as the longest continuously celebrated African-American festival in the United States; and
Whereas, from August 18, 2013, through August 25, 2013, thousands of people will come together in Wilmington, Delaware to celebrate the 200th August Quarterly Festival: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate—
(1) celebrates the 200th August Quarterly Festival taking place from August 18, 2013, through August 25, 2013;
(2) recognizes the historical significance of the August Quarterly Festival and the role the festival has played since 1814 in celebrating faith, community, culture, and freedom;
(3) honors the life of leadership, faith, and service of Peter Spencer, founder of the African Union Church and of the August Quarterly Festival; and
(4) recognizes the service volunteers and religious leaders who ensure that the legacy of Peter Spencer lives on through the continuation of the August Quarterly Festival.
Text of the President’s letter:
I send greetings to all those attending the August Quarterly Festival.
The freedoms we hold dear as a nation—among them worship, assembly, and speech—form the bedrock of America’s promise. For generations, courageous individuals driven by faith have fought to expand our civil liberties, pushing America from what it was toward what it ought to be.
A celebration of African-American history and faith, the August Quarterly Festival has worked to carry forward this important mission for nearly two centuries. With a fierce tradition of defending the freedom of religion and breaking down barriers to full equality, this event has helped forge a more perfect Union, and it has served as an important reminder of the difference we can make when we strive to do God’s work here on earth.
As you gather on this special occasion, I wish you all the best for an enjoyable event.
Barack Obama
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