1863 and 1963 in 2013

January 1, 1863: President Abraham Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation, setting the path for ending slavery in the United States.

August 28, 1963: The March on Washington, where thousands marched demanding racial equality. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivers his “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington before thousands.

In recognition of these significant anniversaries, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History–the group that founded Black History Month–is issuing a call for papers, panels and roundtables on the theme, “At the Crossroads of Freedom and Equality: The Emancipation Proclamation and the March on Washington.” Visit www.asalh.org for details.