Savannah State honors National Freedom Day with wreath-laying ceremony

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Freedom, legacy, and history take center stage at Savannah State University this weekend.

SSU will honor National Freedom Day with a wreath-laying ceremony Saturday, January 31 at 11 a.m. inside the Student Union Ballroom.

The celebration was originally planned to be held at the bust of its first president, Richard R. Wright Sr., in front of Wright Hall on campus at 3219 College Street. However, officials moved the celebration indoors due to the expected low temperatures on January 31, 2026.

Wright, who became Savannah State’s first president in 1890, later helped establish National Freedom Day to commemorate President Abraham Lincoln’s signing of the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery. This year marks the 161st anniversary of that historic moment. National Freedom Day was officially recognized in 1948.

Following the ceremony, a keynote address at noon in the Student Union will be delivered by Professor Stacey Scales, an adjunct instructor in African American Studies at Georgia State University. Scales brings more than 15 years of teaching experience and is also an accomplished Afrobeat-jazz musician who has collaborated with Roy Ayers, Les Nubians, Kirk Whalum, and Julie Dexter.

The events are open to the public.