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February 12: Gratitude for Those Making Bold Proclamations

Today, I am thankful for those with the courage to shout their proclamations aloud.


According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the verb ‘proclaim’ is defined as the act of publicly and openly declaring something of importance with due emphasis. The word derives from the Latin word, ‘proclamare’, which brilliantly translates as ‘to shout forth’. Hence, a proclamation is an official declaration issued by a person or authority to make a certain announcement known in a public forum. In the distant past, such proclamations were often made dramatically. Martin Luther decided to start the Protestant Reformation by nailing his 95 Theses to the door of a Castle Church. In the Middle Ages, town criers were routinely proclaiming the news from the Royal family. In fact, you can still visit the town of Chester in the United Kingdom where proclamations are read at High Cross every Tuesday to Saturday at noon. Sadly, these days, proclamations lack the theatrical drama of lore. Most modern-day proclamations are mundane, issued in memos, webcasts, or Twitter.


But, there are some historical proclamations that still warrant our ardent appreciation. On this day (Feb 12) in 1809, two individuals would be born who would change the world with their proclamations.


The first was a frontiersman born in a log cabin in Spencer City, Indiana. Abraham Lincoln would lift himself out of poverty through self-education, rising to become a lawyer, legislator, congressman, and eventually the 16th President of the United States. Although his Gettysburg Address would become a rallying cry for nationalism, liberty, and democracy, his most famous proclamation came on Jan 1, 1963. On that day, he issued the executive order known as the Emancipation Proclamation, rendering 3.5 million African Americans in Confederate states free of human slavery.


The second individual claiming a birthday today was a boy born to wealthy parents into an elite English society in the town of Shrewsbury. Although his father desperately wanted his son to become a physician, Charles Darwin’s affinity to plants and animals led him to become a world-renowned naturalist. During a 4-year trek on the HMS Beagle, he chronicled nature through his study of diverse animals, plants, and fossils. After studying the data for another two decades, he finally mustered up enough courage to publish his book, On the Origin of Species, in 1859. His theories on life’s descent from common ancestors through the process of natural selection ushered forth the concept of evolution.


These two men would suffer umbrage & endure public criticism for their proclamations. However, both stood by their convictions. Ultimately, Lincoln would give us a compelling philosophical explanation as to why all humans were created equal. Darwin would fill in the gaps by providing a scientific explanation to prove this point.


Exactly one hundred years after the birth of these 2 men on this day (Feb 12, 1909), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was formed. One of its founders, Ida Wells summarizes proclamations best:






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