Memorial Day is observed on Monday, but according to the Washington Post, one of the earliest known commemorations occurred on May 1, 1865, in Charleston, South Carolina.
Just weeks after the Civil War ended, thousands of newly freed Black Americans held a procession to honor more than 250 Union soldiers buried in unmarked graves at a former Confederate prison camp.
Black schoolchildren led the way, laying flowers while choirs sang and ministers offered prayers.
Historian David Blight described it as a powerful tribute — organized by those who had just been emancipated.
Yet for more than a century, this story was erased from public memory by groups such as the United Daughters of the Confederacy.
Today, Charleston officially recognizes that early ceremony as the true origin of Memorial Day.
Click play to listen to the AURN News report from Clay Cane. Follow @claycane & @aurnonline for more.
