Memorial Day, Originally Called Decoration Day, Founded by Black Americans

In the past, it was rarely spoken of, but what we now know as the holiday called Memorial Day, it was once called Decoration Day, founded by ethnic Black Americans in Charleston, South Carolina in May 1, 1865. Those 24 Black American men were called the Friends of the Martyrs, and the Patriotic Association of Colored Men. They erected a fenced enclosure while organizing a full ceremonial burial in honor of the fallen Union troops, those fighting against slavery.

The Friends of the Martyrs took the many soldiers who were already passed away and gave them the honor and dignity of individual graves. Afterwards, they held a full ceremony for their fallen heroes, which was the very first recorded day such as this, and it was called Decoration Day.

A common question is why isn’t it called Decoration Day today? Well, it was after the first World War in the early 1900s that Decoration Day was made into Memorial Day by the government, which extended honor to all service members.

One would think the name should have remained Decoration Day because it was commemorating the freedom and emancipation of the enslaved in the USA at the end of the Civil War which was won by the Union. The Confederacy lost. Secondly, Memorial Day commemorates all soldiers who have died in service to the USA at any point. This is very different than Decoration Day.

Whatever the opinion, Decoration Day was named as such because citizens visit the graves of the fallen soldiers and decorate the gravesites. This tradition carries on as Memorial Day. As one can read by the newspaper clipping from The Charleston Daily Courier of May 1865, it was the Black American formerly enslaved that did provided the foundation for the ceremony as thousands laid flowers down in honor of those who fought for their freedom.

Decoration Day (Memorial Day)

Two hundred fifty seven Union soldiers were buried with 10,000 people in attendance, mostly Black Americans, about 2800 Black American children who marched together placing flowers on the Union soldiers’ graves. Immediately after the children finished, the Patriotic Association of Colored Men, an association of 100 members created to distribute Freedman’s supplies, did the same. Next in line was the Mutual Aid Society of 200 members which was formed to bury poor of the Black community, paid their ceremonial respects next, and finally, the rest of the thousands of citizens. Because mostly all of those in attendance had flowers, it was certainly a mountain of them left atop the graves, mostly roses.

Also, while standing around the graves, the children sang the Star Spangled Banner, America and Rally Round the Flag and after singing those songs, they marched while singing John Brown’s Body. Below is a small newspaper clipping of the event.

Before Black Americans did this for the Union soldiers who fell in battle who were all Black Union soldiers as it is recorded on record in The Independent of Sept 28, 1865 that “negro troops captured Charleston“, the soldiers were being trampled over by pigs and rebels in an open field. White people who saw how the Black Americans protected and honored the area of the Black Union Soldiers, sneered.

Even when the president Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, the white people cheered.

It is this day and detailed information that was and continues to be overlooked for many years, but now, it has come to light that Black Americans not only honored those who fought for their freedom but are the actual founders of Memorial Day, once called Decoration Day.