Churches across western Connecticut today are celebrating the 153rd anniversary of the abolition of slavery.

East End Baptist Tabernacle in Bridgeport is one of the many congregations marking the historic milestone of the Emancipation Proclamation.

Pastor Charlie Stallworth calls the abolition of slavery in 1863 a critical moment in the history of America and in the history of democracy. "At the core of democracy is freedom and that's the same concept brought to life by Lincoln's act of freeing the slaves," Stallworth says.

Many pastors across the region are seizing on the same theme today and say that slavery continues in other forms, like poverty, lack of education and unemployment. That’s why they say it is important to teach young people in church services that the struggle of emerging from captivity continues, and should be celebrated in contemporary, not just historic, terms.