The 64th Annual Emancipation Proclamation Celebration in Gary — a constant to usher in the new year — also ushered in a new era for the Interfaith Clergy Council of Gary & Vicinity as its first woman will helm the organization for 2025. The Rev. Shelley Fisher, an associate pastor for host church First Baptist Church Gary, was sworn in as president during the celebration. The Rev. Ernest Douglas, another associate pastor for FBC, was sworn in as secretary. Fisher said she was brought into the group a few years ago, and back then, it felt very much like a “men’s group” and she wondered how she would be included, she said. Much to her surprise and delight, however, they accepted her without condition. “(My appointment to president) is refreshing, so thank you,” she said. Senior Bishop Dr. Dale L. Cudjoe raises a bible during his speech during the 64th Annual Emancipation Proclamation Program of Freedom at First Baptist Church in Gary, Indiana, on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. Cudjoe is senior bishop at Christ Temple Church of Christ in Gary.(Andy Lavalley/for the Post-Tribune) The Rev. Dale Cudjoe, senior pastor for Christ Temple Church of Christ (Holiness), who gave the annual address, said the reason behind the proclamation wasn’t new when Abraham Lincoln gave his address, and it’s not new now. Slavery, he said, was there in the Bible, when Moses asked the Pharoah in Egypt to “Let my people go.” “God said to Moses, ‘When you don’t know God, you act like you’re the leader, and when God isn’t your leader, the Devil is’,” Cudjoe said. “When Moses asked the Pharoah to let the Israelites go pray, and he said there were quotas of bricks to be met, so we want you to make the bricks until we tell you not to make them.” The parallels between the Israelites in the Bible and the American Slaves can now be seen once again in Israel, he added. “In modern-day news, you can see the old news, and the phrase, ‘Absolute power corrupts absolutely’ is proven correct every time,” he said. ”It’s ongoing in the U.S. — the names have been changed to protect the innocent, but the story is still true.” Reverend Ernest Douglas, left, and Rabbi Len Zukrow take part in the 64th Annual Emancipation Proclamation Program of Freedom at First Baptist Church in Gary, Indiana on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. Zukrow is rabbi at Temple Beth-El in Munster.(Andy Lavalley/for the Post-Tribune) Rabbi Len Zukrow, of Munster’s Temple Beth-Israel, has been part of the celebration for at least the last five years, he said, when Cudjoe asked him to read a passage from the Old Testament. It’s an event to which he looks forward now. “I’m inspired, especially today with his comparison of Jews seeking freedom. It resonates with me,” Zukrow said. “The joy of being with this community who understands is immeasurable.” Barbara Bollng-Williams reads the Emancipation Proclamation during the 64th Annual Emancipation Proclamation Program of Freedom at First Baptist Church in Gary, Indiana on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. Bolling-Williams is an attorney and President of the NAACP Indiana State Conference.(Andy Lavalley/for the Post-Tribune) Nichelle and Joe Williams, of Hazel Crest, Illinois, came to the celebration to hear Joe Williams’ stepmom, NAACP State Chair Barbara Bolling-Williams, read the proclamation. It was their first time taking part, and the significance wasn’t lost on them. “Sometimes, we need a reminder of how we got here to give us hope so we can move forward,” Nichelle Williams said. “It’s a holistic perspective,” Joe Williams added. Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance writer for the Post-Tribune.