Emancipation in Black history refers to the abolishment of slavery in the United States and other parts of the world. In the U.S., the Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, during the American Civil War. The proclamation declared that all enslaved individuals in Confederate-held territories were to be set free.

While the Emancipation Proclamation did not end slavery in the United States entirely, as it did not apply to slave states that remained loyal to the Union, it was a significant step towards the eventual abolition of slavery. The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified on December 6, 1865, officially abolished slavery in the United States.

Emancipation was a pivotal moment in Black history, marking the end of the brutal system of chattel slavery that had dehumanized and oppressed millions of African Americans for centuries. It paved the way for greater civil rights and freedoms for Black people, although the fight for equality and justice continued long after emancipation.