Does emancipation proclamation mean African Americans supported themselves?

The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, declared the freedom of enslaved people in Confederate states, but it did not directly imply that African Americans supported themselves. Rather, it was a pivotal step toward ending slavery and allowed formerly enslaved individuals to seek opportunities for work and independence. Many African Americans did take on roles as laborers, soldiers, and entrepreneurs following their emancipation, contributing to their self-sufficiency over time. However, the Proclamation itself was primarily a wartime measure aimed at weakening the Confederacy and did not immediately grant full economic independence to African Americans.