Emancipation Day commemorates the abolition of slavery in the British Empire. This date is an opportunity to reflect, educate and engage in the ongoing fight against anti-indigeneity, anti-Black racism, and discrimination.
Over the years, Ontario has recognized Emancipation Day provincially, but in 2021 members of parliament voted to designate it nationwide. This is important, as many Canadians do not know that Indigenous and Black persons were enslaved in Canada. Emancipation Day is an opportunity to remember and honour the struggles for freedom that have occurred throughout history, to re-examine the present, and to advocate for a more equitable future.
In May 2018, the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board formally adopted 2015-2024 as the Decade for People of African Descent. Learn more here.
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