Call for Federal recognition of Emancipation Day

BY PAUL JUNOR

The celebration of Emancipation Day on August 1^st, 2020 has brought a chorus of calls across Canada for official recognition of it by the Canadian government.

Nova Scotia’s Senator Wanda Thomas has been working tirelessly for years to gain federal recognition of this day as a national holiday. In 2018, she introduced a private member’s bill in the Senate but it was unfortunately dropped. She has not given up and is persistent in achieving this goal.

On August 1^st,2020, CBC News in a report titled, “N.S senator calls for Canada to officially recognize Emancipation Day,” highlights her work. “From coast to coast, we could pause and recognize Emancipation Day, and use it as a time to remember, use it as a time to reflect and use it as a time to commit to action.” She carefully informed Canadians that aside from the celebratory aspect of Emancipation Day, it is an invocation to continue to fight because of the prevalence of everyday racism and violence. Even if the federal government does not recognize it, she is asking Canadians to recognize it nationwide.

In the House of Commons in Ottawa, Member of Parliament, Manid Jocohari introduced in a motion calling for Emancipation Day to be recognized across Canada. Unfortunately, it did not occur because of COVID-19 but she is persistent that she will follow through with it hopefully in the fall. “Even when that happens, that’s just one part of the equation. Reparations are important. An apology is important. These are things that have never happened.”

On August 1^st, 2020, there were several marches, protests and demonstrations that were held across Canada. In Vancouver, there was the official recognition of August 1^st as Emancipation Day, which is the first city outside Ontario to do so. Ontario has recognized this day provincially since 2008.

At the suggestion of Brampton City Councillor Charmaine Williams, Dixie 407 Sports Park has been renamed Emancipation Park This was endorsed at the  July 8^th, 2020  meeting by all the members of council. Ms Williams states, “To the best of my knowledge it is the first Emancipation Park anywhere in Canada. I look forward to seeing more initiatives that increase our historical understandings of the roots of anti-black racism, as we work to tear down the barriers that hold back human potential.”

Annamie Paul (a Green Party leadership candidate), and her sister Ngozi Paul started an online petition. It states,

“Today as we mark Emancipation Day, we call in the Government of Canada to make 2020 the last year that this important event in the history of Canada goes unrecognized. We the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada call upon the Government of Canada to proclaim August 1^st, as Emancipation Day, and to celebrate it on that day each year.”

The petition is a “Call for Recognition of Emancipation Day in Canada.” It can be found at petitions.ourcommons.ca. It has been open for signatures since July 23^rd, 2020 and will be used for signatures on August 22^nd, 2020. Further information can be obtained at annamiepaul.ca.