Today is Emancipation Day; recognizing Britain’s abolition of slavery across it’s empire in 1834. The Slavery Abolition Act freed about 800,000 enslaved people of African descent throughout the British colonies
Emancipation Day acknowledges the history and ongoing impacts of the transatlantic slave trade on people of African descent and African Nova Scotians.
In a statement, Premier Tim Houston says Emancipation Day is a time to remember, reflect and recommit. He adds it reminds us of the resilience of people of African descent and African Nova Scotians, and challenges us to strengthen inclusion, justice and equity across Nova Scotia.
Wendie L. Wilson designer of the African Nova Scotian Flag with the flag. The flag was shown for the first time in February at a ceremony at Government House in Halifax in February. (Government House photo)
African Nova Scotian Affairs Minister Twila Grosse says on the Halifax waterfront, the Atlantic once carried enslaved African people to our shores and later carried about 1,200 Black Loyalists seeking freedom in Sierra Leone. Grosse says those waters held pain and injustice, but also resilience and hope. She says Emancipation Day reminds us that we must confront racism and continue the work of building a more just future.
The theme this year is “Harbouring Freedom: Honouring the Past, Shaping the Future”.
A number of community gatherings marking Emancipation Day are planned throughout the province
