Emancipation Day: Remembering, Resisting, Rising

Today, on Emancipation Day, the Black Class Action Secretariat honours the unbreakable spirit of resistance and hope that defines the Black experience in Canada.

We begin by acknowledging that we stand on the traditional and unceded territories of Indigenous Peoples. These lands, like our communities, carry the deep wounds of colonial violence and dispossession. The struggle for Black liberation is inseparable from the broader fight against settler colonialism and systemic oppression.

Emancipation Day commemorates the abolition of slavery in the British Empire on August 1, 1834. Yet we know freedom did not arrive in full that day, and its promise remains incomplete for Black people in Canada.

We recognize and celebrate the hard-won progress achieved through generations of struggle, sacrifice, and unwavering advocacy. Yet the very structures born out of slavery and colonialism remain alive today. These systems continue to adapt, often in subtle ways, threatening to erode hard-won gains and block the path to true liberation.

This legacy lives on in anti-Black racism embedded in our institutions, in public service, education, policing, healthcare, and immigration. Through the Black Class Action, we see the clear throughline: the systems that once enslaved Black people now restrict opportunity, suppress voices, and block advancement.

Our purpose is clear. BCAS exists to dismantle the barriers that Black workers continue to face, particularly in Canada’s public institutions. We demand reparative measures that go beyond symbolism, but measures that include equitable hiring and promotion practices, accountability for discrimination, investment in Black-led organizations, and the creation of safe, affirming workplaces where Black people can thrive.

As we reflect on Emancipation Day, we must lift up the voices and leadership of Black communities. Commemoration means little without action.

We call on our communities, allies, and institutions to stay in the fight. Let this day remind us: freedom is not achieved until justice is real, reparations are delivered, and Black lives are fully valued.

Keep rising. Keep organizing. Keep pushing for justice.