The Canadian House of Commons designated August 1 as Emancipation Day in 2021. This day commemorates the enactment of the Slavery Abolition Act across British colonies in 1834 and serves as an important reminder that slavery was once part of Canadian society.

Read more: Emancipation Day an opportunity to commit to eliminating anti-Black racism

The transatlantic slave trade and colonial system set the foundation for racism, exclusion, and assimilation within Canadian society. The damaging legacy of enslavement and systemic anti-Black racism are still embedded and normalized in Canada. These colonial systems are the same systems that also oppress Indigenous Peoples.

Although anti-Black racism is challenged in more ways than ever before, it is not the end of the struggle. There is much more work to do to eliminate anti-Black racism in society, including in the education system, labour movement, and beyond. The necessary work must be done by governments, institutions, and individuals to eliminate barriers and build just societies for all, which is the legal and moral right of every Black youth and adult.

As a union committed to advocating for the rights and dignity of all, ETFO recognizes the inherent challenges for Black members to represent an unjust system while being tasked with the burden to dismantle it. For this reason, ETFO encourages all its members to reflect on their own biases, challenge anti-Black racism in all its forms, and actively support initiatives that promote equity, diversity, and inclusion within schools, workplaces, and communities.

Emancipation Day offers us an opportunity to educate ourselves, engage in meaningful conversations, and take concrete actions towards eliminating anti-Black racism. Only real, ongoing structural change and a genuine commitment to dismantling racism and white supremacy will free society from the burden of colonialism and its impacts.

To learn more about how ETFO is addressing anti-Black racism, visit Building Better Schools.