Mr. Speaker, it is an honour and privilege to present e-petition 2759. It has 2,278 signatures and has been put forward by Annamie Paul, from Toronto, who is the new leader of the Green Party.
The petition calls for the Government of Canada to proclaim August 1 as emancipation day, and to celebrate it on that day each year. It notes that the transatlantic slave trade brought people of African descent to Canada in the early 1600s and that the practice of slavery was also inflicted on indigenous peoples, continuing until it was abolished in the British Empire on August 1, 1834.
Canada’s history of enslavement, racial segregation and marginalization has had a devastating impact on people of African descent. The existence of systemic anti-Black racism in education, housing, employment, health, criminal justice, politics and other areas can be directly traced to the history of slavery in Canada. Canada has neither recognized nor educated the public adequately about the historical facts related to slavery and the anti-Black racism it has produced. Black Canadians have made outstanding contributions to Canada in every field, which is all the more remarkable given the legacy of slavery. It is necessary to recognize the history of Black Canadians in order to build a more just society, free from discrimination.
I am hoping that we can pronounce August 1 as emancipation day in Canada, each and every year.