P.E.I. formally recognizes Aug. 1 as Emancipation Day

P.E.I. Premier Dennis King was scheduled to sign a proclamation Friday morning officially recognizing Emancipation Day on P.E.I.

It marks the day when Britain's Parliament abolished slavery in the British empire in 1834.

"The anti-Black racism that exists in Canada today is really descended from a time when slavery existed here," said Tamara Steele, executive director of the Black Cultural Society of P.E.I.

"By celebrating this we're acknowledging that there is still work to be done. We've come a long way but there's still work to be done."

Emancipation Day will be marked on P.E.I. with an event in Rochford Square in Charlottetown Sunday, starting at noon. There will be speeches, music, games and performances.

It will be the first official celebration of Emancipation Day on P.E.I.

Join CBC Arts on August 1 at 2 pm AT on CBC Gem and YouTube forFreeUp! Emancipation Day 2021,a youth-led celebration of spoken word, dance, theatre and music, as we gather together to celebrate freedom.

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.

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