Book description
On August 1, 1834, 800,000 enslaved Africans in the British colonies,
including Canada, were declared free. The story of Emancipation Day, a
little-known part of Canadian history, has never been accessible to
the teen reader through either the school curriculum or classroom
resources, despite its significance in the story of Canada.
Talking About Freedom closes this gap by exploring both the
background to August 1 commemorations across Canada and the importance
of these long-established annual celebrations.
What is the connection between the Caribana festivities in Toronto
and emancipation? Why are some communities restoring Emancipation Day
to their roster of annual events? Talking About Freedom
introduces a range of personalities and happenings through historical
facts, memorable personal recollections, vivid images, and detailed
narratives. Included are connections to the ongoing struggles of
people of African ancestry as they seek to achieve equality, with
insightful links woven across the past, present, and future.
“…a well-researched, very detailed account of the emancipation
movement and the hurdles it faced.” Natasha Henry is a teacher, an
educational curriculum consultant, and a speaker specializing in the
development of learning materials that focus on the African experience.
Author of
Emancipation Day: Celebrating Freedom in Canada
, she is also the education specialist for Breaking the Chains:
Presenting a New Narrative of Canada's Role in the Underground Railroad,
a project of the Harriet Tubman Institute at York University. She lives
in Mississauga, Ontario.
