Many people point to Canada as a haven for people escaping slavery via the Underground Railroad, but slavery didn't stop at the border. Canada has a terrible history of enslaving Indigenous and African peoples — a history we all need to know and never forget. Emancipation Day commemorates the abolition of slavery across the British Empire while encouraging us to fight anti-Black racism and discrimination and to celebrate the strength and perseverance of Black communities in Canada.

These books offer valuable insight. Don't miss the national and local facts in the descriptions, contributed by Judith Brown.