Nova Scotia formally recognizes Emancipation Day

On August 1st, Nova Scotia formally recognizes Emancipation Day for the first time.

This date commemorates the 187th anniversary of the British parliament abolishing slavery across its empire which resulted in the freeing of approximately 800,000 enslaved people of African descent.

We don’t talk about it as much as we ought to, but there is a long history of slavery here in Nova Scotia. The roots of the African Nova Scotian community took hold in our province more than 400 years ago. In 1750, the more than 13% of the population of Halifax consisted of enslaved Black people. Slavery was part of life across our entire province and continued into the 1800s.

This Emancipation Day should serve as an occasion to better understand our Province’s past treatment of African Nova Scotians and commit ourselves to eliminating the many systemic injustices that persist today.