KINCARDINE, ON - Canadians are not always aware that Black People were once enslaved on the land that is now Canada. The month of August is Emancipation Month, a month to acknowledge the horrific period of enslavement in our history while also acknowledging the rich contributions made by Peoples of African descent.

On March 24, 2021, members of Canadian parliament unanimously voted to designate August 1st as Emancipation Day in Canada. Emancipation Day marks the actual day that the Slavery Abolition Act came into effect throughout the British Empire in 1834. Thus, marking an end of more than 250 years of chattel slavery for millions of African people and their descendants in Canada and around the world.

To launch Emancipation Month, the Municipality is hosting a flag-raising ceremony of the Black Liberation flag at both the Public Library downtown Kincardine and at the Davidson Centre.

Dates and times:

Date: August 1
Location: Bruce County Public Library
Time: 12:30 p.m.

Date: August 1
Location: Davidson Centre
Time: 1:30 p.m.

The public are invited to join Council members and staff to show the ongoing commitment to eliminate anti Black racism and discrimination of all forms. The flag is a reminder that despite the progress made, there is still a long road to equity.

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Media Inquiries: Jillene Bellchamber-Glazier, CAO 
Municipality of Kincardine 
519-396-3468

About the Black Liberation Flag

The Black Liberation Flag is a tri-color flag consisting of three equal horizontal bands of (from top down) red, black and green.

The flag was designed by Marcus Garvey in 1920 in response to racism and has become a powerful symbol worldwide, representing people of the African Diaspora, Black Freedom, and Black Unity.

The red, black, and green of the flag each have a specific meaning.

• Red: the blood that unites all people of Black African ancestry and shed for liberation.
• Black: black people whose existence as a nation, though not a nation-state, is affirmed by the flag.
• Green: the abundant natural wealth of Africa.

The flag is a reminder that despite the progress made, there is still a long road to equity.
Source: www.bestcolleges.com/blog/pan-african-flag-meaning