{"id":34909,"date":"2024-08-08T16:18:25","date_gmt":"2024-08-08T20:18:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/?p=34909"},"modified":"2024-08-15T13:00:01","modified_gmt":"2024-08-15T17:00:01","slug":"aurora-black-caucus-hosts-solemn-commemoration-of-emancipation-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/aurora-black-caucus-hosts-solemn-commemoration-of-emancipation-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Aurora Black Caucus hosts solemn commemoration of Emancipation Day"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Aurora Black Caucus hosted a solemn and reflective Emancipation Day celebration at Town Hall on Thursday evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forty-five attendees commemorated the 190th anniversary of the end of slavery across the British Empire. Historically, August 1 marks the day in 1834 when the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 came into effect across the colonies connected to the British Empire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a series of speeches, the event\u2019s participants discussed the struggle for freedom, the merciless nature of the slave trade, the Black community\u2019s past and current hardships as well as the daunting manifestations of systemic racism in Aurora, York Region, and across Canada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aurora Black Caucus Board Chair Milton Hart\u2019s dynamic opening remarks established that \u201cthe celebration is not a Black celebration\u2014it is a Canadian celebration.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hart, who will be inducted into the 2024 Aurora Sports Hall of Fame in November, acknowledged the key role played by Richmond Hill MP Majid Jowhari to raise national awareness of the Slavery Abolition Act. He applauded the Liberal MP\u2019s courage needed to enact Emancipation Day after so many prior failed attempts by Canadian legislators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt took guts to stand up in Parliament and call for a day to recognize the end of slavery.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hart, who served in the Jamaican and Canadian military and, more recently, as a Seneca College English professor, called elegantly for an \u201call-hands-on-deck approach to problem-solving in Canada.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After Hart\u2019s opening words, the hospitable co-emcee George Harper introduced a series of videotaped messages from Prime Minister Trudeau, Premier Doug Ford, and MP Tony Van Bynen, which complemented the subdued tone to the celebration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prime Minister Trudeau acknowledged the inspirational leadership of Black advocacy groups and, in a forceful and formally-rendered request, asked \u201cCanadians to recommit to a more just society.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A comparably more buoyant Premier Ford noted in his remarks that \u201cDiversity is the greatest strength of Ontario\u201d and veteran Newmarket-Aurora MP Van Bynen emphasized in his message from the Netherlands that residents need to embrace \u201cthe ideals of Emancipation Day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aurora Black Caucus organizers praised Van Bynen\u2019s work as \u201ca trailblazer\u201d to raise public consciousness about Emancipation Day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Attendees of the event included Mayor Tom Mrakas as well as Town Councillors Ron Weese (Ward 1) and Wendy Gaertner (Ward 3). Mayor Mrakas\u2019s reflective insights into the significance of the Emancipation Day were consistent with the dignitaries who spoke in Council Chambers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He noted the mistakes of the past and expressed a hope for a better future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe acknowledge this dark chapter in history and we reaffirm our commitment to a fair and equitable community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mayor Mrakas also read the Proclamation of the Abolition of Slavery in its entirety and thanked the Aurora Black Caucus for its leadership in the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other dignitaries in attendance echoed the Mayor\u2019s reflective stance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MP Leah Taylor Roy (Aurora-Oak Ridges-Richmond Hill) addressed the importance of Emancipation Day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMany of us take freedom for granted but there are so many people around the world that do not have freedom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Harvard University-educated Liberal representative acknowledged poignantly the \u201ctriumphs, hardships, and accomplishments of the Black community\u201d and observed that Emancipation Day is \u201cabout the importance of our day-to-day actions\u2014it\u2019s about the respect and dignity that we all deserve.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the spirit of an inclusive community, Taylor Roy invited the attendees to \u201ctreat each other as complete equals\u201d and that \u201cwe all have that ultimate freedom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Newmarket-Aurora MPP Dawn Gallagher Murphy\u2019s Provincial Emancipation Address opened with her thanking Emcee George Harper for his kind words of introduction and she moved seamlessly to describe her first trip to Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Attending a Francophone Women\u2019s Conference that focused on human trafficking and women\u2019s health issues, the Progressive Conservative representative discussed the \u201cdeep meaning\u201d of her trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She showed travel photos including a shot of \u201ca beautiful beach in Africa from which fishermen would be taken into the slave trade.\u201d She also described how \u201chuman beings were put in chains and taken away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese pictures tell us a story. I was moved by the history of Black people\u2014about people being taken from their homes, their families\u2014never to be seen again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gallagher Murphy directed attendees to her slide of \u201cThe Woman King\u201d statue located in Esplanade des Amazones \u2013 a public square in Cotonou, Benin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe L\u2019Amazon statue demonstrates the power and majesty of Black women.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gallagher Murphy\u2019s insights and images resonated among the attendees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Equally-resonant were the words of MP Jowhari.  Introduced as \u201cThe Architect of Emancipation Day,\u201d he acknowledged that \u201cthe pathways of reconciliation have opened up for aboriginal and Black communities living in Canada\u201d and eulogized \u201cthose that suffered prior to the Emancipation of Slaves in the British Empire.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Richmond Hill MP added context to the bill he introduced to Parliament, including the failure of three predecessors to enact the legislation, but praised the \u201cunanimous support of 338-0 in the House of Commons to impel the bill into being.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He modestly compared himself to \u201crunning the last meter of a 4 by 100 relay\u201d in terms of his role in bringing Emancipation Day to life.  In a contemplative moment, Jowhari mourned the slave trade\u2019s toll: \u201cTwo million people lost to the Atlantic Ocean. Twelve million people taken from their lands and families.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He commended the Black community for \u201cits resilience in the face of anti-Black behavior in Canada.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The theme of anti-Black behavior was reinforced by Phiona Durrant and Jerisha Grant-Hall who presented a series concerns related to municipal, regional, and national communities for unseemly acts of racial prejudice in the Town\u2019s parking lots; unflattering wealth and employment rates for Black people in York; and a country-wide malaise suggesting that the Emancipation Act of 1834 had not accomplished much in terms of equity and advancement of Black people in Canada 190 years after the enactment by British Parliamentarians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a message of reflection that criticized the Town\u2019s response to a recent racist incident that she experienced in an area parking lot, Aurora Black Community President Durrant \u201ckept it local because this is where I live.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She challenged attendees to embrace \u201creal equity and diversity\u201d and to achieve it. Durrant implored that \u201cwe must measure where we are.\u201d  The community leader noted that she was \u201ctriggered\u201d by Gallagher Murphy\u2019s slide show and offered emotionally-charged commentary about Aurora\u2019s shortcomings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Durrant expressed her displeasure about \u201cwhere we are.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She equated recent political commentary about whether \u201cwe\u2019re ready for a Black woman President\u201d to contemporary shackles worn by the North American Black community. Durrant expressed the \u201clack of respect\u201d she has experienced in Town of Aurora Committee work and discussed how she felt she was made to feel \u201cunsafe\u201d in a recent dispute over a parking space in Town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She complained about the lack of response by the Town of Aurora to the incident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To offset what she described as a lack of representation, Durrant encouraged Black residents to participate in the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have to show up and show that we belong\u201d\u2014and she closed her address by acknowledging the key roles played by the York Regional Police and the Aurora Black Caucus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The message of reflection delivered by Newmarket African Caribbean Canadian Association Founder and Chair Jerisha Grant-Hall called into question the often-used word \u201cresilience\u201d\u2014a term deployed by many of the dignitaries to describe the response of Black people to systemic roadblocks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I hear the word \u2018resilient,\u2019 I prefer \u2018resistance.\u2019 I want us to think about \u2018When will we be free?\u2019 Emancipation in 1834 did not mean social and economic freedom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grant-Hall delivered statistics regarding the plight of Black people across Canada including housing discrimination, higher rates of homelessness, and lower rates of home ownership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn all areas of life, Black Canadians are suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In light of these metrics, Grant-Hall called for \u201cthe removal of oppressive barriers, to challenge these racial barriers, and treat people with dignity and respect.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The leader of NACCA noted Regional disparities in earnings and employment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor every $1.00 a White person earns in York Region, racialized Blacks earn 66 cents. Black youth unemployment in York Region is double that of the national average.\u201d She did praise local politicians \u201cwho are learning\u201d and she observed that MPP Gallagher Murphy\u2019s moving video about the African slave ports showed \u201cthey\u2019re learning.\u201d  She expressed her gratitude to the Aurora Black Caucus for creating \u201can event that was critically-important\u201d to commemorate the \u201c800,000 enslaved Africans and their descendants liberated across the British Empire in 1834.\u201d Grant-Hall called for \u201crobust anti-discrimination laws, equity audits, the need to be data-driven and support Black-owned businesses, and to mandate diversity in hiring.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In closing, she offered some degree of hope that \u201cwe have the intelligence to end racism.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The celebration\u2019s uplifting closing words belonged to Aurora Black Caucus Vice-Chair Michael Corniffe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The engaging software executive noted that \u201chope is coming\u201d and pointed to evidence \u201cin this room full of people who know more.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He praised Gallagher Murphy\u2019s moving slide show and observed that, \u201cWe cannot give up and we\u2019re not quite there yet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Corniffe encouraged attendees to be \u201cagents of change in our community\u201d and offered a glimpse of the event\u2019s future: \u201cWe look forward to a bigger, better celebration day next year with panels featuring politicians and local leaders engaged in discussions with those in attendance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Jim Stewart<\/strong><\/p>\n\r\n\"Facebook\"<\/a>\"twitter\"<\/a>\"mail\"<\/a>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":34910,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34909","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general_news","category-news"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/2024-08-08-01.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3D2k4-953","publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-16 09:19:18","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34909","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34909"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34909\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34910"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34909"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34909"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34909"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}