Recognizing Emancipation Day at Sunnybrook

August 1 was Emancipation Day. It marks the day the Slavery Abolition Act came into effect in 1834, and was first recognized in Canada in 2021. This is the first year Sunnybrook marked the national day with events at three campuses this week, organized by the President’s Anti-Racism Taskforce.

Indigenous and Black people were once enslaved on the land that is now Canada. Those who fought enslavement were pivotal in shaping our society to be as diverse as it is today.

The President’s Anti-Racism Taskforce invited staff to take time this week to reflect, educate and engage in the ongoing fight against anti-Black racism and discrimination.

Sunnybrook is committed to building an equitable, accessible, and inclusive environment for our patients and all who work, learn, and live within our community — an environment characterized by a shared commitment to respectful partnerships, human dignity, and health as a human right.

The President’s Anti-Racism Taskforce (PART) was established in 2020 to focus on producing tangible and visible results that will have a broad impact. Learn more about PART at Sunnybrook.ca/PART

Resources:

Read Sunnybrook’s Commitment to Dismantling Racism

Take the Introduction to Anti-Black Racism e-learning module (Link for Staff)