Chapter Twelve

Picking up the Mantle

Let the freedom of youth captivate you.

— “Let the Song Last Forever,” Dan Hill, Frozen in the Night, 1978.

There has been a revival of interest in Emancipation Day in many parts of Canada. Canadians are educating themselves about the African-Canadian experience, and there are scores of people in search of a more inclusive Canadian story, one that takes account of the contributions of various groups. Emancipation Day is a great learning opportunity for everyone. It is a way to understand and define freedom.

Adolescents are participating in Emancipation Day commemorations in growing numbers at revitalized events in Owen Sound, Windsor, Oakville, and Dresden. Organizers use a mix of old and new features to attract fresh crowds — multicultural attractions include speeches, parades, the Miss Emancipation pageant, sports tournaments, talent shows, history tours, displays, deejays, parties, midways, and lots of food from around the world.

African Canadians and youth should reclaim Emancipation Day because of its significance in history and benefits as an instrument of education, unity, and change. Likewise, it is necessary to understand that Caribana festivals evolved from Emancipation Day celebrations. The legacy and memory of African-Canadian pioneers and activists should be passed on by retelling stories of courage, sacrifice, and commitment.

The United Nations General Assembly has designated the year 2011 as the International Year for the People of African Descent. It offers an opportunity to become educated about the experience of Blacks in our nation and throughout the Diaspora. That includes discussion of the diverse experiences and contributions of enslaved African Canadians. At the core of August First celebrations is the concept of freedom as a human right, which resonates with people all over the world who have struggled to achieve freedom or who are still struggling to realize that dream. African-Canadians were vigilant in pursuit of their rights: the agitation for freedom by enslaved Africans throughout the New World, the fight for complete and equal freedom during the civil rights era, and the ever-changing meaning of freedom to African Canadians in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Canadian youth are obliged to pick up where past generations left off in the fight for human rights in Canada. There is still much more to do around the issues of discrimination, systemic racism, and equality in our country. Fortunately, in a positive direction, numerous young Canadians of all races and backgrounds have been building on the efforts of early human rights advocates. They are activists who are passionate about equal rights and are working to improve the living conditions of groups that experience discrimination. Youth are educating themselves and others, courageously asking tough questions and taking grassroots action. There are a variety of youth-led initiatives that combat issues affecting freedom.

Social problems such as youth violence, rising high school dropout rates, and high unemployment rates for Black males are prevalent not only in Canada, but in other regions of the Atlantic World. African-Canadian Nkem Anizor has been very vocal and hands-on in dealing with issues that have a negative impact on the lives of Black youths in the Kingston-Galloway area of Scarborough just east of Toronto. The Neighbourhood Basketball Association was established by Nkem and fellow community activists, who have developed programs to assist and educate youth through mentorship, cultural education, recreation, and the fostering of business management skills. Nkem and her colleagues are committed to working with Black youth to improve their self-determination.[1] The Native Youth Sexual Health Network, founded in 2006 by Jessica Yee, who is of Native Canadian and Chinese descent, offers services and programs in Canada and the United States relating to sexual health for First Nations youth.[2]

While in grade eight, Shannen Koostachin and her friends spoke out against the federal government’s failure to rebuild an elementary school. Children on the Attawapiskat First Nations reserve on James Bay in Ontario had been without a school building since the year 2000 and had been attending classes in portables that sat on contaminated land. Shannen advocated for the right of Native children to have a decent education, even going to Ottawa to confront the federal minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development on the steps of Parliament Hill about the matter when she was thirteen. In 2009 the federal government decided to honour its commitment to build a school. A new school is scheduled to open in 2012.[3]

Wordplay

The Diaspora describes the migration or the movement of peoples of African descent around the world to places such as America, the Caribbean, Europe, and Canada as a result of the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

Free the Children was started by Craig Kielburger in 1995 when he was just twelve years old. He and eleven friends in Thornhill, Ontario, were motivated to action when they saw a horrific story about South-Asian child labour in the newspaper. The organization expanded to help children around the world overcome exploitation, poverty, as well as gain access to housing, food, and fresh water.[4] Toronto-based For Youth Initiative campaigns and provides innovative solutions to issues that create barriers to inner city youth. Their programs deal with youth and police, youth voting, newcomer youth settlement, and female youth to name a few. For Youth Initiative aims “to encourage civic engagement and increase access to educational, recreational, economical, and cultural opportunities.”[5]

One more example is the arts-based 411 Initiative for Change, which encourages young people to get involved in their communities and work with other young people to address global issues. The programs utilize music and art to battle prejudice and stereotypes, foster positive youth interaction, and bring attention to international charity causes. In support of national artistic talent, at least fifty percent of the content of their presentations is Canadian. All of these grassroots organizations mobilize and inspire young people to engage in acts of service to make a positive change in the lives of others.

Addressing pressing contemporary issues will require a large network of individuals and organizations. Coalition-building between community and labour organizations, women’s groups, faith-based groups, and human rights groups is important in increasing public awareness and creating lasting change. Modern-day rights activists should consider using old, tried-and-true strategies such as organization and agitation coupled with new approaches like using social media — Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.

Freedom was very much part of the national policy of Canada even before the dominion was formed, and so it continues to be. Freedom was placed on the political agenda by the disadvantaged and oppressed. We see that liberation struggles, as they relate to Blacks in Canada and other discriminated groups, have been a constant issue because rights are never simply given or granted. They have only been secured through vigilant campaigning. Even though the idea exists that basic civil rights and fundamental freedoms are protected and enforced by numerous pieces of legislation, today segments of our society are still not able to exercise their complete civil rights.

Freedom is fundamental to democracy, but wherever there is a democratic country, including Canada, there will be struggles for human and civil rights because democracy is an evolving process. A democracy changes and adapts as new challenges arise. The positive outcome hoped for is that changes will result in the further promotion of democratic values and benefits for the people, such as increased participation in society for everyone.

In the twenty-first century, there are many challenges to democracy all over the world. Poverty, sexism, racism, and other social injustices are just a few. Another challenge is suitable representation for all citizens, meaning, “are the politicians elected to represent us serving our best interests?” Globalization can also have a negative impact on democracy. When countries increase their economic relationships through the exchange of goods, services, and capital, inequalities can be created that affects democracy in the countries involved. When individual interests take priority over those of the group, people focus only on their own goals and fail to work together to better society. The push for international democracy poses another challenge: when certain countries, usually those with more power and wealth, become involved in telling other countries how to run their government, conflict inevitably arises.

There are several ways to ensure the advancement of Canadian democracy. For one, all citizens should participate in open discussions about democracy, even when they disagree. Secondly, citizens should engage in the democratic process, with the aim of influencing public institutions and modifying government and social practices so that they meet the needs of all Canadians and adequately reflect their shared values. The walls of oppression must be broken, so that one day, future generations will be able to celebrate true freedom.