Typically, on the first Saturday of August, the streets of downtown Toronto would be filled with colourful masqueraders for Caribana. Despite COVID-19 causing the cancellation of the city's annual Caribbean festival, there is still much to celebrate today. 
August 1st is Canada's #EmancipationDay which commemorates the declaration that made it illegal to enslave the descendants of Africans stolen from the continent to work as slaves.
Also celebrated in American and several Caribbean islands (on various dates), Emancipation Day honours the memory of those who were enslaved by Canadian and American colonists and celebrates the freedom of their descendants.
Historically, Emancipation Day was marked by parades that put Caribbean music, food, and culture into the spotlight raised funds for scholarships for Black students. The Caribana festival we celebrate today is a continuation of that legacy.
It is an opportunity to express our gratitude for the resilience and sacrifice of African peoples who fought tirelessly for our emancipation from the brutal regime of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.
While Emancipation Day is officially recognized by the province of Ontario, there are currently movements to make it a national holiday. Sign the petition here: change.org/p/justin-trude…
