Black Class Action Secretariat calls for national commission on slavery legacy

The Black Class Action Secretariat, a non-profit organisation, has called on the Canadian federal government to establish a national commission to study the legacy of slavery and anti-Black racism in Canada. The proposal was announced ahead of Emancipation Day, which is observed on 1 August and commemorates the 1834 abolition of slavery across the British Empire.

The commission would examine the enduring impacts of slavery, segregation, and systemic racism, and recommend a national framework for addressing systemic barriers in Canadian institutions. The Black Class Action Secretariat has urged the government to begin consultations with Black communities, provinces and territories, Indigenous partners, and labour organisations.

Nicholas Marcus Thompson, president and CEO of the Black Class Action Secretariat, said the commission would establish a permanent historical record and hear directly from affected communities. The organisation argues that while Canada marks Emancipation Day annually, it has never undertaken a comprehensive national examination of how the legacy of slavery and anti-Black racism continues to shape the lives of Canadians of African descent.

What the coverage left out

No right-rated outlet carried the story, according to the reports printed below. None of the left-rated digests mentioned the proposed consultations with Indigenous partners or labour organisations, which were included in the full report from Battlefords NOW.