On March 24, 2021, the House of Commons voted unanimously to officially designate Aug. 1 Emancipation Day. It marks the actual day in 1834 that the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 came into effect across the British Empire.

Aug. 1, 2022, will mark the second federally recognized Emancipation Day in Canada — a day that honours the long legacy and contribution of Black Canadians and the commitment to unlearning anti-Black racism and pushing for a more just society. Canadians are not always aware that Black and Indigenous Peoples 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.

Although the day just recently received federal recognition, the Windsor-Essex region played a significant role in celebrating Emancipation Day from the day’s inception, but most notably in the 1930s to the late 1960s. Known as “The Greatest Freedom Show on Earth,” Windsor’s Emancipation Day celebrations drew crowds from across Canada and the United States. For decades, Windsor’s Emancipation Day celebration during the first weekend in August included notable civil rights activists, performing artists, and Miss Sepia beauty contestants from across North America to downtown Windsor’s Jackson Park.

Through its commitments to enhance equity, diversity, and inclusion, the University of Windsor has begun to take important steps to address the systemic inequities on campus. There is still much work to be done to ensure everyone feels like they belong.

“With such a deep history in the Windsor-Essex region, the University of Windsor community is proud to honour Emancipation Day,” said UWindsor president Robert Gordon.

“On this day, faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to reflect on the contributions of the Black community, to learn more about the federally recognized day, and recommit to combatting anti-Black racism as we continue to work towards building a more inclusive campus where everyone feels welcome.”

“As we celebrate Emancipation Day, let us commit to bold and reparative social justice,” said Clinton Beckford, vice-president of equity, diversity, and inclusion. “Although the institution of slavery officially ended in slave colonies in the British empire after more than 300 years in some places on Aug. 1, 1834, the legacy of African enslavement reverberates today.”

In-person events are taking place across Windsor-Essex to commemorate Emancipation Day:

• Thursday, July 28: Capitol Theatre's Film Screening of Mr. Emancipation: The Walter Perry Story
• Friday, July 29: Amherstburg Freedom Museum’s Emancipation Celebration Dinner and Dance
• Saturday, July 30 to Monday, Aug. 1: The Black Council of Windsor-Essex's Emancipation Jubilee 2022 (sponsored by the Office of the Vice-President, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion)

Kaitlyn Ellsworth, Black student support co-ordinator, collaborated with the Leddy Library to compile a non-exhaustive collection of Canadian Emancipation Day materials that includes historical texts, scholarly articles, media articles, videos, and more.

This summer, the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (FAHSS) launched its university preparedness program, “Transform First Year,” for its incoming students coming from high school. Both domestic and international students are enrolled in the program.

“Transform First Year is a program designed to help with school readiness for first-year students,” says Tony Vo, student experience co-ordinator in FAHSS. “We know that students are eager to start their university experience, so we wanted to offer them a program that mirrors what their first-year experience could be.”

Sessions are held both in person and online and led by Vo and a team of upper-year mentors. Local students are attending in-person sessions, while out-of-town and international students join the sessions online. The kick-off event was held June 30 with weekly sessions running through July and August. The program attracted 50 incoming students.

Participants are required to review online modules, join online discussions and team challenges, meet with their team lead once a week during mentor meeting sessions or online activities, and participate in Windsor Wednesday on the UWin FAHSS App.

“I chose to do Transform because it immediately appealed to me to learn the ropes of how university functions and how I can be the best possible student I can be,” says Catie Lenover, an incoming film production student.

“University is also a time where there is a higher chance of meeting lifelong friends and creating connections. This is something I hope to gain by the end of Transform.”

She notes that the mentoring gives incoming students the facts on what university will be like and how to best prepare for it.

“I have learned so much, especially the importance of being an independent learner and what it takes to LEAD (a reference to the LEAD Scholars program) in this next stage of our lives,” Lenover says.

Aysha Mian says the program has made her feel better equipped to begin her studies in psychology.

“I felt unprepared to go to university. I only knew a few people from my faculty, roughly understood how the university systems worked, and had only stepped foot on campus once before Transform,” she says. “The idea of university was overwhelming to say the least. That changed after starting Transform. I had the opportunity to learn about the university, the opportunities, and the services it provides.”

Transform First Year concludes on Sept. 1 with the Transform Close Off Ceremony.

The UWinPride Committee will be participating in the Windsor Pride Parade, and is calling for those who would like to join in on the fun.

The event will take place on Sunday, Aug. 7, along Ottawa Street between Argyle Rd. and Langlois Ave. starting at 11 a.m.

If you are interested in being part of this event, complete the registration form as soon as possible, so the committee can communicate with all participants ahead of time.

More details about the parade and other events can be found on the Windsor-Essex Pride Fest website.

The University will raise the Progress Pride flag outside Chrysler Hall Tower at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 2. It will not be as extensive a ceremony as that for the June Pride Month flag-raising, but the campus community is invited to attend, and the flag will remain up for photos through Aug. 8.

If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s to be nimble and always prepared to respond quickly to whatever challenges come our way, says

Wen Teoh, director of the Entrepreneurship Practice and Innovation Centre (EPICentre).

“As we entered the second year of lockdown, the EPICentre team found more ways to pivot, and gain experience in delivering our programming virtually,” she writes in an introduction to its annual report.

“This is the true entrepreneurial spirit and entrepreneurial mindset that we often share with our students and entrepreneurs.”

The year’s virtual programming, including educational and venture programs, workshops, and competitions, benefitted 2,624 students and entrepreneurs, the report notes. Read the EPICentre 2021-22 annual report.