National Black Canadians Summits

It is our time

The eradication of systemic racial discrimination, anti-Black racism, and its devastating impact on people, communities, and society as a whole, has to matter to all and be a shared responsibility.

national black canadians summit

PAST SUMMITS

It all started in 2017 and we’re just getting started

The National Black Canadians Summit was created out of a call from emerging artists of African descent, from Halifax, Toronto, and Montreal, to confederate the efforts of Black individuals from across Canada, to see better outcomes for the community at large. From the first Summit in the Toronto public library in 2017 to our 2019 event in Ottawa in the presence of, our federal parliamentarians and lawmakers, through our series of virtual events in 2021 efforts amid of the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Black Canadians Summit is an essential and vigorous platform for reflection and co-creation.

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2017 | Toronto, Ontario

First edition

The Toronto Public Library hosted this exciting event that brought together hundreds of Black Canadian leaders, including policy experts, media personalities, academics, activists, business professionals, and artists gathered for the inaugural National Black Canadians Summit. Over three days, the summit was filled with dynamic keynote speeches, captivating cultural performances, and productive strategic planning sessions focused on driving social change. The event was a continuation of several generations of ongoing struggles and mobilizations by Black communities, all of their advocacy efforts. It also seized upon the UN International Decade for People of African Descent (2015-2024) as a catalyst for increased collaboration, no longer atomized, but national. The ambition was an inclusive agenda for Canadians of African descent, anchored in a framework to combat systemic racial discrimination and exclusion. At the summit, a group of public servants came together to form the Black Federal Employees Caucus, an organization dedicated to eliminating barriers faced by Black public servants, including harassment, discrimination, and underrepresentation. This important development also served as a launching pad for the Federation of Black Canadians, a national advocacy group that collaborates with Black community organizations across the country to achieve meaningful change.

Past Summit

2019 | Ottawa, Ontario

Second edition

The second Summit, held at the National Arts Centre, was a tremendous success under the theme of “Mapping Our Future: Face to Face with our Lawmakers.” Over 800 Black leaders and stakeholders from across Canada came together to achieve the goals of the UN International Decade for People of African Descent - recognition, justice, and development. This mobilization was a powerful platform to bring critical issues to the forefront of national dialogue and work towards a more inclusive, empowered, and prosperous Canada for everyone. Throughout the event, a presentation of inspiring videos produced by Black youth who participated in cross-Canada Jam Sessions, in line with the Foundation’s mission to amplify youth perspectives within Canada’s national anti-racism strategy. The summit also provided a unique opportunity for direct engagement with parliamentarians, culminating in the "Black Voices on the Hill" meeting. During more than a dozen strategically targeted meetings with several federal parliamentarians, ministers and members of Parliament, the participants were able to raise awareness of the devastating impact of racism and discrimination on them and on the Black communities as a whole.

Past Summit

2021-2022 | Online

Summit Virtual Series

The Covid 19 pandemic and the long periods of confinement did not slow us down in our work, quite the contrary. The mobilization was only more constant, the state of alert, vigilance and urgency more noticeable in the face of the impacts felt within the Black communities, clearly under considered during the pandemic. The shockwave caused by the assassination of George Floyd in the United States and the outpouring of the Black Lives Matter movement have intensified reflection and action.

The summit moved into virtual space with a series of 4 important conferences with, each time, several panelists, interactive discussions that attracted thousands of people, contributing expertise, testimonies, tangible experience, analyses, facts and data from the Black communities themselves, on the following themes : "Reimagining Justice"; - "Breaking Barriers in Education"; - "Redefining Entrepreneurship and Employment Through A Black Lens" ; and "Let's Talk Black Health".

Past Summit

2019 | Ottawa, Ontario

Third edition

The third edition of the Summit took place in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the birthplace of the oldest Black settlements in Canada. The event brought together over 1200 delegates from the Black community across Canada, including 435 youth delegates who were able to attend the Summit free of charge. This historical location provided a unique opportunity to learn about the rich history of Black Canadians, illuminating the broader reality of racism.

The Summit also advanced thinking and debate. Pride and determination were once again in evidence. The result is a landmark document, the Halifax Declaration, designed as a clear call to action with a strong proposal for targeted public policies aimed at the strategic eradication of systemic racial discrimination. It clearly demonstrates that solutions can only be found in an inclusive manner, with the communities. The Halifax Declaration was developed through a collective and collaborative effort with Black community members, including lawyers, writers, researchers, scholars, journalists and community leaders. It was also validated through an extensive online consultation process, making it a powerful tool for mobilization, awareness and action.

Past Summit

Information

Summit organization committee

nbcs-spcn@fmjf.ca

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