Acknowledgement of Black Labour
When Canadians talk about slavery, we often point with pride to the role our country played in the mid‐1800s as a safe haven for Americans escaping captivity via the Underground Railroad. This, however, is only half the story.
Like the United States, this land has its own history of slavery – and it is a history we should never forget.
We acknowledge that Canada was built at the often-fatal expense of forcefully enslaved Black people. We acknowledge those who did not survive the Middle Passage and we acknowledge those who still cannot safely walk down the street or sleep in their own homes and those who are still dying while fighting for their liberation. Ensemble aims to cultivate space for Black stories to be uplifted and for Black lives to be celebrated. We pledge to infuse our work with true values of anti-racism.
We offer these acknowledgments with respect and gratitude, along with the intention to spark more awareness, compassion, and empathy for every life in our community.
“This is what needs to be acknowledged in Canada…. We don’t want people telling us it was mild because they [enslaved people] ate beef or chicken, or what have you. We’re talking about, within these Canadian colonies, enslaved Africans…who had all kinds of violence committed upon their bodies.”
- Afua Cooper, James Robinson Johnston Chair in Black Canadian Studies at Dalhousie University.
ABOUT THIS STATEMENT
Ensemble Theatre Company acknowledges that we have benefitted from the system of White supremacy, which prioritizes the erasure, co-optation and appropriation of Blackness. We will uphold anti-racist values in all facets of our work—the art we make, our day-to-day operations, and in the community.
This living acknowledgement of Black Labour is a statement that recognizes and honors the African people who were enslaved at the hands of white colonizers and subjugated to unpaid labour and the descendants of enslaved African people. The purpose of recognizing this deep and difficult history is to show respect, gratitude, and appreciation for the insurmountable contributions of the enslaved who worked the land against their will for generations for the sake of capitalism, as well as increased awareness about the horrific outcome of a distorted Black American history.
It is important to acknowledge and understand the persistence of structural and institutional racism, and how we can all contribute to dismantling these systems and creating new and equitable solutions. These living acknowledgements commit us to doing anti-racist work today and beyond, as these histories are still being perpetuated via present-day racial privileges. We invite you to join us as we educate ourselves and activate our ability to be agents of change. Learn more