Emancipation Celebration Monument Committee Seeks Stories and Photos Highlighting Emancipation Day History in Windsor
The Emancipation Celebration Monument Committee, in partnership with the City of Windsor, is launching a public call for stories, memories, reflections, and historic photos connected to the history of Emancipation Day Celebrations in Windsor.
On March 24, 2021, the House of Commons voted unanimously to officially designate August 1 as Emancipation Day. It marks the actual day in 1834 that the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 came into effect across the British Empire. Emancipation Day celebrates the strength and perseverance of Black communities in Canada.
Emancipation Day celebrations first took place from the turn of the 20th century through to the 1970s. Locally, the celebrations began with a large parade that started in Dieppe Gardens and made its way to Jackson Park, ending at the original bandstand. Upwards of 250,000 spectators came and lined the streets of Windsor, with many Americans in the audience, making this the largest event of its kind in North America. Not only were the local Emancipation Day celebrations well attended by residents and neighbours, but they also attracted the attention and participation of Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Olympian Jessie Owens as keynote speakers, along with celebrities such as “Smoking Joe” Louis and Diana Ross and the Supremes. The 1967 Race Riots in Detroit dramatically affected the attendance of the festival, and it was eventually moved to Mic Mac Park. The celebrations have since been resurrected in the community through the efforts of various community organizations and partners.
In 2012, City Council approved the development of a monument to commemorate the rich and storied history of Emancipation Day celebrations in Windsor, and to honour the significance of this rich history. Unfortunately, community fundraising goals were not realized and the project stalled. In 2023, Joi Hurst stepped up and has since been working behind the scenes on this important project. In partnership with the City, local artists, and community stakeholders, Hurst hopes to see the vision for this monument brought to life at Jackson Park, where the City has identified a section of parkland connected to the history of Emancipation Day in Windsor.
How to Get Involved:
If you have stories or photos connected to the history of Emancipation Day celebrations in Windsor that you would like to share, please email WindsorEmancipationMonument@gmail.com between August 1, 2025, and October 1, 2025. The committee plans to incorporate these stories and images as part of the overall design process for this project.
Following the public consultation, design and development, and a public fundraising campaign to be rolled out by the committee, the City hopes to see work underway on the site and the monument in 2026.
Please note that Museum Windsor and Art Windsor-Essex are offering free admission on Saturday, August 2, 2025, in honour of Emancipation Day. For more information on these organizations, visit www.MuseumWindsor.ca and www.ArtWindsorEssex.ca.
To learn more, visit the Black Council of Windsor-Essex list of local Emancipation Day celebrations for 2025, or visit the Canadian Heritage: Emancipation Day page on the federal government’s website.
Quotes:
“With the kickoff of Emancipation Day celebrations for 2025, this is the perfect time to ask Windsorites and all those who remember these celebrations to share your stories, memories, and reflections with those working to honour this cherished history to help inform what is ultimately created with the Emancipation Celebration Monument. I look forward to the exciting next steps as the committee, including a dedicated group of community stakeholders, work with the City to deliver a fitting and inspiring tribute to a shared history that shaped our city, province, and country. We will make Mr. Emancipation Walter Perry proud as we honour ‘The Greatest Freedom Show on Earth!’”
- Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens
“Emancipation Day commemorates the Slavery Abolition Act that abolished slavery across the British Empire, including here in Canada, where thousands of people of African and Indigenous heritage had been enslaved during both the French and British colonial regimes. That is why we talk about ‘freedom’ when we talk about Emancipation Day, and why we have long celebrated all that it stands for. So many stories of local Emancipation Day celebrations begin with, ‘I remember…’. The Emancipation Celebration Monument Committee wants to hear those stories as we move forward with plans to honour this local history in a tangible way. I am honoured to be involved in this work, and I invite everyone to reach out and be part of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to honour and celebrate our collective history.”
- Joi Hurst, Chair, Emancipation Celebration Monument Committee
- Councillor Renaldo Agostino, Ward 3