Local activist pushes for Trudeau apology on historic slavery

If not now, when?

As protesters around the world push for police reform and raise their collective voices against anti-black racism, Elise Harding-davis has again written the prime minister asking for an apology for slavery in Canada.

“Now is the time!” the Harrow resident wrote in closing to Justin Trudeau.

Harding-davis sited the “gruesome on-air murder of George Floyd by law enforcement in Minnesota” and the ensuing global reaction as the impetus for writing Trudeau a fourth time on the matter.

“It should be clear with these recent events that African Canadians deserve an apology for slavery from the Canadian government immediately. The systemic racism in Canada is a direct result of slavery in this country. African Canadians have been denied genuine equity in economic growth, social standing, legislative justice and proper regard for our health and well-being throughout Canada’s history.”

While it is often overlooked next to the history of racism and slavery in the United States, Canada has its own dark legacy. Slavery was legal throughout the British Empire, including Canadian territory, until the Slavery Abolition Act took effect in 1834.

Harding-davis sent her letter to Trudeau June 6 and has not had a response as of Monday.

“We’re the one and only cultural group that has not gotten an apology,” she said. “I honestly can’t understand it.”

Trudeau has apologized for past wrongs against First Nations and those of Italian, Chinese or Jewish descent.

“I’ve been thinking about it for weeks and seeing what’s happening around the world, I definitely want that apology for African Canadians,” she said.

Harding-davis noted how Trudeau took a knee at a recent anti-racist rally in Ottawa.

“So he seems to have some empathy,” she surmised. “Slavery was the cause of the systemic racist thinking we all suffer from today. An apology, even as a political ploy, it would be better than saying nothing.”

Harding-davis believes an apology is a promising path to progress.

“I sincerely feel that a heartfelt public apology from the leader of this nation for enslavement will act as a catalyst to open meaningful dialogue and begin true change toward equity,” she wrote.

In an interview, she expanded on its importance.

“When people are deeply wounded and focused on what’s right, to get an apology can really soothe you,” she said. “Then people can sit down and talk about it.”

This time around, Harding-davis is encouraging others to “flood his office” with copies of her letter or one of their own.

“I’d really like any consciously moral individual to reach out to their MP or the Prime Minister’s Office,” she said.

“We’ve had George Floyd incidents right here in Canada so let’s not act like we’re holier than thou.”

It “rankles” her that African Canadians are faceless in a nation they helped build and that they were not invited to be Canadian citizens until 1911.

“We’ve been here since the late 1700s but we were deemed unsuitable,” she said.

For Trudeau to rebuff her request “it’s really illogical and hurtful.” Only once, last fall, has the PMO acknowledged receiving her letter.

A request Monday for comment or confirmation by the PMO was not answered.

“It’s time for him to step up and do the right thing,” Harding-davis said. “We should be the global leader we think we are.”