Events

The Community of New Glasgow in collaboration with the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission and Canadian Race Relations Foundation will host an evening gathering to commemorate International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Theme: Ubuntu: I am because we are

March 21st, 1960, approximately 7,000 protesters gathered in front a police station in the Black township of Sharpeville, South Africa, to peacefully protest the oppressive Apartheid pass laws. These discriminatory laws, severely limited the movements Black South Africans and as well as other citizens by restricting them to designated areas of the country. On this day, as the crowd started advancing toward the fence around the police station, police officers opened fire on these protesters killing 69 people including children. 180 individuals, young and old, were also injured. In 1979, the UN General Assembly adopted a program of activities to be undertaken as part of the Decade for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination. It was at this gathering that March 21st was chosen as the beginning of a week of solidarity with the peoples struggling against racism and racial discrimination. This commemoration also aligns with the universal declaration of human rights that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights and therefore have the potential to contribute constructively to the development and well-being of their societies.

Date and time

Thursday, March 21st, 2024, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Location

Glasgow Square, New Glasgow
You can also tune in for a live stream of this event below.

Resources

• Wayne Desmond: Whose shoulders I stand on – New Glasgow’s rich Black heritage

Livestream