OASW recognizes Emancipation Day on August 1st, the date in 1834 when the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 came into effect across the British Empire, including the land now known as Canada. This day is an opportunity to explore the legacy of enslavement in Canada and the role of social workers in dismantling its harmful impacts.
Below is a collection of videos, events, research, and other resources to help members mark the day, learn more about Black history in social work, and connect with community.
Have a resource you would like added to this list? Reach out to the OASW communications team.
Please note: this list is not intended to provide a full history of the practice of enslavement in Canada, nor a comprehensive educational resource for social workers seeking to expand their understanding of issues such as anti-Black racism or current social work methodologies.
Videos
Video
What Social Workers Need to Know About Emancipation Day: A Conversation with Rosemary Sadlier
To explore the legacy of enslavement in Canada and the role of social workers in dismantling its harmful impacts, OASW spoke with Rosemary Sadlier, a leading diversity, inclusion, and equity consultant, social justice advocate, researcher, author, and international speaker. Rosemary spearheaded national efforts to recognize both Black History Month and Emancipation Day in Canada, and she also holds a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Toronto. This conversation is a good starting point for members wanting an expert perspective on the history and ongoing significance of August 1st.
Watch the conversation
Events
Upcoming Event
Carrying the Legacy Forward: Connection, Community and Collective Action
In observance of Emancipation Day in Ontario and in partnership with Nipissing University, this virtual gathering brings together Black social workers to honour the enduring legacy of emancipation while reflecting on the realities, contributions, and leadership of Black social workers across the province. Together, participants will consider how the values of liberation, equity, and social justice continue to shape social work practice and inform collective efforts towards more inclusive and responsive services for Black communities in Ontario.
Please note, this event will be a Black attendance-only space. Participants will be asked to self-identify at registration to support a safe and affirming environment.
Register here
Upcoming Event | September 26, 2026
National Africentric Social Work Circles
The National Africentric Social Work Circle (NASWC) is a monthly gathering space for Black social workers across Canada to connect, learn, and build knowledge together. The series aims to deepen understanding, strengthen networks, and advance Africentric social work practice in ways that honour Black communities, histories, and lived experiences. The next event is scheduled for September 26th, 2026, on dealing with imposter syndrome.
Learn more
Online Exhibit
Online Exhibit
From Enslavement to Settlement
The Alvin D. McCurdy document helps us trace the rich and complex history of Black communities in Ontario, from earliest presence and enslavement to emancipation and settlement. Early historical accounts describe Black fur traders operating out of Detroit, Niagara and Michilimackinac in the 1740s and 1750s, when the region was still part of New France. In the 1780s, after the end of the American Revolution, Loyalists migrated to the land now known as Ontario, settling along the St. Lawrence, Niagara and Detroit Rivers. Some brought enslaved people with them.
View the exhibit
On-Demand Webinar
On-Demand Webinar | July 27, 2026 | OASW Members Only
The Inspiration of MLK: Black Masculinity, Black History and Anti Racist Psychotherapy
Part of OASW's Summer Learning Vault, this webinar explores how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s revolutionary perspectives continue to inform the development of anti-racist psychotherapy. This session also examines how EMDR therapy and Rhythm and Processing (RAP) can serve as similarly transformative interventions during times of social adversity.
Visit the Summer Learning Vault
Podcasts
Podcast
The Social Worker Interview with Francesca Serwaa
Part of CASW's special series celebrating 100 years of social work in Canada, Francesca brings us into a conversation about mental health, addictions, Black communities, justice, reintegration, representation, and care. She reflects on her path into social work, from her early interest in psychiatry to placements in harm reduction and justice-related spaces that shaped her commitment to supporting people navigating complex systems.
Listen to the episode
Research
Research
The Untold Story of Black Social Reformers in Early Social Work History
White dominance in the development of social work has been well documented and emphasized in both education and practice. The history of social work largely rests with Jane Addams and the other women leaders of Hull House. Missing from this history are the critical contributions of Black social work pioneers, putting the entire field and discipline at risk of perpetuating white supremacy and erroneous historical understanding.
Read the paper
Edited Volume
Africentric Social Work
In recent decades, there has been an increase in the Canadian and US literature focused on Afrocentricity and Africentricity, exploring the theory and practice principles implied by this worldview, mostly in the context of the education system. Although there is some general discussion about Africentric social work, there is very little focused on how to engage in Africentric-centred social work practice. This edited book provides specific practice modalities working in the areas of poverty, violence against women, mental health, child welfare, aging, youth, immigration, and health, with a unique dual focus on both first- and second-generation people of African descent in Canada and the United States.
Learn more
Research
Addressing the Ground of Anti-Black Racism in Social Work in Canada: Afrocentric Education and the United Nations International Decades for People of African Descent
Eurocentric epistemologies, methodologies, and ontologies within education and social work often fail to account for the lived realities of Black communities, contributing to negligence, discriminatory practice, and harmful outcomes. This study draws on African and Black Studies and social work to investigate the presence, engagement, and utilization of Afrocentric perspectives across Canada during the first United Nations Decade for People of African Descent.
Read the paper
Report
Study Uncovers Policies and Practices That Contribute to the Overrepresentation of Black Families in the Child Welfare System, and Provides a Roadmap for Change
New research from the Youth Wellness Lab at the University of Toronto has identified key policy and practice areas in Ontario's child welfare system that create and maintain the overrepresentation of Black children and families, while also providing recommendations for change. The findings offer child welfare policy makers, frontline workers and leaders a roadmap to meaningfully address the inequitable experiences of Black families.
Read the study
Article
Being Black and Neurodivergent in Social Work: "I Became a Master at Masking Because I Didn't Feel Safe"
To explore an international perspective on anti-racist social work advocacy, read this profile of Shantel Thomas, who founded the Anti-Racist Movement (ARM), a national platform and space for Black female practitioners to heal and support each other across the United Kingdom. This article is part of England-based organization Community Care's Neurodiversity Belongs in Social Work campaign, which aims to spotlight the diverse minds in social work and challenge the systems that weren't built for them.
Read the article