This year on August 1st Nova Scotia will mark Emancipation Day as an officially designated day for the first time. We encourage everyone to reflect on the history of the Province as well as consider positive steps you can take toward ending anti-Black racism.
Ideas on how to recognize Emancipation Day can be found here: http://emancipationdayns.ca/
History from Nova Scotia can be found here: https://archives.novascotia.ca/africanns/
Nova Scotia Legal Aid is finalizing a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Plan. The Plan will include development of improved policies regarding hiring and retention, and strategies to ensure NSLA is practicing anti-Black racism in our internal and external work. Thank you to NSLA’s Equity and Racial Diversity Committee (ERDC) for leading this work and to everyone who participated.
Some other highlights of recent and ongoing work at NSLA include:
- Engaging the recommendations under the Marshall Inquiry specific to Legal Aid by:
- The training for all staff, and approving two lawyers auditing the African Nova Scotians and the Law course at Schulich; and
- Creating a permanent African Nova Scotian Social Worker to support our clients in criminal and child protection proceedings.
- Leadership in creation and development of Impact of Race and Culture Assessments, including supporting an intervention in the Anderson case before the Court of Appeal.
- We are looking forward to supporting and collaborating with the newly funded African Nova Scotian Justice Institute.
