A month of remembrance, freedom and shared civic life
WHY AUGUST?
August connects emancipation, resistance, independence, civil rights and the continuing work of building freer communities across the Caribbean, Canada, the United States and Britain.
Why this month matters
August holds an extraordinary concentration of dates associated with abolition, emancipation, freedom movements and Black achievement. Marking the month creates a welcoming public framework in which schools, governments, cultural organisations and communities can learn and celebrate together.
1834
Emancipation took effect across much of the British Empire on August 1, following the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833.
1791
The Haitian Revolution began in August, reshaping the history of freedom across the Atlantic world.
1963
The March on Washington took place on August 28, linking historic struggle with modern civil rights.
August in public life
The Toronto City Hall flag raising shows what August can look like: a civic occasion grounded in history and open to everyone.
The founder’s historical case
In Virginia in 2019, Elder Shadrock Porter spoke about the journey behind Remember The 400 and the importance of carrying history into public memory.