OTTAWA, January 24, 2022

Today, on the World Day for African and Afrodescendant Culture, we celebrate the many vibrant cultures from across the African continent and the African diasporas around the world.

The World Day for African and Afrodescendant Culture is a great opportunity to promote the need for sustainable development, dialogue and peace around the world, while also highlighting how these cultures have contributed greatly to building a stronger Canada.  

Diversity is a fact, but inclusion is a choice. As part of our commitment to advance the aims of the International Decade for People of African Descent, the Government of Canada is supporting the social and economic empowerment of Black Canadians and communities of African descent. We’re doing this through initiatives like the Black Entrepreneurship Program and the Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative.

We also recognize that more needs to be done to address anti-Black racism in all aspects of our society, and we remain committed to tackling all forms of racism, discrimination and hate through the Federal Anti-Racism Secretariat.  

African and Afrodescendant Cultures make Canada what it is today. As Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, I invite all Canadians to learn more about the World Day for African and Afrodescendant Culture and to celebrate the many cultures that make Canada an open and inclusive society.