Sankofa Square, formerly known as Yonge-Dundas, is finally ready to celebrate its new identity.
Thousands of people are expected to flood downtown Toronto for the inaugural event at the rebranded public space Saturday. The celebration commemorates Sankofa Day, a date recognized internationally by the United Nations in remembrance of the slave trade and its abolition.
Carl James, York University professor and the Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community and Diaspora, said the renaming of the square acknowledges Canada’s “colonial baggage” — a positive development that he hopes contributes to a shift in thinking among broader Canadian society.
“It’s a good first step,” he said. “Now, what do we do further?”
He noted that the conversations in 2020 that spurred the name change are a signal of what can happen “when we start paying attention.”
Read the full article in the Toronto Star.