News release details

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) is proud to announce that its vice‐president of Public Affairs and Programs, Angela Cassie, will be honoured tonight at the National Black Canadians Summit in Toronto for her work with the Museum in advancing human rights education.

Cassie will be honoured alongside 11 other Black Canadian leaders including former Governor General Michaëlle Jean, Toronto International Film Festival artistic director Cameron Bailey, and Canadian Labour Congress leaders Marie Clarke Walker and Larry Rousseau. Honorees were chosen for their commitment to the promotion of human rights, including the rights of Black Canadians, and for their ability to reach and shape the perspectives of Canadians and the international community.

"Angela's unyielding energy and commitment have helped position our museum as a world leader in human rights education," said CMHR president and CEO John Young. "Although we've been open for only three years, cultural institutions and forums around the globe have requested our input about sharing difficult subject matter and expanding collective memory."

Organized by the Michaëlle Jean Foundation, the Federation of Black Canadians and the Toronto Public Library, the National Black Canadians Summit will bring together 700 participants from across the country. Its goal is to initiate a community‐driven plan of action for removing racial barriers and enhancing the well‐being, prosperity and inclusion of Black Canadians.

Tonight's opening ceremony and awards presentation will be hosted by the CTV's Marci Ien, the CBC's Amanda Parris and Dwight Drummond, and filmmaker Nadine Valcin. The event also kicks off a Canada‐wide celebration of the United Nations Decade for People of African Descent.

CMHR exhibits include diverse human rights stories from across Canada and around the world. Stories about the survival and resilience of Black Canadians are woven through many galleries. A few examples include: a "movie theatre" alcove that relays the story of anti‐segregation pioneer Viola Desmond, exhibits about the Underground Railroad, sleeping car porters and the transatlantic slave trade, first‐person accounts of refugees, discussion about early efforts to achieve voting rights, the story of Africville in Nova Scotia and a profile of Jamaican‐Canadian LGBTTQ* activist Gareth Henry.

For more information, please contact:
Maureen Fitzhenry CMHR media relations manager
(204) 289‑2112
Cell: (204) 782‑8442
maureen.fitzhenry@humanrights.ca