As Emancipation Day approaches, a Nova Scotia law firm circulates a brief internal message recognizing August 1. During a staff meeting, Amara, an African Nova Scotian junior lawyer, suggests that the firm use the day as an opportunity to reflect on the history of enslavement in Canada, its lasting impact on African Nova Scotian communities, and the broader ways in which colonial laws and institutions have created barriers for both African Nova Scotian and Indigenous peoples.
A senior lawyer comments, “I’m not sure why we need to focus on Emancipation Day. Slavery wasn’t part of Canadian history, and I don’t see how it relates to the legal work we do today.” Another colleague agrees that the firm should keep the recognition brief and avoid discussing “historical or political issues.”
Amara explains that Emancipation Day is more than a historical commemoration. Slavery was legal in Nova Scotia from 1749 until the early 1800s, and its legacy continues to shape many of the systemic inequities experienced by African Nova Scotian communities today. She notes that understanding this history helps lawyers recognize how laws and institutions have influenced access to land, wealth, education, and justice over generations. She also emphasizes that Indigenous Peoples have experienced distinct but interconnected histories of colonization and displacement, and that understanding these histories is an important part of providing competent, culturally-responsive legal services.
The senior lawyer responds dismissively, stating that the firm should focus on “the law as it exists today” rather than historical issues. He rolls his eyes and quickly moves the discussion to another agenda item, leaving Amara’s comments largely unaddressed.
A few days later, the senior lawyer meets with an African Nova Scotian client seeking advice about a family property located in North Preston that has been passed down informally for more than 150 years. The client explains that the land has remained in the family for generations, but there is no clear chain of title because ownership was transferred informally between family members without wills or registered deeds.
After reviewing the information provided, the senior lawyer comments that the matter appears “disorganized and very complicated” and questions why the family did not take steps to formally register ownership sooner.
The client explains that their family has always understood the land to belong to them and that previous generations often relied on informal arrangements because of historical barriers to accessing legal services and formal land registration processes. The client also mentions that they recently heard about the Province’s Land Titles Initiative, which provides free legal services to help eligible African Nova Scotian families address historic land title issues, and asks whether it might apply to their situation.
The senior lawyer acknowledges the question briefly but does not address the Land Titles Initiative or explore the client’s eligibility. Instead, the lawyer returns to discussing the complexity of establishing ownership and continues the meeting without making any reference to the initiative.
Discussion Questions:
- What assumptions or misconceptions appeared during the workplace discussion about Emancipation Day and Canadian legal history in shaping inequality?
- How might a lawyer’s lack of understanding of African Nova Scotian history, the legacy of enslavement, and the distinct histories of Indigenous Peoples influence their ability to build trust, assess legal issues, and provide culturally responsive legal services?
- What professional responsibilities do lawyers have to develop their understanding of anti-Black racism, anti-Indigenous racism, and the historical and legal contexts that continue to shape clients’ experiences and access to justice?
- How did the client’s experience illustrate the connection between historical knowledge, cultural competence, and access to justice? What might a culturally responsive lawyer do differently?
Use the Society’s Equity Lens Toolkit to help answer the above questions yourself.
The NSBS answers to this scenario will be posted to the Equity in Action blog on August 15, 2026.