What moves us so deeply, from one National Black Canadians Summit to the next, is the unfolding of so many voices, carrying the weight of experience, history and lived realities in all their diversity. At every gathering, stories emerge and intersect: stories of communities with roots in Canada reaching back generations; journeys of immigration, the wrenching experience of exile and more recent arrivals. In the cadence of these voices and the force of their words echo centuries of resistance, struggles for emancipation and an unrelenting fight against racism, which remains — as we will never cease to say and denounce — one of the most persistent and devastating forms of exclusion.
Nowhere can we afford to lower our guard against racism, whether overt or insidious, as it finds its way everywhere: into the all-too-frequent abuses of police authority, the workings of the criminal justice system, public institutions and private enterprise, workplaces, deeply held perceptions and unspoken assumptions, attitudes and behaviours. To name these realities, document them and confront them is to refuse their normalization. We demand that dignity, equality and equity no longer remain promises deferred.
The 5th National Black Canadians Summit for the Eradication of Racial Discrimination, taking place in Winnipeg from September 18 to 20, 2026, comes at the urging and invitation of Manitoba Premier the Honourable Wab Kinew, to whom, along with his government, we extend our warmest thanks. Once again, the Summit will bring together an extraordinary mobilization of people, expertise, energy and collective strength, bound by a profound spirit of solidarity.
Leaders from Indigenous communities, themselves deeply affected by racism, by the enduring consequences of radical dispossession and by the persistent ideology of white supremacy over the rest of humanity, will make their voices heard. Their presence matters. Our histories are not the same, but they teach us that recognition, justice and dignity require us to stand, with purpose and by example, alongside one another.
For the first time, Black women from across the country, from all walks of life and across generations — proud, strong and determined — will open a circle for dialogue. What begins here in Winnipeg is filled with promise: a space whose voices, insights and shared experiences may lead us in directions we have yet to imagine. We are convinced that what takes shape here will have meaning and value well beyond this Summit and deserves to be carried forward.
On the very first day, more than 600 young people will once again launch the Summit in their own way and set its tone, with all the energy we know they bring. Their sense of urgency is palpable. Their impatience challenges us. Their ideas compel us to look further ahead. Young people are the beating heart of this movement, and it is for them, and with them, that we must quicken our pace.
We extend our warmest thanks to the Honourable Uzoma Asagwara and the Honourable Jamie Moses, who, together with their teams, have provided unwavering support for the Summit. We are equally grateful to Councillor Markus Chambers, Deputy Mayor of Winnipeg, whose support has been invaluable. Our deepest gratitude goes to Angela Cassie, who has led the remarkable local organizing committee with exceptional insight, and to Winnipeg’s entire Black community, English- and French-speaking alike, whose commitment and tremendous efforts to welcome this Summit we warmly acknowledge.
The program you hold in your hands is rich with vital issues to explore, experiences to share and strategies for action — some already underway, others we must envision and build together. Workshops, plenaries, working sessions, presentations and artistic performances expressing the magnificent power of art as a force for social change are the fruit of meticulous and sustained research, fruitful consultations, proposals received, heard and discussed, and recommendations carefully considered.
Behind this program, above all, is a small and deeply committed team that listened closely, shaped its vision and brought every element together with remarkable care and sustained effort. We salute the extraordinarily dedicated and creative team of the Michaëlle Jean Foundation. The work accomplished has been monumental and speaks to a conviction that has guided us since the very first Summit: nothing concerning Black communities should be done without them. Beyond bearing witness to the realities they face, our communities hold a wealth of knowledge and expertise, solutions grounded in experience and a remarkable capacity to act, to transform and to shape what comes next.
And so, in Winnipeg, we carry the work forward. We come with our memories, our scars and our victories; with the experience of those who came before us and the audacity of those who stand up and claim their place. We come to open up dialogue, challenge ideas, strengthen our networks, deepen our alliances and turn commitments into action.
For nothing we seek is for ourselves alone. Eradicating racial discrimination serves the common good. It speaks to the society we want to build together, to the quality of our democracy, to expanding opportunities and initiatives for development and to our capacity to fully honour the humanity and the values we all share.
Here we are in Winnipeg, united and determined.
Recognition. Justice. Development.
The movement is underway. We will not back down.
The Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean and Jean-Daniel Lafond
Co-founders and Co-Chairs of the Michaëlle Jean Foundation
