The Enslavement of African People in Canada
Recognition of slavery as a Canadian fact rather than an imported one, entered into the national historic record.
Poet · Speaker · Author · Commemorative Artist
Words that enter the public record.
Nadine Williams writes for the moments an institution intends to keep. Six chapters in the journey of Black peoples in Canada are catalogued today by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board because she made the case for them.
Recognition
Noteworthy Achievements
- Six Federal Designations
- 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women, 2022
- Parliamentary Mention, 2019
- University Guest Lecturer
- Top 25 Canadian Immigrant, 2024
- Women Who Inspires Change Award, 2024
- York Regional Police Deeds Speak Award, 2014
Begin the journey here
My Pen Has Travelled
A Great Distance
Welcome friends, it is so incredibly awesome to have you join my pen and I on this amazing journey that we have been cultivating throughout the years. It is my sincere hope that splashes of my pen’s ink will leave an indelible mark, and in return you will add more ink to my pen.
Explore
Designations advanced
She did not write about history. She added to it.
Each of the following was brought forward by Nadine Williams and now sits in the national record, catalogued by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada and Parks Canada.
The West Indian Domestic Scheme
The immigration program that brought thousands of Caribbean women to Canada as domestic workers, formally recognized.
George Dixon
The Nova Scotia boxer, the first Black world champion in any sport, recognized as a person of national historic significance.
Celebrations of Emancipation Day
The commemoration of the coming into force of the Slavery Abolition Act, marked in Canada each first of August.
Rufus Rockhead
Historical importance: exceptional individual that left a lasting legacy, served in the First World War, Black entrepreneur, owner of the famous nightclub Rockhead’s Paradise and fosterer of jazz musicians.
Albert Calvin Jackson
One of the first letter carriers of African descent hired by Canada’s federal postal service, representative of more than 30,000 freedom seekers who came to Canada on the Underground Railroad to establish a new life.
The work does not end at the page. It is hung, unveiled, catalogued and kept.
In progress
Current Projects
Commemorative plaque · English, French and Spanish
Apology Accepted
An official commemoration of Pope Leo XIV’s apology of 25 May 2026 for the Church’s historic role in slavery. The work answers an apology on behalf of the people to whom it was owed, and does so in a form built to be mounted, read and kept.
The border carries the red, gold and green in stained glass, the continent of Africa at the crown and the cross at the foot. The closing image is a seedling in broken stone.
This “wound in Christian memory” may now begin to heal. Apology accepted.
Carried under the banner of Emancipation Day, the first of August, marking the 1834 coming into force of the Slavery Abolition Act and designated nationally by the House of Commons in 2021.
Ongoing installation · Exhibited and touring
The Fabric of Our Being
A textile and poetry installation raising awareness of the United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent and its three pillars, recognition, justice and development, which are stitched into the border of the work itself.
The map of Canada is pieced entirely from African wax print. The country is not merely a place these fabrics arrived in. It is made of them. A second quilt, built with students from their own drawn panels, hangs in a school corridor where it is read every day rather than visited.
Seeing Humanity Everywhere
A Pareidolia-Inspired Literacy, Science & Poetry Workshop
Presented by Nadine Williams
1. The vision: bridging the divide
In our increasingly polarized world, school environments often reflect the tensions of the broader community. Recent focus has frequently landed on what divides us, our differences in opinion, background, and belief. Seeing Humanity Everywhere is an innovative workshop designed to shift that lens.
The Takeaway: By finding “hidden faces” in the mundane, a knot in a tree, a splash of water, or a weathered stone, we remind students that collectively, humanity is in everything. If we look for it with intention, we will find it. This activity serves as a powerful metaphor for our times: if we can find a human connection in a random, inanimate object, we can certainly find it in one another. It challenges students to look past the surface and recognize the shared stories that bind us together.
2. Culturally relevant & responsive pedagogy
This workshop is built on the foundations of CRRP, ensuring every student feels seen and their perspective is valued.
- Validation of PerspectivePareidolia is entirely subjective. By asking “What do YOU see?” before sharing my own poetry, I validate that a student’s cultural lens and personal history are the keys to their unique creativity. There are no wrong answers, only different points of view.
- Empowering Student VoiceStudents move from passive observers to active creators. Their interpretations are the starting point for literary exploration, placing their individual identity at the centre of the learning process.
- Building CommunityBy sharing different interpretations of the same image, students practise empathy and realize that multiple truths can coexist harmoniously in one space.
Your blues are like mine, they’re just a different shade.
Nadine Williams
On the record
Received in writing
I am writing to thank you for the copy of your wonderful book. It means so much to receive warm wishes like yours, and I hope you know how much I appreciate them.
Michelle Obama
Former First Lady of the United States
I am grateful for your kind words and appreciate your thoughtfulness in presenting me with the posters featuring your poetry, fitting tributes to the legacies of Viola Desmond and Michelle Obama.
The Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell
Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
Ways to engage
Commissions and engagements
Every piece is written for the specific occasion and the specific audience it will stand in front of.
Commemorative commissions
Original work created for a moment your institution intends to keep.
- Plaques, dedications and markers
- Textile and poetry installations
- Anniversary and unveiling pieces
- Multilingual delivery in English, French and Spanish
Best begun six months ahead
Keynotes and ceremony
Spoken word and address for gatherings that carry weight.
- Citizenship ceremonies
- Heritage and observance months
- Convocations, galas and openings
- Board and leadership gatherings
February and August book early
Education and residencies
Work that stays in the building after the visit ends.
- School and board residencies
- Classroom poster and text sets
- Workshops, including Seeing Humanity Everywhere
- University guest lectures
Aligned to the school calendar
Inquiries
Work with Nadine
Tell us the occasion, the audience and the date. Commemorative work is best begun several months ahead of an unveiling, and heritage month dates are held well in advance.
Start the conversation