Emancipation Day Memorial: Fah Who Dis? AstroBlack Joy (Brampton, Ontario)
Dublin Core
Title
Emancipation Day Memorial: Fah Who Dis? AstroBlack Joy (Brampton, Ontario)
Subject
Subject (Topic)
Afrofuturism
Enslaved persons--Emancipation--Canada
Freedom
Fugitive slaves--Canada
Ontario--Brampton
Public art
Public sculpture
Slavery--Canada
Afrofuturism
Enslaved persons--Emancipation--Canada
Freedom
Fugitive slaves--Canada
Ontario--Brampton
Public art
Public sculpture
Slavery--Canada
Subject (Object Type)
Commemorative sculpture
Commemorative sculpture
Description
"Aligned with the North Star, which guided freedom-seekers via the Underground Railroad, the southern structure represents the past (pre-1867) and the "Global South." The northern structure signifies the present and future, and Canada as the Northside, where emancipation is being actualized. Each panel vibrantly illustrates different aspects of history and the pursuit of emancipation, offering a rich narrative for exploration."
"The posing question, "fah who dis?" in the title of the project, is a patois/creolized take on the Akan people's word "Fawohodie," meaning freedom. The design reflects the image for the term from their collection of icons called Adinkra symbols. The Fawohodie symbol resembles a traditional Akan chief's chair, and the associated proverb with the symbol is "Fawohodie ene obre na enam," translating to "freedom comes with its responsibilities."
From the Cultural Services Division, City of Brampton, Ontario: https://www.brampton.ca/EN/Arts-Culture-Tourism/Cultural-Services/Public-Art/Pages/Public-Art-Profile.aspx?ItemId=037.
"The posing question, "fah who dis?" in the title of the project, is a patois/creolized take on the Akan people's word "Fawohodie," meaning freedom. The design reflects the image for the term from their collection of icons called Adinkra symbols. The Fawohodie symbol resembles a traditional Akan chief's chair, and the associated proverb with the symbol is "Fawohodie ene obre na enam," translating to "freedom comes with its responsibilities."
From the Cultural Services Division, City of Brampton, Ontario: https://www.brampton.ca/EN/Arts-Culture-Tourism/Cultural-Services/Public-Art/Pages/Public-Art-Profile.aspx?ItemId=037.
Creator
Dabreo, Kanisha, 1996-
Source
Photographs: City of Brampton, Ontario
Date
August 1, 2024
Contributor
AstroSankofa Arts Collective: Jamera Dacosta, Jason O'Brian, Komi Olafimihan; City of Brampton; Mentees: A. Y. Johnson, Denée Rudder, Rihanna Graham, Malachai Watson-Narcisse
Rights
Corporation of the City of Brampton, 2 Wellington Street West, Brampton, Ontario, L6Y 4R2, Canada
Format
JPEG
Language
English
Type
Visual Arts-Sculpture
Coverage
Emancipation Park, 7599 Dixie Road, Brampton, Ontario, L5S 1L4, Canada
Has Part
Inscriptions on half circles (Akan fawohodie symbol):
Emancipate Yourself from Mental Slavery
None But Ourselves Can Free Our Mind
Emancipate Yourself from Mental Slavery
None But Ourselves Can Free Our Mind
Information plaque:
Emancipation Day Memorial--Fah Who Dis? AstroBlack Joy, 2024
Need text here
Emancipation Day Memorial--Fah Who Dis? AstroBlack Joy, 2024
Need text here
Medium
Steel; Aluminum; Bronze; Copper; Wood; Paint.
Bibliographic Citation
City of Brampton. "Emancipation Day Memorial--Fah Who Dis? AstroBlack Joy, 2024." Cultural Services Division. Accessed February 4, 2026. https://www.brampton.ca/EN/Arts-Culture-Tourism/Cultural-Services/Public-Art/Pages/Public-Art-Profile.aspx?ItemId=037.
Rights Holder
Renée Ater
Collection
Citation
Dabreo, Kanisha, 1996-, “Emancipation Day Memorial: Fah Who Dis? AstroBlack Joy (Brampton, Ontario),” Contemporary Monuments to the Slave Past, accessed October 1, 2026, https://slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1257.