Black Veterans Day is observed on November 7, four days before Veterans Day, to honor the service and sacrifice of Black military members. The date marks Lord Dunmore’s proclamation of November 7, 1775, which offered freedom to enslaved people who joined the British army. Brampton, Ontario, first observed the day in 2022, and Buffalo, New York, followed in 2023.
Key Takeaways
- Brampton, Ontario, first celebrated Black Veterans Day on November 7, 2022, in the city’s Emancipation Park.
- Buffalo became the first U.S. city to observe the day in 2023, and the city proclaimed it again in 2024.
- About 800 enslaved men joined Lord Dunmore’s Ethiopian Regiment after the 1775 proclamation.
- Volunteers in Buffalo mark the day by washing the bricks and towers of the African American Veterans Monument.
- In 2026, November 7 falls on a Saturday, four days before Veterans Day on Wednesday, November 11.
The Black Veterans Day Date Traces Back to November 7, 1775
Black Veterans Day takes its date from a moment early in the American Revolution. On November 7, 1775, Lord Dunmore, the royal governor of Virginia, issued a proclamation that declared martial law and offered freedom to enslaved people who left their American owners and joined the British army. Dunmore issued the order from a ship near Norfolk, Virginia.
Organizers of Black Veterans Day point to the proclamation as a turning point for Black military service. Dewitt Lee, who helped lead the first observance in Buffalo, has said the British offer pushed American leaders to recognize they needed more forces as well, which ultimately led to Black people being armed to fight for America too. Choosing November 7 ties the observance to the long and complicated history of Black service in North America.
Those Who Answered the 1775 Proclamation Faced War, Disease and Displacement
The promise of freedom came at a heavy cost. About 800 men joined what Dunmore called the Ethiopian Regiment. On December 9, 1775, the regiment fought at the Battle of Great Bridge in Virginia, a defeat for the British. Crowded conditions on ships and in shore camps then led to outbreaks of smallpox and fever that took many lives.
When Dunmore abandoned Virginia in 1776, about 300 Black men, women and children left with him, roughly half of them soldiers. The Ethiopian Regiment disbanded after reaching Staten Island in August 1776. Many survivors continued in British service, and the regiment’s members were among an estimated 12,000 Black people who served with British forces in North America during the war.
After the war, about 3,000 Black Loyalists were evacuated from New York to Nova Scotia between April and November 1783. Many found the promised land grants slow to arrive. In 1792, about 1,200 of them sailed to West Africa and helped establish Freetown, Sierra Leone. That path, from Virginia to Canada to Africa, is part of why the observance began in Canada.
Black Veterans Day Grew From Brampton to Buffalo
Brampton, Ontario, describes itself as the first city in the world to recognize November 7 as Black Veterans Day. The city first celebrated the day on November 7, 2022, in Emancipation Park, and has issued proclamations each year since. Brampton’s proclamation calls the day a chance to honor Black veterans in Canada who turned themselves from enslaved people into soldiers.
Buffalo followed a year later. In 2023, Mayor Byron Brown signed a proclamation declaring November 7 Black Veterans Day in the city, and local leaders gathered at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park for the first observance in the United States. The timing carried extra meaning, as 2023 also marked the 75th anniversary of the 1948 executive order that desegregated the U.S. military. In 2024, Buffalo’s acting mayor signed a second proclamation, which stated the committee’s goal of making November 7 an international day of commemoration for Black soldiers who fought for freedom in America and in their own countries around the world.
A Hands-On Tradition at Buffalo’s African American Veterans Monument
Black Veterans Day in Buffalo centers on the act of caring for a memorial. At the first observance, participants knelt to scrub military-style dog tags honoring living and fallen Black veterans and cleaned the towers of the African American Veterans Monument. In 2024, volunteers washed the monument’s bricks, and committee chairman Dewitt Lee left cleaning supplies for anyone who wanted to take part.
Lee has described the day as a small gesture of thanks to Black veterans for everything they have done. He has also said that the people who served a country that often did not fight for them should be remembered, and that their story must be celebrated.
Black Veterans Day and Veterans Day Fall Four Days Apart
Black Veterans Day does not replace Veterans Day. It sits just before it, giving communities time to focus on a history that is often overlooked. In 2026, November 7 falls on a Saturday, and Veterans Day follows on Wednesday, November 11. Readers interested in other recent tributes can explore a quilt exhibition honoring Black veteran freedom fighters at the Chicago Cultural Center.
Canada has also expanded its recognition. In November 2022, the country’s Department of National Defence began laying a wreath at the National Remembrance Day ceremony to honor Black members of the Canadian Armed Forces. Together, these efforts point toward the international recognition that Black Veterans Day organizers have described as their goal.
FAQs
What Is Black Veterans Day?
Black Veterans Day is an observance on November 7 that honors the service and sacrifice of Black military members. It was first celebrated in Brampton, Ontario, in 2022 and in Buffalo, New York, in 2023.
Why Is Black Veterans Day on November 7?
The date marks Lord Dunmore’s proclamation of November 7, 1775, which offered freedom to enslaved people who joined the British army during the American Revolution. Organizers say it led to Black people serving in larger numbers on both sides.
Where Was the First Black Veterans Day in the United States?
Buffalo, New York, held the first U.S. observance in 2023 at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park, after Mayor Byron Brown proclaimed November 7 Black Veterans Day.
How Do People Observe Black Veterans Day in Buffalo?
Volunteers have cleaned the African American Veterans Monument at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park, washing its bricks, towers and memorial dog tags.
Is Black Veterans Day the Same as Veterans Day?
No. Veterans Day is a federal holiday on November 11 honoring all U.S. veterans. Black Veterans Day is a separate observance held four days earlier.
