Overview
About the event
Black Ribbon Day began in 1986. People from Canada, the United States, and Europe joined together to speak out against Soviet control and Nazi crimes. The goal was to remember the many people who suffered or died under those regimes.
The day got its name from Markus Hess, a member of the Estonian Central Council in Canada. He suggested that a black ribbon could serve as a quiet but powerful symbol of protest.
The first event took place on August 23 of that year. It was chosen because it marked the anniversary of a secret deal between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union in 1939. That pact led to invasions, arrests, and the loss of millions of lives.
On that day in 1986, people gathered in over 20 cities, including New York and Ottawa. They held signs, lit candles, and remembered those who had no voice.
In 1989, the movement inspired the Baltic Way. Nearly two million people in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania held hands across 600 kilometers.
The day got its name from Markus Hess, a member of the Estonian Central Council in Canada. He suggested that a black ribbon could serve as a quiet but powerful symbol of protest.
The first event took place on August 23 of that year. It was chosen because it marked the anniversary of a secret deal between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union in 1939. That pact led to invasions, arrests, and the loss of millions of lives.
On that day in 1986, people gathered in over 20 cities, including New York and Ottawa. They held signs, lit candles, and remembered those who had no voice.
In 1989, the movement inspired the Baltic Way. Nearly two million people in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania held hands across 600 kilometers.
