Africville residents in Nova Scotia, Canada

By: Blackmansstreet Today

Africville, a community founded by Black people in Nova Scotia, Canada, finally received recognition decades after the government destroyed it.
In 2010, the mayor of Halifax issued a formal apology for the destruction of Africville,
acknowledging the injustices faced by its residents.
In 2024, Africville was designated as Canada’s first UNESCO Place of History and Memory linked to
enslavement and the slave trade, highlighting its importance in Canadian history.
The Africville Museum now serves to commemorate the community’s legacy and educate future generations about its history and the ongoing struggle for racial equality in Canada.

Africville remains a powerful symbol of resilience and the fight against racism, representing the broader narrative of Black history in Canada.
The community has become an important symbol of Black Canadian identity, as an example of the “urban renewal” trend of the 1960s that razed similarly racialized neighborhoods across Canada, and the struggle against racism.
Africville was founded in 1848 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, by Black refugees who arrived during and after the War of 1812. They were formerly enslaved African Americans who escaped from the United States and were resettled in Nova Scotia by the British. The town was founded along the southern shore of Bedford Basin.
But they were not welcome. During the 20th century, Halifax neglected the community, failing to provide basic infrastructure and services such as roads, water, and sewerage. Africville residents, however, paid taxes.
At the same time, Halifax continued to use the area as a prison, mental health facility, and an industrial waste site.
The residents of Africville struggled with poverty and poor health conditions as a result, and the community’s buildings deteriorated.
During the late 1960s, the City of Halifax condemned the area, relocating its residents to newer housing to facilitate the development of the nearby A. Murray MacKay Bridge, related highway construction, and the Port of Halifax facilities at Fairview Cove to the west. The residents’ belongings were loaded into garbage trucks and hauled to their destination.
Soon after this, former residents and activists began a long protest on the site against their treatment and the destruction.
In 1996, the site was designated a National Historic Site of Canada, representative of Black Canadian settlements in the province, and an enduring symbol of the need for vigilance in defense of their communities and institutions.
After decades of protests, the government agreed to compensate descendants and their families who had been evicted from the area. In addition, an Africville Heritage Trust was established to design a museum and build a replica of the community church.