Feb. 27, 2023
Book featured: 'A Love Letter to Africville'
I visited the ghost town of Africville when I took a trip to Halifax, Nova Scotia in the summer of 2022, and stepping on the grounds of this old town I'd read so much about was one of the most profound things I'd ever experienced. Let me share a bit of its history with you.
Africville was a small all-Black town founded in 1836 and thrived for almost 150 years. Its residents included both free and runaway slaves from the United States and England, and they thrived as a close-knit community, with a school, stores, a church, entertainment, and businesses, among other things. The Nova Scotia government demolished the town in the late 1960s because they wanted the land for industrial purposes. Despite strong opposition, approximately 400 families were relocated and their homes were demolished.
In 2010, following UN intervention, the Canadian government formally apologized for the demolition of Africville and the ostracization of its residents. In 2014, a replica of the Africville church was erected and is now the Africville Museum, and the former Africville town is now the Africville Park. Walking through the park and museum felt almost transcendental, and I wish people from all over could come experience and learn about this important part of Canadian Black history.
The book 'A Love Letter to Africville' was put together by Amanda-Carvery Taylor and comprises stories from, and interviews with, the children and descendants of Africville, most of them now parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. I knew I had to buy it not just to support their cause, but to also immerse myself in the stories within the pages. It's a truly inspiring love letter to the old town!
Suffice to say, my visit to Africville was an unforgettable experience. Africville lives on!
(You can learn more about the history of Africville at africvillemuseum.org or africvillemuseumshop.com.)
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