Africville Museum

 

 

   

Location: 5795 Africville Rd , Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3K 2R9.

 

“THE MUSEUM, A REPLICA OF THE CHURCH DESTROYED IN THE 1960S, TELLS THE STORY OF AFRICVILLE, FROM ITS SETTLEMENT BY EARLY BLACK IMMIGRANTS UNTIL ITS DESTRUCTION. IT ALSO TELLS HOW THE COMMUNITY KEPT ALIVE THE SPIRIT OF AFRICVILLE.” https://africvillemuseum.org/

“Africville was a primarily Black community located on the south shore of the Bedford Basin, on the outskirts of Halifax. The first records of a Black presence in Africville date back to 1848, and it continued to exist for 150 years after that. Over that time, hundreds of individuals and families lived there and built a thriving, close‐knit community. There were stores, a school, a post office and the Seaview United Baptist Church, which was Africville’s spiritual and social centre….

The destruction of Africville took several years. Residents who could prove they owned their land were offered payment equal to the value of their houses. Residents without proof – some residents did not have deeds, even if their families had lived on the site for generations – were offered $500. Those who resisted relocation could have their lands expropriated by the city. There were also some accounts of bribery and intimidation being used against residents to force them from the neighbourhood. In the end, despite resistance, all residents were relocated; the last remaining Africville home was destroyed in January of 1970.” https://humanrights.ca/story/the-story-of-africville

Resources
McRae, Matthew.  “The Story of Africville.” Canadian Museum for Human Rights. https://humanrights.ca/story/the-story-of-africville Accessed 10/20/2020.