Africville

Africville is a very important part of history for the black community. It is where most of the blacks were located, to try for a better life without racism or discrimination.

the story of Africville ;

Two men, William Arnold and William Brown founded Africville in 1848, they bought the land and built a town. Africville was a home of no more than 400 people, compromising 80 families. It was tucked away in the corner of Halifax, thought to be a ‘shack town’. Africville was located next to the city dump; there was no sewage, no electricity, and no running water, train tracks cut across the one dirt road leading into the area. The people, who lived there, had no education, very low incomes and were living there to get away from everything. But they still survived with their own school, church and post office. Africville was a place where the children could live without any worries about how they were seen.

In 1964, a plan for relocation was set by the city of Halifax, the people of Halifax thought Africville to be a waste of space. The city of Halifax built a slaughterhouse and some industrial sites all around Africville.

In1968, the relocation was a success, the government gave 500$ to each family that had proof that their property belonged to them. For the families that had no papers, they were just given 50$ for all their belongings. All the residents of Africville were relocated to housing in Mulgrave Park; their stuff was transported in garbage trucks. The bulldozers were sent at night, some people had to run out of their back doors, while the bulldozer was coming through the front of the house. The city of Halifax did not care about the residents of Africville; they were inferior to them.

Now more than 30 years later, the site where Africville was located is now called Seaview Park. Every summer, for one week in august, there is a big party to celebrate the, what used to be Africville. Everyone camps out and has a big party, bringing back the good times. In the middle of Seaview Park there is a Sundial, which has all the names of the first settlers to come to Africville.

Africville means a lot to me, I enjoy going to the celebration in august. I was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, so Africville is apart of me also. The interesting thing is, that my great great grand mother Newman was the owner of the store that was located in Africville. Some of my relatives were some of the original settlers of Africville. This is why I am proud to say I am black.