NOVA SCOTIA HOME 4 COLOURED CHILDREN- 1921- we want an Inquiry- black on black systemic child abuse horrors- CHILD ABUSE- mindrape/physical torture/sexual assault- Come on NDP Nova Scotia- it's time 4 redemption, renewal and healing.
DORIS EVANS- and former teachers of Segregated Schools Nova Scotia
NOVA SCOTIA CERT. OF FREEDOM - Black Loyalists 1783 certificate
The Black Battalion- Canada
Juanita Pleasant Wilbur of Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada
They came two hundred to answer the call
But only to fall
Their way was not paved
For a country they wanted to save
The battle cry went out
But these men were ousted
Their colour was wrong
Their courage strong
From battle line to battle line they went
But no one wanted them
A checker-board army they were called
Their courage strong they still persisted
For the right to fight for a country they loved
For the right to live as all men
Free and strong
The march was on, their will was strong
From place to place they went
Rejected by all, their cry was heard
Let us do our best
Don't let us be less
Give us a chance to build a life for our children
Let us make our mark
Give us a chance to stand proud and free
Rejected and tired of waiting
They finally saw the light
You're on a flight
Over-seas you're bound
At last you found your place
A checker-board army has been born
A remembrance to my Grand-dad, Private Wallace James Pleasant and all the black men who fought and became know as Canada's best kept secret.
We love you all so much.... to my Fannie (Clement) Brothers and to my Debbie Pleasant-Joseph ..... love you all so much....
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Volunteer Military Company -Victoria BC- 1860-1864
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Buttons of uniforms of Nova Scotia's Black Loyalists buttons
AFRICVILLE- THE SPIRIT LIVES ON NOVA SCOTIA
Africville was your typical seaside village. Populated by one of Nova Scotia’s founding peoples. First came the Aboriginal settlements, later the French and British. Less widely highlighted in our history is a population that was integral to the creation of what Nova Scotia is today. The people of African descent — former slaves, escaped slaves and free people who came to Canada for promise of a better life.
Eventually some of these former slaves of American and British owners settled on the northern tip of the Halifax peninsula. There, they created a vibrant community by the shores of the Bedford Basin.
The community was known as Africville.
Though its buildings were eradicated in what was called 'urban renewal' in the 1960s, the community spirit continues to thrive today through annual gatherings and in the stories and photos of an aging generation.
In 2002, the former site of Africville was designated a National Historic Landmark, by the Government of Canada.
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Hundreds come to celebrate Africville
Many visitors at 30th annual reunion at park once lived in area torn down in 1960s
STAFF REPORTER FRANCES WILLICK fwillick@herald.ca @CH_Frances
Tents, tarps and tables are sprouting up in Africville Park as hundreds gather to celebrate the community that once existed on this land.
The 30th annual Africville reunion kicked off on Friday and is expected to bring together about 2,000 former residents and their family members.
For many, it’s a homecoming.
"This is my home right here," said Carol Carvery Toussaint, who grew up in Africville but now lives in Lower Sackville. "This is our home. We love it. We love this land."
The green space perched on the edge of Bedford Basin was once home to dozens of families of African descent.
The community was torn down in the late 1960s in the name of urban renewal and its people were displaced.
But more than 40 years later, memories o f Africville are still vivid for those who lived there.
Irvine Carvery, the president of the Africville Genealogy Society, remembers spending his summers as a child playing on rafts in the basin, picking blueberries on the hill overlooking the water and camping out in the bushes. Winters, of course, meant playing hockey on the ponds or occasionally venturing out onto the ice in the basin .
The reunion, which runs until Aug. 6, is a chance for friends and family to share their memories and reconnect.
"That’s what’s special about it. People get to see people they haven’t seen in a long time," Carvery said. "It’s always been a really special time to be out here."
Although the gathering creates p ositive new memories, the pain of Africville’s destruction still lingers.
"There’s always going to be pain until the day we die," said Donald Brown, who says he was the last baby in his family born in Africville.
"We were robbed, raped, pillaged. We weren’t helped at all. They put a dump right b eside us. . . . We didn’t get nothing."
On Friday, Brown was setting up camp with his family, who lives in the west end of Halifax.
His daughter, eight-year-old Nykeva Brown, said she’s excited to hang out with her friends and family.
"It’s really fun and all my other friends and cousins come here and I like to play with them," she said.
"We play hide-and-go-seek and tag and go down to the playground right down there and have fun ."
A youth dance on Friday night kicked off the reunion’s events, which will also include a basketball tournament, bingo, church service, corn boil, gala dinner and reading by George Elliott Clarke.
Carvery said all the events are op en to the public.
"Every year for 30 years, I’ve always invited the public to come to this," he said.
"This isn’t a black event. It’s not an Africville event. It’s for everybody."
This is my home right here. This is our home. We love it. We love this land.
Carol Carvery Toussaint For mer Africville resident
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Dogs roam free, make mess in historic Africville Park
Africville Geneology Society president says having Africville double as an off-leash dog park is disrespectful
CBC News Last Updated: Jul 27, 2013 7:35 PM AT
Africville replica church complete for reunionHalifax park renamed AfricvilleHalifax apologizes for razing Africville
Africville's Seaview United Baptist Church, left, as it appeared in 1964.Africville's Seaview United Baptist Church, left, as it appeared in 1964. (CBC)
As former residents and descendants of Africville gather to mark the 30th annual summer reunion, the president of the Africville Geneology Society says having the site double as an off-leash dog park is disrespectful.
Before the 30th anniversary celebrations could get underway, volunteers were forced to clean up the mess left by dogs and their careless owners.
"Africville Park is still an off-leash dog park and that is one thorn in the sides of residents of Africville. They cannot for the life of them understand why our historic site — which it is a National Historic Site — there are dogs allowed to run free because every year they come here … and complain about dog feces around the park," Irvine Carvery, president of the Africville Geneology Society, told CBC News.
Africville declared National Historic Site
According to the Halifax Regional Municipality’s website, owners are required to immediately pick up after their dogs.
Carvery said that he and the people of Africville want HRM to remove the off-leash policy from their National Historic Site.
"They’re not happy about it. They feel disrespected by it and like I said every year I receive the brunt of it and every year I reassure them that we’re working with HRM, our partners in this, and we’re going to get this matter resolved. I have every confidence in our councillor Jennifer Watts, that Jennifer’s going to lead the charge in terms of deregistering this park and get the dogs out of here," he said.
Africville: Halifax’s dark history
Africville, the former black settlement in north-end Halifax, was first settled in the 1830s when former American slaves and other black people moved to the area. But it was neglected by the former City of Halifax and became run-down over the years.
By the 1960s, years of neglect and racism had made Halifax's oldest and largest black neighbourhood one of the worst slums in the country. But the relocation of Africville also meant the end of a vibrant community. As one former resident put it, they lost more than a roof over their heads - they lost their happiness.
Carvery said that the former Africville residents and their descendants have come a long way.
In 2002, the former Africville location was declared a National Historic Site.
In 2010, former residents of the bulldozed community received an official apology from then mayor of Halifax, Peter Kelly.
The land the former Seaview Park was sitting on was officially transferred to the community and renamed Africville Park in 2011.
Last year, the community opened a replica of the historic Africville Church with a museum inside with exhibits portraying what life was like in Africville from the start of the community in the 1800s to the eviction of its residents in the 1960s.
"We’ve closed the door to a very dark chapter in our history but at the same time we’ve opened up a door of opportunity," said Carvery.
He said his group is looking at the possibility of developing Africville Park into a seniors complex.
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African album has N.S. link
Video game goes with recording
STAFF REPORTER MICHAEL LIGHTSTONE mlightstone@herald.ca @CH_Lightstone
Multimedia maven Chris Obritsch is a self-described video game addict .
Although the Bridgewater resident is a graphic designer with a background in magazine, newspaper and web design, video game playing was top of mind recently after he was hired by a British firm to help develop a game that’s part of a new release by a South African rapper-songwriter.
And, it s eems, he knows how to meet deadlines.
"I think we had just ab out a month to do it," Obritsch said Friday.
"I was on vacation when that (project) happened, too. I was in Ontario visiting my in-laws."
Obritsch, a 37-year-old father of a toddler, said the firm in Brighton, England, that recruited him to work on the video game for Spoek Mathambo’s release offered him the technological task after a company official stumbled upon a game the Nova Scotian had created for his daughter, Maddi .
The child’s game "is kind of a like a mix of old arcade genres," Obritsch told The Chronicle Herald.
"The character is me, and I have her on my back and she blows bubbles at monsters, basically. I was trying to make it as non-violent as I cou ld."
Obritsch said the game he worked on for Mathambo, an artist he’d never heard of, was done in "pseudo-3-D in web code so it could run on a web page."
At first, he said he was just to lend a hand in programming the game.
"But then it just kind o f turned into: ‘How about we pay you and you program the whole game?’ " He said the game he helped produce for the Mathambo release is a tad more threatening than his daughter’s, as the main character has various weapons.
"The game itself is a music album. Every level of the game is a song from this guy’s album," Obritsch said.
Obritsch said there has never been a music album released this way.
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Dog park remains in Africville, despite HRM promises
Africville Park, on July 25, 2013 photo by Jacob Boon
Topics : African United Baptist Church , Regional Council , George Dixon Centre , Africville , Africville Park , Seaview Dog Park
Halifax took some time this week to advise citizens the off-leash area of Africville Park would be closed for the next 12 days to allow for the Africville Picnic and Reunion festival.
While the city offered its regrets for any inconvenience this may cause for dog owners, the announcement also serves as a reminder that, despite years of promises, former residents and visitors of Africville still must tolerate a dog park on their land.
"I mean the dogs come here, they let them go, they sh*t everywhere," says Bruce Marsman. "If they picked up their little poopy sh*t, it wouldn’t be so bad."
For decades after evicting residents and bulldozing their homes, the HRM officially ignored any culpability in Africville’s destruction. Adding salt to the wounds, the land where families once lived was turned into the Seaview Dog Park.
It wasn’t until February of 2010 that then-Mayor Peter Kelly issued a long-awaited apology to the former residents of Africville and their descendants for what was taken from them 50 years ago.
"You lost your houses, your church, all of the places where you gathered with family and friends to mark the milestones of your lives," said Kelly, at the time.
Along with more prominent provisions, like reconstructing the Seaview African United Baptist Church, part of the city’s compensation package was to relocate the off-leash dog park. The Africville Genealogy Society met with then-Coun. Jerry Blumenthal later that spring, granting the city time for suitable lands to be found to transfer the park.
Three years later, and the dog park remains in Africville. A December 2011 report submitted to Regional Council indicated staff was already assessing Seaview Lookoff Park for an alternate off-leash site, but there’s seemingly been no progress in the last 18 months.
According to Tiffany Chase, spokesperson for the HRM, the city will be undertaking a public consultation to repurpose the park later this year. She says it’s everyone’s intention to identify new property and transfer the dog park by spring of 2014.
Bruce Marsman will have to make do until then. Having attended the Africville reunion for thirty years, he’s started setting his tent up on a large tarp to avoid any dog waste.
He says Africville Park is a great place for the reunion. He’d just prefer not having to watch where he steps.
"Right now, for what we’ve got, there’s good space. It’d be better to have no dog sh*t lying around."
This year’s 30th anniversary Africville reunion kicks off tonight with a youth dance at the George Dixon Centre. The following 11 days feature a host of events, both in the park and elsewhere in the city.
One of Canada’s oldest indigenous black communities, Africville was demolished in the 1960s and its residents forcibly relocated. In 2010, the city officially apologized for its actions and announced a $3 million compensation package.
http://www.halifaxnewsnet.ca/News/Local/2013-07-26/article-3328947/Dog-park-remains-in-Africville%2C-despite-HRM-promises/1
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NOVA SCOTIA RISING- R BELOVED BLACK LOYALISTS.... a must have book
Whitehead’s story of Africans in Nove Scotia enthralls
July 20, 2013 - 12:00am JOHN BOILEAU
In the space of 35 years, colonial Nova Scotia experienced three waves of black immigration that changed the makeup of the province.
Loyalists leaving the new American republic after the Revolutionary War, Jamaican Maroons forcibly relocated because of rebellion and slaves fleeing Chesapeake Bay plantations during the War of 1812 formed the beginnings of several black communities across Nova Scotia, most of which still exist today.
Because they were largely illiterate, first-hand accounts from these groups are rare. Fortunately, their former masters and the British who brought them here were meticulous record keepers. It is largely through these records that Ruth Holmes Whitehead has gleaned the story of Loyalists in the first group, in particular those from the southern colonies of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.
Whitehead chose those colonies because South Carolina and Georgia, which had formerly been a part of South Carolina, had the largest black populations at the time. Many present-day Nova Scotians who are descendants of Black Loyalists have ancestors from there, some of whom were probably enslaved by her ancestors. As a former registrar at the Charleston Museum, Whitehead was familiar with existing research resources.
Despite the research material available to her, Whitehead faced a formidable task. The enslavement of an estimated 10 million Africans, torn from their ancestral roots, cut deeply into their collective memory, leaving only a scattering of dim recollections at best.
Additionally, research in the United States is seriously hindered by a lack of black surnames in historical documents before the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863, which declared slavery illegal and occurred 80 years after the Loyalists had left the new American republic.
While their masters may not have recorded last names, we are fortunate that the British who carried them to freedom did.
Many readers will be familiar with Lawrence Hill’s 2007 masterly best-selling novel The Book of Negroes, which used the real Book of Negroes as the inspiration for his story of Aminata Diallo. Whitehead has also employed this key British document to tell the true story of these refugees, along with an impressive list of other reference material.
The result will appeal to anyone with an interest in Nova Scotia history, black and white.
Whitehead proceeds in an orderly fashion, beginning with an account of the background to the slave trade and the deplorable conditions of the transatlantic passage. In this summary, she reveals three astonishing medical facts, whose impact is still felt today.
The first is that black slaves were the unintended "biological containers" that brought the most serious malaria virus to the New World, a disease that still plagues Central and South America and has caused hundreds of thousands of deaths.
Secondly, the slave trade aided in the adaptation of the yellow fever mosquito to the New World. This mosquito laid its eggs in the water cisterns of slave ships and quickly learned to live almost exclusively on human blood. In the New World, it spread not only yellow fever, but dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever as well.
Thirdly, the Africans who survived the voyage were those whose bodies were the most adept at retaining salt, making them able to combat the severe dehydration that was perhaps the leading cause of death aboard slave ships. As Whitehead notes, "There is speculation that this may underlie problems of hypertension in New World blacks today."
But facts such as these are incidental to Whitehead’s main story, in which she has traced a number of slaves from their colonial American masters, to the shores of Nova Scotia where they founded new communities, to the return of a few former slaves to Africa and the subsequent establishment of the new country of Sierra Leone.
Based on minimal information (some of the best of which incongruously came from wanted posters for runaway slaves) and exhaustive research, Whitehead has pieced together what will likely be the most complete account of her subjects’ lives.
Her book is a fine addition to the history of the black presence in Nova Scotia.
http://thechronicleherald.ca/books/1143377-whitehead-s-story-of-africans-in-nove-scotia-enthralls
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Black Canadians in Uniform -WWI
A Proud Tradition- First World War
Three soldiers in a bunker Three soldiers in a German dugout captured during the Canadian advance east of Arras, France in October 1918.
Photo: LAC PA—003201
Like so many others swept up in the excitement and patriotism that the First World War (1914-1918) initially brought on, young Black Canadians were eager to serve King and country. At the time, however, the prejudiced attitudes of many of the people in charge of military enlistment made it very difficult for these men to join the Canadian Army. Despite the barriers, some Black Canadians did manage to join up during the opening years of the war. Black Canadians wanted the chance to do their part on a larger scale, however, and pressured the government to do so.
Five soldiers in uniform
No. 2 Construction Battalion members in 1917.
Photo: Maritime Command Museum.
On July 5, 1916, the No. 2 Construction Battalion was formed in Pictou, Nova Scotia—the first large Black military unit in Canadian history. Recruitment took place across the country and more than 600 men were eventually accepted, most from Nova Scotia, with others coming from New Brunswick, Ontario, the West and even some from the United States. The Black Battalion’s chaplain was Reverend William White, who had also played a leading role getting the unit formed. He was given the rank of Honourary Captain—one of the few Black commissioned officers to serve in the Canadian Army during the war.
The segregated battalion was tasked with non-combat support roles. After initial service in Canada, the battalion boarded the SS Southland bound for Liverpool, England in March 1917. Its members were sent to eastern France later in 1917 where they served honourably with the Canadian Forestry Corps. There they helped provide the lumber required to maintain trenches on the front lines, as well as helped construct roads and railways. After the end of the First World War in November 1918, the men sailed to Halifax in early 1919 to return to civilian life and the unit was officially disbanded in 1920.
In addition to the men of the Black Battalion, an estimated 2,000 Black Canadians, such as James Grant, Roy Fells, Seymour Tyler, Jeremiah Jones and Curly Christian, were determined to get to the front lines and managed to join regular units, going on to give distinguished service that earned some of them medals for bravery.
Black Canadians also made important contributions on the home front. They helped achieve victory by working in factories making the weapons and supplies needed by the soldiers fighting overseas, and by taking part in patriotic activities like raising funds for the war effort.
Today, the dedicated service of the "Black Battalion" and other Black Canadians who fought in the First World War is remembered and celebrated as a cornerstone of the proud tradition of Black military service in our country.
http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/feature/blackhistory/first
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Black Canadians in Uniform - WWII
A Proud Tradition
Second World War
Welsford Daniels
Welsford Daniels in 1943. Mr. Daniels served with the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals during the Second World War, repairing electronic communications equipment and staying close to the front lines to report on casualties.
Photo: VAC
Little more than 20 years after the end of the "War to End all Wars," the Second World War (1939–1945) erupted and soon spread across Europe and around the globe. The Second World War saw considerable growth in how Black Canadians served in the military. While some Black recruits would encounter resistance when trying to enlist in the army, in contrast to the First World War no segregated battalions were created. Indeed, several thousand Black men and women served during the bloodiest war the world has ever seen. Black Canadians joined regular units and served alongside their white fellow soldiers here at home, in England, and on the battlefields of Europe. Together they shared the same harsh experiences of war while fighting in places like Italy, France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
In the early years of the war, however, the Royal Canadian Navy and Royal Canadian Air Force were not as inclusive in their policies. This did not mean that trail-blazing Black Canadians did not find a way to persevere and serve. Some Black sailors served in the Navy, and Black airmen served in the Air Force as ground crew and aircrew here at home and overseas in Europe.
The contributions of Black servicemen was second to none and several earned decorations for their bravery. Some Black women joined the military as well, serving in support roles so that more men were available for the front lines.
And back on the home front, Black Canadians again made important contributions by working in factories that produced vehicles, weapons, ammunition and other materials for the war effort, and taking part in other patriotic efforts like war bond drives. For example, Black women in Nova Scotia worked in vital jobs in the shipbuilding industry, filling the shoes of the men who would usually do that work but who were away fighting in the war.
Cecilia Butler working in the John Inglis Company munitions plant Cecilia Butler working in the John Inglis Company munitions plant in Toronto during the Second World War, December 1943.
Photo: LAC / e004665435
Many Black Veterans returned home after the war with a heightened awareness of the value of freedom and their right to be treated as equals after all they had done for Canada in their country’s time of need. The service of Black Canadians in the Second World War remains a point of pride and was a measure of how Black Canadians were becoming increasingly integrated into wider Canadian society.
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Black Canadians in Uniform -KOREAN WAR
A Proud Tradition
Korean War and the Post-War Years
Since the end of the Second World War, the tradition of Black Canadian service in the military has expanded and evolved.
Major Steven Blizzard
Major Stephen Blizzard
Photo: VAC
In the Korean War (1950–1953), Canadians returned to the battlefield scarcely five years after the end of the Second World War, travelling halfway around the world to join the United Nations forces fighting to restore peace in Korea. Black soldiers were among the Canadian Army troops that were sent to fight so far from home.
While some last traces of discrimination continued in Canadian military recruiting practices into the mid-1950s, Black Canadians became more established in the Royal Canadian Navy and Royal Canadian Air Force, as well. For example, Raymond Lawrence joined the Navy in 1953, rising to become the first Black Petty Officer 1st class and first Black coxswain on a Canadian ship.
The Air Force’s Major Stephen Blizzard was a flight surgeon and also got his wings in the 1960s as a jet pilot during a long and varied career in the Canadian military—a trailblazer both in the air and in medicine. He also made important contributions to aviation medicine in both the military and civil fields.
Ordinary Seaman Lisa Nelson in the Persian Gulf
Ordinary Seaman Lisa Nelson relays information from the bridge during drills aboard HMCS Regina patrolling the Gulf of Oman in 2003 as part of the international campaign against terrorism.
Photo: DND / IS2003—2200a
Over the decades since the Korean War, Black Canadians have gone on to serve in every branch of the military, in duties both here at home and in operations around the world during the Cold War and in international peace support efforts (right from the first large-scale United Nations peacekeeping mission to Egypt during the Suez Crisis of the 1950s).
Today, Black Canadians standing on the shoulders of the trailblazers who led the way continue to serve proudly in uniform where they share in the sacrifices and achievements being made by the Canadian Forces. Our country’s efforts in Afghanistan have come at a high cost, one that has been borne by Black soldiers, as well. Brave men like Ainsworth Dyer and Mark Graham are among the more than 150 Canadian Forces members who have died in Afghanistan since 2002.
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Black Loyalist Communities in Nova Scotia
Who were the Black Loyalists?
he Black Loyalists arrived in Nova Scotia between 1783 and 1785, as a result of the American Revolution. They were the largest group of people of African birth and of African descent to come to Nova Scotia at any one time.
Regimental buttons
for military uniforms
Photo by Richard Plander,
Learning Resources &
Technology.
Nova Scotia Museum.
In 1775, some people in the British North American colonies were arguing with the British government about how much control Great Britain should have over taxes and life in the colonies. The colonists wanted to influence decisions about laws and taxes but had no representation in the British Parliament. They declared themselves independent of Britain when they weren't able to come to an agreement. The American Revolution, also called the American War of Independence, was the result.
People of African birth, who were brought forcibly to the colonies to provide slave labour, and their descendants, were caught in this war. In the late 1600s and 1700s, the British had established rice, indigo, and tobacco plantations in the southern part of North America. Plantation owners required lots of labourers to do field work and other jobs. To reduce costs, they used slaves. At first they enslaved the native Indians but then used mostly African slaves.
In the northern colonies, slaves worked as farm hands or at various jobs as domestic workers or at semi-specialized trades, such as lumbering, mining, road-making, black smithing, shoemaking, weaving and spinning.
When Lord Dunmore, Royal Governor of Virginia, lost control of that colony to the rebels in the summer of 1775, the economy of Virginia was based on slave labor. Lord Dunmore issued a proclamation that any slave or indentured person would be given their freedom if they took up arms with the British against the rebels. As a result, 2,000 slaves and indentured persons joined his forces. Later, other British supporters in the colonies issued similar proclamations.
Then the British Commander-in-chief at New York, Sir Henry Clinton, issued the Philipsburg proclamation when the British realized they were losing the war. It stated that any Negro to desert the rebel cause would receive full protection, freedom, and land. It is estimated that many thousands of people of African descent joined the British and became British supporters.
When the Americans won the war and the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783, British forces and their supporters had to leave the new United States. They gathered at New York, waiting to be evacuated. In the meantime, the Americans wanted their lost property returned. Sir Guy Carleton, the new British Commander- in-chief, refused General George Washington's demand for the return of those slaves who had joined the British before November 30, 1782. The two men agreed that the Americans would receive money instead.
Certificate of freedom, 1783
Nova Scotia Archives and
Records Management.
The British-American Commission identified the Black people in New York who had joined the British before the surrender, and issued "certificates of freedom" signed by General Birch or General Musgrave. Those who chose to emigrate were evacuated by ship. To make sure no one attempted to leave who did not have a certificate of freedom, the name of any Black person on board a vessel, whether slave, indentured servant, or free, was recorded, along with the details of enslavement, escape, and military service, in a document called the Book of Negroes.
Between April and November, 1783, 114 ships were inspected in New York harbour. An unknown number of ships left New York and other ports before and after these dates. Over 3,000 Black Loyalists were enrolled in the Book of Negroes, but perhaps as many as 5,000 Black people left New York for Nova Scotia, the West Indies, Quebec, England, Germany, and Belgium.
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TELLING THE TRUTH: SEGREGATED BLACK SCHOOLS IN NOVA SCOTIA Doris Evans (Fannie Brothers' sister) and Gertrude Tynes- teachers wrote this....
Book Review
by DORIS EVANS*
Speech delivered to the September, 1990 reunion of retired teachers of segregated schools
Shunpiking Magazine
Black History & African Heritage Supplement
February/March, 2000, Volume 5, Number 32
WE ARE GATHERED here tonight for the purpose of reflecting on the History of our Black Schools and what we have done or can do to bring about progress. I come to you, not as a historian, nor an expert but as an experienced teacher-retiree of Nova Scotia, with a sincere interest in the educational matters of students and the community at large.
I would like to reflect on a couple of experiences of my own so you can understand from whence I have come. The students of the community where I lived were attending an integrated school. We had a few problems, etc., but we had managed to get through. When I reached grade nine at this two-room school, my problems started. The proprietor of the general store, where the members of the Black Community purchased all of their groceries, garden tools, some clothing, etc., would be sending his daughter to school in the fall. He did not want his daughter to attend school with the "coloured kids." The Trustees purchased a piece of property from an individual of the Black Community who had no children attending school. A new one-room school opened in the Black Community in September. The teacher they hired could not teach grade nine. What was I to do? I then had to go back to the school from which I had come, knowing that I was not wanted. I was determined to get my education so I went, sat in the corner all year, worked hard, wrote my exams, passed and went on to the Kings County Academy. No problems there. I graduated and went to the Provincial Normal College.
On graduation, the Inspector of Schools addressed us and told the graduates where there were openings for teachers. He came to me (the only Black student in the graduating class) and told me there were two schools with openings for teachers -- Partridge River at East Preston and Hammonds Plains School. I knew neither community so I chose the first on the list. The beginning of my teaching career was at East Preston.
Past experiences have shown us some of the reasons for not being educated. Years ago there were no schools. Our forefathers were not allowed to learn. Often times if you had a white friend whom was attending school, that friend would come home and help you to read and write. And that individual would, in return, help their younger brothers and sisters.
The friends and residents of the Black Communities saw the need to have their own schools, as they were not allowed to attend schools near their area. The first of the segregated schools were small, one-room facilities heated by a wood stove. Oil lamps provided lighting. Water was brought in containers (pails), for drinking purposes. The seats were large enough to seat two, and sometimes three students, in one. They had outdoor bathroom facilities. Only the basic material was available for teaching in the early days, a slate, chalk; later days, chalk, chalk boards, pencils, scribblers, readers, etc. On many occasions teachers bought newspapers, catalogues, books of their own and paper to be used by the students. Some prepared their own reading material. Salaries were very low, and when you received it depended on when the property taxes were paid by the residents.
From conversations with elders, I learned that in one community (Middle Sackville) Black children lived very close to the school attended by the majority, but were not allowed to attend because of their race. It was then that a concerned citizen of the white community (Mrs. Plessa Caldwell) began teaching the Black students in her kitchen. These children were being given the opportunity to get some schooling because someone cared.
As time went on, most of the Black communities had either renovated the existing building or built new facilities to accommodate the growing population of students.
These facilities were one room, two rooms, three rooms and in some cases were larger. They had electricity, furnaces for heating, and indoor bathroom facilities. One community, North Preston, had two schools; which also has the only segregated school left in Nova Scotia. Home Economics and Industrial Arts were taught by circuit teachers. Amid all the inconveniences which we encountered in these schools, one aspect of teaching in a segregated school which we cherished was the Annual Christmas Concerts. The students would go "all out" to take part -- say recitations, take part in the singing of the favourite songs, and acting in plays about Christmas events. It was beautiful! These events will always be remembered!
Many teachers for the Black schools were extracted from the high schools with no training. They were given a permit to teach in that particular school. They were hard-working, dedicated, concerned individuals; often times they attended summer school at various universities to upgrade themselves. And in some cases, there were those persons who broke the bonds that had held others back and became registered teachers. I recall, after I had graduated from high school, that the Inspector of Schools came to my home and asked my parents if I would be allowed to teach that year instead of attending the Normal College. I, or I should say my parents, refused. I thank them for that.
During the teachers' first years of teaching, they realized their duties were not confined to the classroom. They were expected to know the parents of the pupils so that they might understand the background of the children. They were expected to see that habits of courtesy and health were carried over from the classroom to the home. They must observe and correct all the physical defects and try to eliminate faulty mental and physical habits, no easy task, when much of the children's lives were lived out of her sight and beyond her jurisdiction.
The teacher's attention and services were not considered to be property of her pupils alone. They were to take part in community activities; not just to come and sit comfortably and enjoy themselves but get in there and make the project a success. The parents looked to them for guidance and advice not only concerning the welfare of their children, but of any other matter pertaining to the community.
Behaviour and my experience
Teachers were respected by members of the community and, if a problem arose at school with the students, teachers were usually backed by the parents.
I would like to tell you an experience I had with a grade nine student. During this particular geography class, one young man was talking and not doing his seat work. I asked him to stop talking. He did, but in a few minutes he was back at it again! After speaking to him twice, I reminded him that if he couldn't stop, and it happened again, I was going to send him home. After a few minutes, he was back at it again! As I had told him before: if he continued to talk, I would send him home. I had to do it. He begged me to please let him stay. I said, "Go Home". He went. The next morning at school, a knock came at the door. I answered. It was the young man and his father. His father said, "You'll have no more trouble with_______! I didn't.
In some cases, students were able to slip into the realm of getting a higher education, but the majority of students were not allowed. After receiving their education at the segregated schools, there was nowhere to go, so they dropped out of school and took a job (if they could get one). Later on, adult classes were provided for those who wished to upgrade themselves, and prepare them to write exams (GED). This has been in effect for many years.
In the 1950s, some changes took place. All schools in the Halifax County area were taken over by the Halifax County Municipal School Board and I presume all schools in Nova Scotia did likewise. This included salaries for teachers along with materials -- long a problem.
Integration of schools came about. Students could now further their education by attending schools in other areas to hopefully graduate and be able to continue their studies at a university level if they preferred.
This is a good policy, but there are some problems regarding that. Racism is one. As long as racism exists in the school system, there will be problems. Two things I have encountered in the school system is stereotyping and double standards -- one set for Blacks, one for the majority. This is where we have to take a stand and be vocal.
Consolidation of schools was instituted which would encourage integration. Many of the Black segregated schools were closed and students bused to schools outside of the community. Some parents didn't like the idea of their children always being bussed from the communities but did feel the importance of their children being integrated at an early age. A parent told me one time that a student at the school where her daughter attended told her daughter, "My mom said if you were white, you could be my friend." There is where the problems lie.
While teaching at Partridge River, and schools were built to provide integration, I often said to myself, "Can I teach other children." In 1970 when Ross Road School was built -- with students from five other schools feeding into that school, one being Partridge River -- I decided to prove to myself that I can teach anyone regardless of colour. I was there 15 years, enjoyed most of my time there and learned a lot.
I've already mentioned the first young man. Now I'll tell you of an experience at the integrated school. Again a young man was talking. I told him if he couldn't control his talking that I would send him outside in the hall. After a few minutes his friend raised his hand. I said "Yes." He said, "Chris says if you put your hands on him, his mother will sue you." I told him, "Don't worry! We'll handle that when it happens."
In 1966, another important factor in the lives of the Black students was the forming of the Education Incentive Program for Black Students, initiated by the Negro Education Council (now the Black Educators Association). Gus Wedderburn and I, along with others, were members of that Council. This program gives bursaries to Black students who qualify to further their education through universities or other institutions. Although this program is approximately 27-years-old, members of the majority community do not understand the objectives. They often talk about, 'Blacks getting paid to go to school.'
In the early years of integration, as well as before, it was very difficult for the students to learn about the achievements of Blacks. Many Blacks have contributed, in many ways, to the welfare of our country. But that history appears to be "Lost, Stolen or Strayed." Students were unable to have any self-esteem because they had always been "put down," and they knew nothing of the past contributions of the Blacks. Today black history has been incorporated in the curriculum but it is merely a course for whosoever wants to take it. I feel that it should be incorporated in the Social Studies Program -- starting with the elementary grades.
The Black Educators Association was formed in 1969 to assist communities throughout the province to develop strategies to improve the quality of education for Blacks. ...
The Black Professional Women's group organized in 1969. They wanted to seek ways to improve some of the poor conditions which existed in the schools (segregated). Their objectives were to develop awareness through educational, cultural, and social means and also to provide a bursary to assist Black female students who would be attending institutions of higher learning.
The Black Cultural Centre, 1983, is a centre for the preservation and protection of Black Culture. It depicts pictures, photographs, artifacts, and documents, providing an opportunity for Black residents to learn more about themselves and have a deep sense of pride and identity amongst themselves. It is also for the general public to learn about the contributions Blacks have made to society.
To the teachers
I know that you have the foresight to know that you can make a difference in the lives of your students. Believe in them. If you are concerned and interested in the success of all children, you will make a difference.
A little boy in grade two said to his teacher, "Teacher, you always tell me when you are disappointed in me, how come you do not tell me when you are appointed in me?"
Two teachers from Bell Park Academic Centre have produced a video that can be used to show how Black history can be taught in the elementary schools. This has been widely accepted by the department of education and is used quite widely in schools. Challenge your students to be the best they can be.
To the retirees
Although you have retired from the teaching profession, there is still an opportunity for you to be of use in society. There is always something you can become involved in.
To everyone
My motto, from my first day of teaching, has been, "If I can help somebody as I go along, then my living shall not be in vain."
* Slightly edited for the purposes of this publication from Telling the Truth: Reflections on the History of Segregated Schools, Doris Evans and Gertrude Tynes, Lancelot Press, 1995. Since her retirement, Mrs. Evans has taught job entry programs and career exploration for women, and served as a resource person for the Literacy Nova Scotia Advisory Council on the Preston Area Learning Skills Program, North Preston.
Photo cptions
Weymouth Falls
Weymouth Falls School, built in the late 1800s. 70-80 students were taught in one room.
Partridge River
Partridge River School staff, East Preston, in the 1950s.
Henry
The two-room Henry G. Bauld School was built in 1949 for the children of the Nova Scotia Home for Coloured Children. It became a community centre after it was closed in 1967.
Gidson's woods
Gibson's Wood School, just outside Kentville. The children of this community attended an integrated school until 1941, when trustees of the Centreville School dictated that Black students should be segregated. The school was a one-room facility with outdoor bathrooms, no electricty, and a wood stove. Drinking water was provided in a water jug. After the first few years, no qualified Black teachers were available for this school.
New Convoy
The Acaciaville School, Digby County, was opened in the late 1800s when two communities, Acaciaville and Joggins-New Conway, united to build it. In this one-room school, primary to grade three was taught in the morning and grade four to eight in the afternoon.
Upper Big Tracadie
Upper Big Tracadie School in Guysborough County. A one-room school with grades primary to grade seven, it existed until around 1958 when consolidation took place and local schools were integrated.
The September 7-9, 1990 reunion of retired teachers from Nova Scotia's segregated schools, at the Black Cultural Centre of Nova Scotia
http://www.shunpiking.com/bhs/BR-evans.htm
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CAMADOAM William Hall, V.C.: The Naval Veteran (2:44 min.)
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_va_OP2ba4
William Hall, V.C. was born in Summerville and was the first member of the Navy from British North America to receive the Victoria Cross, the most prestigious of military medals. William received the medal for a heroic rescue that he participated in during the Indian Uprising of 1758. The rescue mission captured the imagination of the Victorian public: the mission was known to every school boy in the Empire. While initially buried without military honours in an unmarked grave, William was later buried beneath a stone cairn on the lawn of the Baptist Church in Hantsport, Hants Co..
The Black Battalion- Canada
Juanita Pleasant Wilbur of Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada
They came two hundred to answer the call
But only to fall
Their way was not paved
For a country they wanted to save
The battle cry went out
But these men were ousted
Their colour was wrong
Their courage strong
From battle line to battle line they went
But no one wanted them
A checker-board army they were called
Their courage strong they still persisted
For the right to fight for a country they loved
For the right to live as all men
Free and strong
The march was on, their will was strong
From place to place they went
Rejected by all, their cry was heard
Let us do our best
Don't let us be less
Give us a chance to build a life for our children
Let us make our mark
Give us a chance to stand proud and free
Rejected and tired of waiting
They finally saw the light
You're on a flight
Over-seas you're bound
At last you found your place
A checker-board army has been born
A remembrance to my Grand-dad, Private Wallace James Pleasant and all the black men who fought and became know as Canada's best kept secret.
We love you all so much.... to my Fannie (Clement) Brothers and to my Debbie Pleasant-Joseph ..... love you all so much....
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Canada's Black-Negro Soldiers
Introduction
Image: Black soldiers have had a long history of defending Canada. The Volunteer Military Company from Victoria, BC, active between 1860 and 1864, served during the American Civil War (photograph by Charles Gentile, courtesy Library and Archives Canada/C-022626).What are the forgotten stories of African-Canadian history? There are several, and their absence has led to many misconceptions about the role of Black people in the development of Canada.
One fact is that the first African arrival took place over 400 years ago with interpreter Mathieu da Costa. Since that time, Black people have been constantly coming into Canada helping to build it. Another is the idea that Black people have not "paid their dues," have not served in any military defense of Canada, that Black people are not pulling their weight or taking the level of responsibility that they should as good citizens of Canada.
However, the reality is that African-Canadians have volunteered in every case for active duty, and persisted even when they were not wanted. In order to help defend Canada, separate Black units were created, the first one, on the initiative of African-Canadian Richard Pierpoint. Black people have consistently defended the interests of Canada, or the British controlled territory of Canada from the time of the American Revolutionary War through to the Mackenzie Rebellions and the present.
Whether they were born in Canada, or newcomers supporting the direction that Canada was taking, African-Canadians have been ongoing defenders of this nation, allowing us all to experience the freedoms that we have today.
Rosemary Sadlier
Image: Black soldiers have had a long history of defending Canada. The Volunteer Military Company from Victoria, BC, active between 1860 and 1864, served during the American Civil War (photograph by Charles Gentile, courtesy Library and Archives Canada/C-022626).
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Black Ice - CHL Colored Hockey League, Nova Scotia -1800s early 1900s
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2QZm8llvig
Espn segment on book "Black Ice", Historical book about Halafax, Nova Scotia's (CHL) Colored Hockey League circa1895-1925. Informative and interesting.
Black Ice – Negro Hockey (CHL)
The Lost History of the Colored Hockey League of the Martimes, 1895-1925
http://www.blackicebook.com/
Black Ice
Comprised of the sons and grandsons of runaway American slaves, the league helped pioneer the sport of ice hockey changing this winter game from the primitive "gentleman’s past-time" of the nineteenth century to the modern fast moving game of today. In an era when many believed blacks could not endure cold, possessed ankles too weak to effectively skate, and lacked the intelligence for organized sport, these men defied the defined myths.
2/23/2007: ESPN TO AIR COLORED HOCKEY LEAGUE SPECIAL
Black Ice
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. 02/23/07.
Bristol, Connecticut.ESPN SPORTSCENTER will be running a 7-minute documentary feature on the book Black Ice and the history of the Colored Hockey League this Sunday beginning around 12 Noon. Last month, Sonahhr historians and Executive Board Members Darril Fosty, George Fosty, Drakeford Levi, Wayne Adams and Craig Smith were interviewed for the feature. Darril Fosty also served as the historical consultant for ESPN during the Nova Scotia stage of the production.
Setting the Ice Hockey Historical Record Straight
Our knowledge of the roots of Canadian hockey has been based almost solely on the historical records maintained by early White historians. Because of this, the misconception that hockey is a White man’s invention has persisted. We know today, such an assumption could not be further from historical fact. The roots of early Canadian hockey originate with the North American Indians. The roots of modern Canadian hockey originate, in large part, from the influence of an even more surprising source, that of early African-Canadian hockey. For it was Black hockey players in the later half of the nineteenth century whose style of play and innovations helped shape the sport, effectively changing the game of hockey forever. Page 12.
The First Black Ice Hockey Players – 1820 to 1870
With certainty, we can only date Black hockey to the early 1870's, yet we know that hockey and Black history in
Nova Scotia have parallel roots, going back almost 100 years. Among the first reports of hockey being played occur in 1815 along the isolated Northwest Arm, south of Halifax. The date is important for the simple fact that as late as October 1815 the region was not home to a large White settlement but was instead the site of a small Black enclave. Four Black families originally from the Chesapeake Bay area, with a total of fifteen children, had relocated and settled on the Arm. It is reported that these families, Couney, Williams, Munro and Leale, received adequate food, lodging and employment implying that their children were healthy and would have been able to play hockey during the winter months when the Arm was frozen and suitable for skating. Were these children among the first Canadians to play the game of hockey? We do not know. All we can say is that the coincidence between the date of the Northwest Arm’s Black settlement and the first records of hockey being played in the area are worthy of reflection. Page 12-13.
The Stanley Cup -1893
During the nineteenth century, it had been the English who had introduced the concept of competitive sports to much of the world. In an age of the Victorians and Victorian ideals, sports were regarded as models of teamwork and fair play. Many believed that sports could raise the lower classes and non-White races to a higher level of civilization and social development. All was well, the theory held as long as White men continued to win at whatever sport they played. Hockey was no different. By recognizing Canadian hockey Stanley had accomplished something more. He has given the game "royal acceptance" removing its status as a game of the lowly masses and creating a tiered sport based on club elitism and commercialism. It is no secret that the Stanley Cup was only to be competed for by select teams within
Canada. At the time of its presentation, it was a symbol for self-promotion all the while serving a "supposed need". In time, those who controlled the Challenge Cup controlled hockey, effectively creating a "bourgeoisie" sport. A sport that now, by its very nature, would exclude and fail to recognize Black contributions. Page 14.
The Birth Of All-Black Hockey Teams -1895
The first recorded mention of all-Black hockey teams appears in 1895. Games between Black club teams were arranged by formal invitation. By 1900, The Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes had been created, headquartered in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Despite hardships and prejudice, the league would exist until the mid-1920s. Historically speaking, The Colored Hockey League was like no other hockey or sports league before or since. Primarily located in a province, reputed to be the birthplace of Canadian hockey, the league would in time produce a quality of player and athlete that would rival the best of White Canada. Such was the skill of the teams that they would be seen by as worthy candidates for local representation in the annual national quest for Canadian hockey’s ultimate prize – the Stanley Cup. Page 15.
Black Hockey Leadership -1895
They were more than educated Blacks, in fact they were the first generation of Black men who refused to answer the ageless question: "Whose Negro Are You?" The first of their race to demand what was rightfully theirs; the first generation to refuse to stand at the back of a line. Page 55.
On The Destruction Of The Colored Hockey League — 1912
Were the Blacks sending a message to area Whites? Was this "an eye for an eye," a payback for Williams’ death and other past events? In order for four White-owned buildings to go up in flames almost simultaneously, it would require an orchestrated group effort. It would require a group of people working in tandem with one goal. If it were the work of Blacks it would have been an effort organized either on Gottingen Street or out in Africville. If indeed this was payback, then who better to accomplish this task than members of the Colored League — men who had had their league destroyed, lands stolen, and business enterprises crushed at the hands of Whites. On January 12, 1912 someone had sent the White Elite of Halifax a message. The message was simple: "Burn Us — We Burn You!" Page 132.
NottHead Comments:
NottHeads
"Those that do not know their history are destine to repeat it." Those that rely on others to tell their story will most likely be forgotten! Negro slaves adapted to every environment and community, engaged in activities closely associated with the church and desperately sought to be treated as equals; for their descendants the struggle continues.
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Canadian Army News
Today in Canadian Military History: Adjutant-General of Militia writes to Thomas Runchey of Niagara to raise a detachment of Blacks. By December 15th, about 50 men are under his command (1837). http://ow.ly/7U4NK
Black soldiers in the Rebellion of 1837
They fought valiantly on many of the War of 1812 battlefields, including Queenston Heights, Fort George, Niagara, Stoney Creek and Lundy's Lane, and in naval engagements on Lake Ontario. This history is presented at Fort George National Historic Site of Canada, in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
At the end of the hostilities, veterans were promised severance pay and land grants. Although not all black veterans obtained grants, a few did settle on land made available in Oro Township near present-day Barrie. Here, the government hoped they would serve as a defensive bulwark against potential American invasion via Georgian Bay. The Oro AME Church in Edgar is recognized as nationally significant because of its association with this early period of black settlement. The role of black military forces in the War of 1812 continued to inspire African Americans with the hope that a free life was possible if they could reach British territory. Following the war there was a steady movement of refugees into Upper Canada.
By the outbreak of the Rebellion of 1837, the black population in Upper Canada had grown considerably. To reformer and rebel William Lyon Mackenzie's frustration, African Canadians remained steadfastly loyal to the Crown. In December 1837, a request
was made to raise another regiment of black militia. Additional black units were raised under James H. Sears and Hugh Eccles in the Niagara area. Near Chatham, a First and a Second Coloured Company were mustered. Like many other communities close to the border, African Canadian communities did not always wait for formal military mustering and often formed volunteer units and drilled themselves. In Windsor, Underground Railroad community leader Josiah Henson commanded such a company of volunteers, which was associated with the Essex Militia.
The service records of the black militia units were impressive. Sears' company supported the attack on the American ship Caroline, which had been supplying Mackenzie's forces on Navy Island. Near Sandwich, the Essex Militia, including Josiah Henson's unit of volunteers, took possession of the rebel schooner Anne, which had been firing on the town from the Detroit River. Along with Capt. Caldwell's Coloured Corps (123 volunteers), Henson's men also helped defend Fort Malden from December 1837 through May 1838. Hastily re-mustered troops, including 50 black volunteers, defended Windsor from a late attack in 1838. The role of the black militia at Amherstburg is integral to the reasons for the designation of Fort Malden National Historic Site of Canada.
The System of National Historic Sites of Canada
Commemorating the Undergr ound Railroad in Canada
http://www.pc.gc.ca/canada/proj/cfc-ugrr/itm2-com/pg19_e.asp
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