Events honouring Nova Scotia's African Heritage Month held across province

Wednesday marks the first day of African Heritage Month, also known as Black History Month depending on the province you live.

This year’s theme in Nova Scotia is "Seas of Struggle." It refers to the connection of the province’s first Black settlers to the Atlantic Ocean.

“It usually has a negative sort of connotation of being the route in the mode of transportation for slavery and the Atlantic slave trade, but the positive side of it [is] the contributions that were made to sea-faring,” said Russell Grosse, the executive director for Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia.

According to Grosse, Boston-area research suggests that by the early 1900s, African Americans made up a huge portion of labour in the sea-faring industry.

He said the same connections exist in Nova Scotia.

“Shipbuilding, fish processing and shore work, all those sorts of things that have helped build the fabric of what we call Nova Scotia and what we call Canada," said Grosse.

Most of Nova Scotia’s 52 historical Black communities are close to the coastlines. Grosse said, for those living close to sea, this was their form of employment.  

“You think of heroes like Able-Seaman William Hall, who’s a well-known naval hero and the fact that before he entered in the navy, he was involved quite actively in shipbuilding,” said Grosse.

At Dalhousie University in Halifax, a new African Nova Scotian flag was raised. It symbolized the enduring legacy and resilience of people of African descent.

“It’s really acknowledging that people of African descent exist here and have played a meaningful and very important role in the historical trajectory of this part of the world,” said Isaac Saney, a professor at Dalhousie University.

During the flag raising ceremony at Dalhousie on Wednesday, students said such events are empowering.

“This helps me have the confidence to reach my dreams and excel in higher education or my dream job,” said Eriana Willis Smith.

“It’s a reminder to myself. I have come very far and I should be very proud of myself. If it weren’t for my ancestry and my family, I would not be here today,” said Shirley Hodder.