AfricvilleAfricvilleAn African-Canadian An African-Canadian

Community of Community of

Halifax, Nova ScotiaHalifax, Nova Scotia

1848 - 19671848 - 1967Presentation by Patricia ClarkPresentation by Patricia Clark

Photo Source: (unless otherwise indicated)Photo Source: (unless otherwise indicated)

The Spirit of Africville, (D. Clairmont et al) 1992The Spirit of Africville, (D. Clairmont et al) 1992

Parents in Africville sought to provide the best possible life for their children, in spite of the neglect of the city of Halifax.

The city bureaucrats “never chased baseballs across the field on cool summer evenings, or scrambled for blueberries in the scrub on the hill. They never heard the piano music from the parlors, or the voices raised in praise at the church. They never knew what it felt to be six years old, living in Africville, and knowing that you’re safe because you’re home. They only saw the peeling paint loosened by the salt air.”

Coleman Howe

Africville

Bird’s Eye View of Africville

View of Africville from the blueberry patch on the hill

A View of “Up the Road”, near the Bedford Basin

Porters in front of the train for the royal visit, 1939

John Pannell, Tom MacDonald, Henry Lawrence, J. H. Franklin,

George Dixon, R. H. States, B. J. Cromwell, James Springer

Matilda Newman’s

store

Seaview African United Baptist Church

“Listen close… can you hear it? Can you hear that sound, coming from the church? It’s like a heartbeat … the heartbeat of Africville. This church is the living, breathing soul of our community. As long as the church is here, we’ll be here.”

Seaview African United Baptist Church

Africville residents learned about trains at a young age.

Tracks were laid through Africville in the 1850s,and expanded twice before WWI.

Three sets of train tracks ran through Africville.

Halifax refused to supply Africville with water and sewage facilities, garbage collection, snowplow service, or building code enforcement, arguing that the community was impermanent and that the area was slated for industrial development.A 1954 report by the City Manager notes, “The water supply in Africville is from shallow wells which show more contamination than is desirable. The proximity of privies to these wells is particularly bad with the rocky soil conditions. The city of Halifax has been fortunate that no serious health conditions have resulted from this situation.”

Outdoor wells - the sole source of water for inhabitants of Africville

George Dixon: World

Featherweight Champion

1896 - 1900

Portia White, world-renowned singer, once taught school in Africville.

The youth of Africville at church...

Sunday School class at Seaview Baptist Church,

Easter, 1961

Africville school seen from the waterfront

Hope Carvery

a student at Mulgrave Park School, 1965

Picking blueberries in Africville

Evening on Bedford Basin...

Kids at play...

Millie and Benny Jones

~ Their wedding day ~

Cutting the cake at Jessie (Brown) Kane’s wedding

A proud young family of Africville

Music was central to the lives of Africville’s residents.

The jazz giant Duke Ellington regularly visited relatives (through marriage) in Africville.

The Brown Bombers Hockey Team

African-Canadians have always been eager to contribute to their country’s defense.

Africville residents were no exception.

World War II volunteer Gerald Johnson, with his brother Charles and nephew Robert.

Africville homes...

Home Sweet Home...

CGIT: Canadian Girls in Training

“The community presents a picture of neglect, poor roads, primitive and unsanitary wells and outdoor privies”

Rev. W. P. Oliver, 1964, former pastor to Africville

In 1962, Africville residents met with city bureaucrats at the Seaview African United Baptist Church to discuss the city’s plans to relocate them.

Deacon Ralph Jones’ house, boarded up during relocation

“City people sent a truck to move my furniture. Just think what the neighbours thought when they looked out and saw a garbage truck drive up and unload the furniture.”

~ Moving day for Dorothy Carvery ~Africville residents were evacuated using City of Halifax dump trucks.

Aaron “Pa” Carvery surrounded by rubble on the site of his Africville home. Most residents left between 1964 and 1967. Pa Carvery, the last Africville resident, held out till January 2, 1970.

In December 1969, city officials tried to convince Carvery to move. He recounts the story as follows:“They sent for me and when I got there, I was taken into someone’s office. There were five or six people in the room, plus a suitcase full of money tied up neatly in bundles… The suitcase was open so as to tempt me and try to pay me off right then and there… I didn't like it at all… It hurt me… I told them, ‘You guys think you’re smart… well, you’re not smart enough,’ then I got up and walked out of the office.”

Africville Memorial: all that remains...