Africville, Former Black community neighborhood in Halifax, Canada
Africville was a neighborhood along the southern shore of Bedford Basin where a close-knit community of residents built homes, businesses, and social institutions. Today the site features a sundial monument, a reconstructed church, and a museum that interpret what once stood there.
Settlement began in the 1830s when Black Nova Scotians and Black Loyalists chose the location to build their own community away from discrimination. In the 1960s, urban renewal policies resulted in forced displacement of all residents and demolition of the entire neighborhood.
The Seaview African United Baptist Church served as the heart of community life, hosting worship services and gatherings that shaped daily interaction among residents.
The museum displays photographs, artifacts, and documents shared through guided tours and educational programs available to visitors. Plan to spend time both indoors viewing exhibits and outdoors walking the grounds where the monument and reconstructed church stand.
During the 1960s relocation, residents were transported in garbage trucks, a shocking practice that Halifax city officials did not formally apologize for until 2010. This troubling chapter remains central to how the community's displacement is remembered and interpreted.
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