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Factors that led to the destruction of Africville during the 20th century

Africville was a small community of black people in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada and

developed on the southern shore of Bedford Basin. Africville was founded by Black Nova

Scotia. They belonged to the lower class. Their ancestors were almost slaves in past. They lived

a painful life in this town. They were not provided proper facilities by the Government. However

they were considering themselves as inferior people of the Canada. There are various factors that

affected them and became the cause of their destruction.

Racism:

The major reason of destruction of Africville was the racism. They were treated on the base of

their race. In Canada, there were few people who were black but a big group of black people was

living in Africville. The people of Canada talked and dealt on the base of race. They didn't like

black people. Indeed they allowed them to live in their state but they didn't accept them mentally.

Black people were not acceptable for the white people. However, Africville was neglected due to

the concept of racism. They could not get the equal rights of human in the Canada. During this,

they were mentally tortured by the white people. Actually, there was big concept of racism in the

mind of white people. They didn't give respect to the black people. This impure behaviour of

white people became the major cause of destruction of Africville people.

Neglected by Local Government of Halifax City:

Halifax city neglected to Africville as there were living only lower class people. Indeed they

were slaves and belonged to the poor families. The Halifax city didn't pay attention towards

Africville. The government of Halifax didn't provide the equal rights to people of Africville. This

was also a big reason of destruction for the people of Africville. They were treated on the base of

their background.
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The official personalities were exploiting the rights of Africville. They didn't provide proper

security for their rights. Halifax didn't contact with the Africville people while making the

policies for them. They were neglected by the officials of the Halifax. However their rights were

exploited by Halifax city.

Discrimination and Poverty:

The people of Africville were discriminated and poor. They didn't possess the ability to meet the

big celebrities of the city. They didn't possess an approach to claim fir their rights. They

considered they were not eligible to meet the official personalities of the Halifax. The poverty

level didn't allow them to talk about their rights and facilities. They couldn't raise the voice

against the exploitation of their rights. They failed in obtaining the equity and justice due to

poverty. Indeed, a wrong concept had produced in the minds of people of Halifax city.

Therefore, Halifax city thought that how they can ne stood equally with black people. The back

people can never be equal to the white people.

According to Irvine Carvery, farmer Africville resident;

"You weren't isolated at any time living in Africville you always felt at home; The

doors were always open. That is one of the most important things that has stayed

with me throughout my life."

Lack of Municipal services:

Another reason of destruction of Africville was the lack of municipal services. The community

of Africville were not provided well municipal services. There were not proper roads and

sewerage system. There was lack of proper infrastructure for Africville. The condition of streets

of Africville was not good. They faced various problems due to the bad infrastructure of

Africville. They felt not good due to such bad services of government. They faced a lot of
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problems after rain. There was not proper system for removing the water from Africville. Due to

this water, numerous diseases were producing. This action was not considered as justice for the

black people.

Lack of Hospital and School:

In Africville, there was not proper hospital for the people. They faced many problems due to lack

of medical facilities. This factor is considered as big cause of their destruction. It is basic duty of

government to provide medical facilities and aids to all the people. But the Halifax government

didn't give any medical facilities to the Africville people.

Education is an important part of life. But the people of Africville were not provided standard

education. They children of the people of Africville could not get proper education. Therefore

they were living poor life. They couldn't raise the voice due to lack of knowledge and education.

They couldn't recognise their personal rights of humanity. It was another injustice to snatch the

right of seeking education. They were not given proper education for their child. They were

considered as the lower class and black people by the white people of Canada. However, the

Canadian government didn't decide or make any policy for their education as well as hospitals.

The black people had been living a rough life for many years.

Place of Garbage:

Halifax city didn't provide proper respect to the Africville community. Halifax city started to put

their waste material in this town. The government of Africville transported their garbage to the

Africville. However it became the place of garbage of Halifax. The waste material of Halifax

was stored near Africville community. Due to this waste material, different types of diseases

were being produced. The people of Africville faced health issue due this garbage.

Injustice of Halifax Human Rights Advisory Committee:

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Halifax didn't give justice to the people of Africville. The Halifax Human Rights Advisory

Committee didn't provide rights to the Africville people while making the rules and regulations

for the human beings. The committee also decided on the base of racism. The committee didn't

concern with the Africville people.

Unemployment:

There was not any possibility of employment for the black people. The white people didn't want

to see them on high rank. Therefore, black people were not provided employment by the

government. They had to live poverty life forever. They didn't possess money to buy the

necessary things. They could not enjoy their life with happiness and pleasure. However, this

factor also led Africville community towards the destruction.

Relocation:

According to Laura Howe, Former Africville resident

"Living in Africville, we had our own home. It might not have been a mansion,

but it was a home."

The big cruel of Halifax, which the people of Africville faced, was the relocation of Africville.

The government decided to make industries on the place of this community. The government

decided to shift Africville people towards the city. This decision was not taken for providing the

equal rights to back people, indeed the decision was taken to increase the industrialization in the

Halifax City. They were of Africville were satisfied even lack of facilities in Africville

community. But they were not agree or happy on their migration. They were also not informed

about their migration. The people were not given equal money for the house in which they had

been living for years. Only those people were eligible for money that proved their ownership.

Few people could prove their ownership but they were not paid full money for their houses. The
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government destroyed their houses for industries. However, the industrial revolution affected

them badly. The people had to leave their house forever.

Conclusion:

I have discussed various factors which destroyed the Africville community as well. Human

Rights were exploited badly in Africville community. Indeed they were all black people and

neglected by the white people. At this time, the white people didn't accept them mentally. They

considered them as inferior creature of the society. They couldn't obtain proper human rights by

their government. Consequently, the Africville community had to be destroyed by the

government. But later government apologized for this destruction. The government constructed

church in honour of Africville.

Works cited:

 Moynagh, Maureen. "Africville, an Imagined Community." Canadian Literature 157 (1998): 14-

34.

 Nelson, Jennifer Jill. Razing Africville: A geography of racism. University of Toronto Press,

2008.

 Nelson, Jennifer J. "The space of Africville: creating, regulating and remembering the urban

slum." Can. JL & Soc. 15 (2000): 163.

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 Corrigan, Lawrence T. "Accounting practice and the historic turn: performing budget histories."

Management & Organizational History 11.2 (2016): 77-98.

 Allen, Denise Izzard. "Ghosts of Africville: former residents of Africville are still fighting

municipal planning decisions in Nova Scotia." Alternatives Journal 29.1 (2003): 18-20.

 Perkyns, Dorothy. Last days in Africville. Dundurn, 2006.

Bibliography

 "The Story Of Africville | CMHR". CMHR, 2021, https://humanrights.ca/story/the-story-of-

africville.

 "Africville - Wikipedia". En.M.Wikipedia.Org, 2021, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Africville.

 "Africville | History & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica, 2021,

https://www.britannica.com/place/Africville.

 "View Of Africville And The Dynamics Of State Power In Postwar Canada | Acadiensis".

Journals.Lib.Unb.Ca, 2021,

https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/acadiensis/article/view/18419/19899.