This year’s theme for African Heritage Month in Nova Scotia commemorates the struggles faced by people of African descent from the shores of Africa to the shores of Nova Scotia.
Russel Grosse, executive director of the Nova Scotia Black Cultural Center, says this year’s poster design pays homage to the long history that people of African descent had in Canada’s development and the role that shipping played in it.
“We think of the legacy of the translator Mathieu Da Costa or the shipbuilder and naval hero William Hall,” Grosse said in a video announcing the theme of this year’s African Heritage Month, released by the province on Monday.
“However, there is much more to discover and understand, such as the role that shipping played in supporting the emigration of blacks from Nova Scotia to Sierra Leone, the transportation of the No. 2 Construction Battalion abroad, or the remarkable contributions of shipping to our marine fisheries. , fish processing, shipbuilding and ship service from the past to the present”.
The lone ship seen in the foreground of the poster speaks to the struggle of black people, Grosse said, while the ships in the far shadows remind us of our long-standing heritage and the future that lies ahead.
“The poster also illustrates the struggle and adversity that has been overcome and examines the negative effects of slavery and sailing successes on the African community in Nova Scotia,” Grosse said in the video.
Arthur J. LeBlanc, Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, says that for hundreds of years, African communities in Nova Scotia have played a key role in the development of the province and Canada as a whole.
“One anchoring characteristic has remained constant: our relationship with the Atlantic Ocean,” LeBlanc said.
“The sea plays a vital role in the history of people of African descent, particularly in their journey from the shores of Africa to the shores of Nova Scotia.”
He says these trips were influential in shaping Nova Scotia’s collective identity and contain stories to be remembered and told for generations to come.
“We also recognize that people of African descent experience and continue to face racism and inequities,” LeBlanc said.
“While there is work to be done, we are recommitting to learning from past failures and upholding the values of inclusion over discrimination and diversity over intolerance.”
For his part in Monday’s announcement, Prime Minister Tim Houston read a proclamation naming February as African Heritage Month in Nova Scotia.
“Our province is proud to recognize the contributions, culture and history of Nova Scotia’s Africans and people of African descent,” Houston said. “We must remember that this is our shared history of Nova Scotia.”
“Diversity, inclusion and equity are critical to our collective growth and prosperity. We are committed to working with all Nova Scotians to build a stronger and more prosperous province. Learning from the past and recognizing the present will help us move towards a better future.”
Gordon Earle, the first black member of parliament elected in Nova Scotia, says African Heritage Month is important, but it’s something to think about all year long.
“When it comes to dealing with issues of racism, I think sometimes people feel powerless to do anything about it,” Earle said.
“But one of the greatest powers we have, and one that we need to use more often, is the power of love. Because this is a power that everyone can bring to the fight.”
While serving as a member of parliament, Earle met former South African President Nelson Mandela, who was imprisoned for 27 years by the apartheid government for his activism before being elected.
“I saw this magnificent man standing in front of me. It was like it was him and me, everything else just kind of faded into the background,” Earle said.
“It just made me feel so grateful. And when she shook my hand, I could feel the power in the handshake, it was powerful and loving.”
“For me, Nelson Mandela emphasized the power of love and what it can do when the odds seem impossible.”
For more information on African Heritage Month 2023 and its theme “Seas of Strife: African Peoples from Coast to Coast,” visit the Black Cultural Center for Nova Scotia website.
