After many years of denial, the Halifax's city government has finally acknowledged the wrongs that were done to the residents and the community of Africville, and has agreed to make amends for its actions. This extensively illustrated book was prepared by the Africville Genealogy Society and published originally in 1992. Long out of print, it is being republished in a new expanded edition to mark the settlement arrived at this year. The resistance and the protests of former Africville residents have ensured that their experiences were not forgotten or ignored. For more than 150 years, Africville was a community of African Nova Scotian families. In the 1960s, Halifax's city government decided to acquire the land and demolish the houses. Africville was demolished, but the spirit of the community lived on. The Halifax Regional Municipality publically apologized in early 2010 to the former Africville residents and descendants for what they endured. A settlement was made with the Africville Genealogy Society to "commemorate the past and take positive steps for the future." This book tells the story of Africville in words and pictures. This edition includes many never-before-seen colour and black and white photographs of the residents and their community. The text includes an account of the origins of Nova Scotia's Black residents, a history of Africville itself and an account of the events leading up to its demolition. Many key participants in the events of the 1960s offer their reflections on the destruction of the community, highlighting the lessons learned from a decision widely considered to be wrong — even by those who supported and implemented it at the time. An afterword tells of the long but ultimately successful effort to have these wrongs acknowledged and a measure of restitution made.

DONALD CLAIRMONT teaches sociology at Dalhousie University. He is the author of an academic study of the impact of the Africville relocation.

Donald Clairmont's profile page

Stephen Kimber, an award-winning writer, editor, and broadcaster, is the author of 10 books, including two novels and eight works of nonfiction. His most recent nonfiction book—What Lies Across the Water: The Real Story of the Cuban Five—was long-listed for the Canadian Booksellers Association's Libris Award as Nonfiction Book of the Year, won the 2014 Evelyn Richardson Award for Nonfiction, and the Cuban Institute of the Book's 2016 Reader's Choice Award. A journalist for 50 years, he is a professor in the School of Journalism at the University of King's College in Halifax and co-founder of the King's MFA in Creative Nonfiction program.

Stephen Kimber's profile page

Bridglal Pachai was born and raised in South Africa and came to Halifax in 1875. One of the foremost authorities on African Nova Scotian history, he has taught at Dalhousie, St. Mary's, and Mount Saint Vincent Universities, and served as executive director of the Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia. He is the author/editor of seventeen books, including Historic Black Nova Scotia.

Bridglal Pachai's profile page

Charles R. Saunders is the author of Sweat and Soul and Black and Bluenose, among others. He lives in Darmouth, Nova Scotia.

Charles Saunders' profile page

Africville Genealogical Society's profile page