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All Canada Nova Scotia Halifax Africville Museum

Africville Museum

Housed inside a replica church, its collection honors the Black community displaced by the Halifax government.

Halifax, Nova Scotia

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Randy Slepchik
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The Africville Museum is housed in this recreation of the community’s historic church.   BadRandall / Atlas Obscura User
The Africville museum celebrates the former Africville community.   BadRandall / Atlas Obscura User
Some museum exhibits focus on the community’s efforts to seek justice.   BadRandall / Atlas Obscura User
The A. Murray MacKay Bridge linking Halifax and Dartmouth. This project was one of the motivations for the dispossession of the Africville community.   BadRandall / Atlas Obscura User
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About

In the late 1700s, following the American Revolutionary War, the British provided Black Loyalist soldiers with land north of Halifax. This community grew, and by the 1860s it became known as Africville.

By the middle of the 20th century, the city of Halifax looked to have Africville industrialized, and ultimately embarked on a campaign to displace the community. Facing this sustained threat, the community sold their lands to the municipal government between 1964 and 1970. The homes and businesses that dotted the settlement were demolished to make way for industrialization.

Almost immediately, community members began advocating for justice. And after decades of fighting, in 2010, the city of Halifax formally apologized. This apology was accompanied by a 2.5-acre grant of land for the reconstruction of the historic Africville church and a 3 million dollar contribution toward the building efforts.

Today, the replica church houses the Africville museum. It serves as a memorial to the dispossession of this once-vibrant community. The museum recounts the history of Africville, how its people encountered the indignities of anti-Black racism, how the community members supported each other, and the work they put into having their story acknowledged.

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Black History Museums Villages Churches Sacred Spaces

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The museum is open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m Tuesday through Saturday.

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BadRandall

Published

July 9, 2019

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  • https://africvillemuseum.org/the-story/
  • https://www.novascotia.com/see-do/attractions/africville-museum/2980
  • https://humanrights.ca/story/the-story-of-africville
Africville Museum
5795 Africville Rd
Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3K
Canada
44.673688, -63.619249
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