Home to Halifax's Black community for generations, Shauntay Grant wants readers to feel her love for the place.
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The destruction of Africville remains one of the most shameful chapters in Canadian history, but one that should always be remembered. Located on the shores of the Bedford Basin in Halifax, Africville was a historically Black community that existed for more than 150 years. For most of that time, the community was denied basic amenities by the city, including sewage, access to clean water and garbage disposal. To add insult to injury, Africville also became the go-to location for undesirable municipal developments such as an infectious disease hospital, a prison and a dump. And by the mid '60s - in a final act of undeniable state-sponsored racism - the city relocated residents and destroyed Africville in the name of industry and development.
The tragedy of Africville's story often obscures a larger truth: this was an African-Canadian community where people lived for generations. And that community has transcended the destruction of its physical space, often reuniting on the site they once called home. These are the stories that inspired Shauntay Grant to write her award-winning children's book Africville.
Note: This was filmed June 10, 2019.
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