Government of Canada highlights Africville's UNESCO designation

The Government of Canada highlights that Africville has been designated as the new Place of History and Memory linked to Enslavement and the Slave Trade.

HALIFAX, NS, Dec. 1, 2024 /CNW/ - The federal government highlighted the Africville Museum and the community of Africville being recognized as Canada's first Place of History and Memory under UNESCO's designation for Enslavement and the Slave Trade.

Today, Lena Metlege Diab, Member of Parliament (Halifax West), celebrated the community's efforts in securing the new UNESCO designation. She was on hand on behalf of Honourable Kamal Khera, Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities, and the Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Canadian Heritage.

The Government of Canada announced that it has devoted $20,000 to support the Africville Heritage Trust Society through the Events component of the Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Program.

For more than a century, Africville stood as a sanctuary and a vibrant expression of culture, founded by diasporic Africans who, with determination and pride, built a tight-knit community north of Halifax, many of them arriving as formerly enslaved people. However, they were also denied essential services, such as running water and sewers until, in the 1960s, Africville was destroyed and its residents were forcibly expropriated. These events highlight Canada's painful history of anti-Black racism and the injustices Black Canadians endured while defending their rights and cultures.

The new Place of History and Memory designation will help preserve and honour the shared history of the Africville community, including the legacy of the transatlantic slave trade and anti-Black racism.

The federal government is firmly committed to combatting anti-Black racism and eliminating longstanding and systemic barriers preventing the social and economic inclusion of Black communities. That's why Canada officially recognized the United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent in 2018. Since endorsing the UN Decade, the federal government has made transformational investments, committing as much as $872 million in Black-focused initiatives.

Quotes

"The story of Africville is one of people who were promised freedom but denied their rightful dignity. Africville's UNESCO designation will help the community right historic wrongs, share their stories, and highlight the resilience and contributions of African Nova Scotians to Canada. Our government is fully committed to continuing support for Black communities here in Halifax and across the country while fighting anti-Black racism through the investments we're making under the UN Decade for People of African Descent and beyond."

– The Honourable Kamal Khera, Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities

 "Communities across Canada have shaped the country we know today, and Africville is one of these communities. It's our responsibility, as a government, to ensure their history is preserved and honoured. This historic UNESCO designation testifies to the importance of the Africville Museum's vital work in sharing stories of Africville's people, not just with Canadians, but with the world. Preserving this cultural heritage is essential, not only to understand our past but to inspire future generations."

– The Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Canadian Heritage

"The history of Africville reminds us all of the painful impact of systemic racism and the unbreakable spirit and resilience of the people of Africville and their descendants. Today, as we share that UNESCO has designated Africville as Canada's first Place of History and Memory linked to Enslavement and the Slave Trade, we take a step towards sharing that history with the world. This designation is not just a recognition of the cultural legacy, strength and dignity of the people of Africville, but also a platform for the Africville Heritage Trust to continue its vital work."

– Lena Metlege Diab, Member of Parliament (Halifax West)

"We recognize the ongoing commitment of the Africville Heritage Trust team and the community in achieving this designation, which provides a national and international showcase for their history. This is an opportunity for Africville to join a global network and forge links with other UNESCO-recognized sites. The Canadian Commission for UNESCO is proud to have been at their side over the past few years in achieving this significant milestone in the history not only of Africville, but of all Canadians of African descent."

- Yves-Gérard Méhou-Loko, Secretary General of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO

"This designation is not only significant for the people of Africville, but also for Canada. It's really important for all to understand that racism in Canada does not live only in the practices of people but is deeply hidden in policies and practices that continue to affect many for generations. Being the first site in Canada to have this designation speaks loudly of the deep and significant history of Blacks in Nova Scotia."

– Juanita Peters, General Manager, Africville Museum

Quick Facts

• Both sanctuary and cultural community, Africville was established by the African diaspora in a wave of migration following the American-British War of 1812. The members of the founding Africville community lived, worked and raised their children on the waterfront of Nova Scotia's Bedford Basin. Homes, stores, a school, a post office and the Seaview United Baptist Church were all located there. For years, the City of Halifax dispossessed community members of their homes and land for various purposes: extending the railroad as well as building a prison, infectious disease hospital, fertilizer plant, slaughterhouse and garbage dump. In the 1960s, Africville was expropriated in its entirety. Today, Africville is a place to remember the fight against racism and segregation, both in Nova Scotia and anywhere else in the world.
• The Africville Heritage Trust Society is a non-profit heritage organization based in Halifax. Its mission is to preserve the memory and spirit of the Africville community through interpretation, education and dialogue, through its exhibitions and projects.
• The Canadian Commission for UNESCO is the link between the work of people in Canada and UNESCO. Through its networks and partners, it promotes UNESCO's values, priorities and programs in Canada, while giving a voice to civil society specialists internationally. The United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and UNESCO's other priorities guide its activities. The Canadian commission secretariat reports directly to the Office of the Director and CEO of the Canada Council for the Arts.
• The commission aims to contribute to a future of peace, equality and sustainable development. It is guided by an executive committee made up of representatives from civil society and government, including Canadian Heritage, Global Affairs Canada and the Ministère des Relations internationales et de la Francophonie du Québec.
• Since its creation in 1994, UNESCO's Routes of Enslaved Peoples program has helped break the silence surrounding the history of slavery and has helped preserve the memory of this tragedy, its abolition and the resistance it generated. To mark the 30th anniversary of the program, a new designation has been established to recognize Places of History and Memory linked to Enslavement and the Slave Trade as well as to promote their preservation and enhancement. The Africville Museum, located in Halifax, is the first historic site in Canada to receive this designation.
• In 2018, Canada became the first Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development country to recognize the United Nations Decade for People of African Descent, as a part of the Canadian government's commitment to taking a government-wide approach to combatting systemic racism. Earlier this year, the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, announced an extension of the federal government's efforts as part of the Decade until 2028. Recognizing that a single decade is not enough to address long-standing injustices, Canada also intends to support the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent's call for a second decade.

Associated Links

• Press release – CCUNESCO: Africville receives UNESCO designation as a Place of History and Memory linked to Enslavement and the Slave Trade
• UNESCO: Routes of Enslaved Peoples
• United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent
• Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Program

SOURCE Canadian Heritage

Contacts: For more information (media only), please contact: Waleed Saleem, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities, [email protected]; Media Relations, Canadian Heritage, 819-994-9101, 1-866-569-6155, [email protected]