Africville Timeline by Ruqayyah Mohammad

1883 ( First school)

mrb224122 — 2024-03-20 21:50:51 UTC

The first school that was built in Africville was something the residence had earned by petitioning day and night. After all that, the City of Halifax approved their dissention to make a school there in the community. The first school was officially up and running in 1883. This was a big accomplishment for the residence there. They created the school to keep the community alive once again. Something else to note about the education provided in Africville is that previously, a local resident there had taught many of the children before the City school opened.

1775 (American Revelution)

mrb224122 — 2024-03-20 21:50:54 UTC

During the war of the American Revaluation, the British colony's needed more people to join the war. So they made deals with black enslaved people. If they fight alongside the British people, they would be rewarded with freedom and a large piece of land for them to go and settle into. The black slaves who fought in the war on the British side were labeled as black loyalist. After the war was over, the black loyalist were rewarded with what they wanted. They were not given the best quality land but they made do. Some of the land that was given to the black loyalist was the land in Affricville. After more black loyalist settled there, they made a community.

1947 (Industrial land)

mrb224122 — 2024-03-20 21:51:30 UTC

The City of Halifax started to place undesirable services in Africville in the second half of the 19th century. The City of Halifax put inhumane things into Africville, that lead to it being labeled as a industrial Landfill. Things such as fertilizer plant, Rockhead Prison (1854), slaughterhouses, human waste, and the Infectious Diseases Hospital (1870s) where placed into Africville and putting the people there at danger of many kinds. This also made the environment around very endurable and unsafe. Many Africville residents believed anti-Black racism was a big reason for these unacceptable decisions made by the City of Halifax.

1917 (Halifax Explosion)

mrb224122 — 2024-03-20 21:52:35 UTC

The Halifax explosion was a very disastrous event in history. This tragedy left many peoples' homes demolished and nearly 2000 people killed. The disaster ruined much of Halifax’s North End and damaged Africville. A global relief effort brought halifax millions of dollars in donations to rebuild the cities that had been damaged. With all that money, none of the money went to rebuilding Africville. Oral history records that several homes were badly damaged and lost their roofs and about four Africvillians died in this incident.

1955 ( Dump near the church)

mrb224122 — 2024-03-20 21:53:18 UTC

Halifax needed to built an open-pit garbage dump and they chose Africville. The city considered several locations that were better suited, but council found it was unacceptable to residents in places such as Fairview. They said the dump was “a health menace” for the residence living in Fairview and should not be placed there. Council voted to put the dump 350 meters from the western edge of Africville. The council placed the garbage dump there without any concern for the health of Africville residents, or of any consultation or protests from Africvillians.

1964 – 67 (Africville residents relocated and their homes destroyed)

mrb224122 — 2024-03-20 21:54:32 UTC

The thoughts about turning Africville into industrial land were approved by Halifax City Council in 1947. Reports that were made for council in 1956 and 1957 suggested rehousing the residence of Afriville to make space for their industrial project. And in 1962, the plan was in motion. The city approved plans for and expressway to do downtown Halifax that would run over Africville, but it was never built. More than 100 Africvillians voted strongly against relocation. The government was basically forcing them off the land that they worked hard for. Halifax council voted to remove the “blighted housing and dilapidated structures in the Africville area.” The city promised a process of “urban renewal” where residents would be relocated to good quality housing in Halifax. After the council received mixed reactions, they decided to use force. They would bulldozed houses without residence knowledge or permission. Others had only a few hours notice before the bulldozers came. They even bulldozed Africville's sacred church during midnight.

When the "transporting people" part of the plan was in motion, the moving compony that was originally supposed to relocate the residence backed out last minute leaving the government with having to use garbage trucks to transport for the people! The garbage trucks came and people were put into it. The place that the residence were relocated to was the opposite of what they expected. They were relocated to a part of Halifax which is not a safe place.

1970 (The last resident ‘Pa Carvery’ left his home)

mrb224122 — 2024-03-20 21:54:55 UTC

In 1969, the final property was demolished, and the last of Africville’s 400 residents left. One resident named Eddie Carvery, aged 24-year-old, returned to the site of Africville in 1970 and pitched a tent in protest towards what was happening toward Affriville. After the destruction of the community, Carvery was displeased. He actively occupied the site on and off. He stood his ground. His will power kept him going for more than five decades. In November of 2019, Carvery’s protest camp finally came to an end. It was one of the longest civil rights protests in Canada’s history.

2002 (Africville declared a National Historic Site)

mrb224122 — 2024-03-20 21:55:27 UTC

Afriville was once a lively and rich cultured community that was located in Nova Scotia. In 2002, Africville was labeled as a National Historical Site because before the destruction of the community and relocation of the residence, that land was reserved by the black residence who lived there. They lived there with full rights. Africville had an impact to many people who lived there and after it was taken away from the people, it left a big negitive impact in Halifax's history. In tributes to what happened to the once Africville, it was named as a National Historical Site.

2010 (HRM Public Apology given by former Mayor, Peter Kelly.)

mrb224122 — 2024-03-20 21:55:49 UTC

Former mayor of Halifax, Peter Kelly gave an official apologized to the past residence of Africville for the loss of Africville. He apologized for destroying their houses and church where they would gather with their families. The apology was backed up with nearly $5 million dollars for Africville. The money was used into building a replica of Seaview Church that was very dear to the people there. This church now hold information and artifacts from Africville and serves as the Africville Museum.

Not all past residence accepted the apology, however, this was a big step towards something good done by the government. And we hope to see the government involve themselves into solving the past mistakes they have done.