Africville was a black community of 80 families, residing on the northern edge of Halifax along the

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Adrienne Browne Sociology 233
LIVING IN AFRICVILLE
THE DENIAL OF PUBLIC SERVICES
Africville was a black community of 80 families,
residing on the northern edge of Halifax along
the shoreline of the Bedford Basin. The
settlement consisted of black loyalists who were
promised plots of land by the British government.
In turn, they were allotted the most
undesirable, unfertile land available.
Regardless of the bad conditions, inhabitants of
Africville were able to establish a small
community. The story of Africville demonstrates
the evils of white power and privilege. The
deplorable condition of Africville was the result
of environmental and institutional racism which
ultimately led to the demolition of Halifaxs
largest black community. The legacy of colonial
racism continues to this day as the struggle for
compensation continues and a fight against
current environmental racism in Halifax persists.
Although citizens of Africville paid taxes, as
all Haligonians did, they were denied essential
public services such as paved roads, plumbing,
running water, electricity, public education and
playgrounds, a cemetery, ambulance and
firefighting services. (Petersen, 2004) The
refusal of the City of Halifax to provide
Africville with city services is an example of
institutional racism. (Fleras, 2007) The denial
of public services, necessary for community
development and progression, gave Africville a
reputation of being a place of waste, dirt and
disease. The slum reflected the dominant view of
black people as inherently lazy, unintelligent,
filthy and lacking self-determination. They were
denied the resources necessary to gain power,
forced to remain subordinate to the white
community.
ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM
Africville was intentionally targeted by the City
of Halifax as a site for undesirable and
dangerous industrial development. Shortly after
the settlement of Africville, the following
industrial facilities were built around the
community three systems of railway tracks, an
open city dump, toxic waste disposal pits, an
infectious diseases hospital, a stone and coal
crushing plant, an abattoir, a bone-meal plant, a
cotton factory, a rolling mill/nail factory, a
slaughterhouse, sewage disposal units, a trachoma
hospital and a port facility for handling coal.
(Allen, 20033) The citys main dump was
relocated 100 meters from the west end of
Africville during the 1950s. The black community
became portrayed as a space of garbage, the waste
of the white community. Environmental racism led
to the destruction of the community, as the
conditions of Africville continued to decline.
Baptist Church. (Africville Genealogy Society,
1992)
RELOCATION
The community of Africvile. (Africville Genealogy
Society, 1992)
In 1961, Africville became the focus of many
intensive studies by town planners, welfare
officers and sociologists. In 1963 Dr Albert
Rose, a Professor of Social Work at the
University of Toronto, concluded that Africville
was a slum and that it should be cleared. (Winks,
19975) Between 1964 and 1967 the City of Halifax
evicted residents of Africville, and demolished
the community under a program of urban renewal.
The city justified its actions by defining
Africville as a slum and refused to acknowledge
its participation in the creation of substandard
and deplorable conditions.
COMPENSATION
Next came the issue of property compensation for
the people of Africville. The city of Halifax
wanted to pay twelve to twenty-five families who
could prove ownership enough to make a down
payment on an old house in the mid-city area.
Many of which were homes that did not meet
building standards. Families that could not prove
ownership were paid a mere 500, which was
defined by the city as a moral claim, an act of
kindness. (Nelson, 2002170) Most citizens were
forced to accept minimum compensation and move
into houses which did not meet their standards.
When residents were forced to relocate, moving
companies refused service and garbage trucks were
used to move the communitys belongings. This is
yet another example of discrimination, and a
clear attempt to ridicule and mock the people of
Africville. (Nelson, 2002)
The community of Africville, located on the
northern edge of Halifax. (Africville Genealogy
Society, 1992)
Seaview Park, the former site of Africville.
(Africville Genealogy Society, 1992)