Black protest tradition in Nova Scotia, 1783-1964

Abstract

"Black Protest Tradition in Nova Scotia" explores the black community's history of protest in Nova Scotia from the arrival of the Black Loyalists to the destruction of Africville. While the white community in Nova Scotia has economically, politically, and socially marginalized the black community, the black community has resisted this treatment. Although the black community's protest tradition has been limited by ideological constraints, a legacy of protest and resistance has endured in response to an ideology that has been fashioned and refashioned over two centuries to prevent blacks from receiving the rights of first class citizens. This history of resistance has been the dominant influence in any post-Second World War black protest movement in Nova Scotia. Despite an ongoing public perception that black protest activity has been largely derived from the American experience, particularly the civil rights movement, this thesis demonstrates that black protest is firmly rooted in the history of Nova Scotia.