A sense of history
Thank you Cheryl Thompson for your story "Being Black and a tourist in Halifax" (Voice of the City, June 21). It was a great read. Being an African Nova Scotian, it wasn't until I lived away and then moved back that I realized how unique and different the Black experience was in Halifax compared to other places in Canada. Our experiences mirror the USA in many ways, as well as being our own. I remember being in Toronto and people being ignorant towards immigrants. This ignorance was also coming from second- and third-generation Canadians, which I just couldn't understand. In Halifax people of colour are sixth- and seventh-generation Canadians, and the experience runs deep in our history. —posted by Jade Last
I am an employee at the Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia. On my commute to work today, I had the pleasure of reading your article. You made a lot of great points that I could relate to in many ways being born here in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. I was saddened when you did not mention the BCC, as we are a multifaceted museum centre with a historical society—truly one of a kind as a hub for African Nova Scotian history and culture. As a non-profit organization we have over the many years found it difficult to find funding to advertise our existence in the Halifax area, so unless you stumble across our site via a random Google search or hear word of mouth, you might miss us. I want to share with you a little more about the BCC so when you return to Nova Scotia you can come a visit. The idea for what became the BCC was first brought forth in 1972 by Rev. Dr. Williams Pearly Oliver. Dr. Oliver recognized the need for a cultural educational centre that would both reflect and inspire the Black communities throughout Nova Scotia, and he made his case convincingly. It took a little more than a decade, but the community made Dr. Oliver's dream a reality. The multi-funtional Black Cultural Centre opened in 1983. Ever since, the centre has fulfilled its role by partnering with many other organizations on a year-round basis.
Our roots in Nova Scotia go back more than four centuries. They go back to the time of the first settlers coming to these shores from overseas. Sine then, four distinct waves of newcomers of African descent—from the United States, the Caribbean or direct from Africa itself—have journeyed to Nova Scotia and made it their home. Our ancestors settled in the province, just as eager immigrants from Africa and the Caribbean are doing today.
While each family's story is unique, the collective story of African Nova Scotia is one of perseverance and achievement. We keep in memory what the generations before us withstood and overcame. They laid down the foundations for our modern communities and made contributions that make us proud. We stand on their shoulders. Please visit our website at www.bccns.com. Thank you and I hope you make your way to us someday! —Rielle Williams, BCC manager of programs
Free speech limit
From Francis Jordan's "Don't tax oxygen" letter in last week's paper: "Blaming carbon for causing climate warming is a mistake." It's terribly sad to read this kind of statement.
Freedom of speech should have its limits when talking about climate change. Climate change deniers/skeptics are a hindrance to avoid 400,000 people dying EACH YEAR worldwide because of climate change. The author of these statements must be more intelligent than the thousands of scientists all over the world working over decades on this issue and showing a consensus on the contemporary climate change induced by our CO² emissions. So, what is the cause of the global warming? If your answer is the sun, or not human CO² emissions, this website fits to you: skepticalscience.com. If you don't know the answer, please let me introduce the truth: climate.nasa.gov/evidence/ —posted at thecoast.ca by Timonthée B
Wit vs Whitman
At the risk of getting another F minus from this rag. Why I do not support the crappy freebie spam-paper the Coast: "Cool-as-hell teens are tagging this city with some kickass graffiti" (Reality Bites post by Jacob Boon, posted June 21 at thecoast.ca).—Matt Whitman, via Twitter