African Descent Advisory Committee talks Africville, policing in Halifax at first meeting

Members of Halifax Regional Municipality's African Descent Advisory Committee discussed ideas for the future of Africville and how to get more Black officers into the police force during their first meeting on Monday evening.

The committee, which came out of anti-Black racism work municipal staff have undertaken in recent years, will convene monthly to discuss how municipal policies and services affect Black communities and to suggest changes.

Member Jerry Taylor talked about a possible future for the land where Africville once stood. The north-end community was destroyed by the city in the 1960s to make room for the MacKay Bridge.

"Stop being racist, encourage people to build homes on their land," said Taylor, noting that his family was among the many displaced. "It's not your land, it's their land. The city has no say."

Taylor said some aspects of the city's Africville visioning process are "insulting," pointing to wording about how Halifax wants to engage with organizations, businesses and levels of government whose "interest" could impact Africville lands and descendants.

"Only Africville residents have real interest in their own land," Taylor said. "What are we doing? We have to wake up. If we're on this committee we have to be serious."

The city's Africville strategy is intended to look to the future and could consider things such as reparations and future development potential. Last January, the province also granted $150,000 to the Africville Heritage Trust to develop a strategic plan around the museum there. That work will fold into the city's larger strategy for the site.

Member Darryl Johnson brought up concerns with systemic racism in the Halifax Regional Police force, and an over-policing of Black residents that he said has continued even after the practice of street-checks was found to be illegal and banned in 2019.

Johnson said a committee looked into racism in the force more than 30 years ago, and led to Halifax Regional Police swearing in an all-Black cadet class in 1991.

But as far as he knows, Johnson said there hasn't been a similar class since then.

"I think HRM and HRM policing has dropped the ball," Johnson said.

"The more numbers we have, it's obviously going to decrease the amount of systemic racism, and racism in our community — period."

The committee elected Chioma Ogbanufe as chair during the meeting, alongside Andrew Howe as vice-chair.

Ogbanufe, who lives in Dartmouth and is of Nigerian background, said the setting allowed members to speak their minds on issues that are "really important" to discuss.

"I believe that we deserve a voice, and that every voice matters — and we can make an impact in the community by being part of this," Ogbanufe said after the meeting.

As a nurse, Ogbanufe said she's interested in how the municipality can better support Black incarcerated women who are separated from their young children. Part of that could be ensuring that transit services run to jails and prisons, she said.

No official recommendations were made yet, but the committee agreed that policing and the future of Africville will be major issues going forward. 

They also asked to bring in staff who could answer specific questions around these areas in later meetings, or bring up any major upcoming projects that could impact Black residents.

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.