BLACK CULTURAL CENTRE FOR NOVA SCOTIA
(ChERRYBROOK, Nova Scotia)
The Society for the Protection and Preservation of Black Culture in Nova Scotia (better known as the Black Cultural Society) was incorporated as a charitable organization in 1977. The Society has 26 members on its Board of Directors, made up of representatives from various Black communities throughout Nova Scotia and one representative of the African United Baptist Association.
The genesis of the Black Cultural Centre lay in a proposal put forward in 1972 by Reverend Dr. William Pearly Oliver for the creation of a Cultural Educational Centre to meet the needs and aspirations of the Black Communities of Nova Scotia.
The sod turning ceremony took place on April 24, 1982. Seventeen months later, on September 17, 1983, the Centre officially opened. Many events have taken place at the Centre, such as cultural portrayals in the form of music, plays, concerts, as well as educational activities in the form of workshops, lectures and guided tours. Programs of the Black Cultural Centre extend beyond its doors to the broader community of Nova Scotia. This outreach is achieved through cultural events across Nova Scotia.
black loyalist heritage centre
(shelburne, nova scotia)
One of Canada’s best kept secrets, the largest free Black settlement in the 1780’s where people voted with their feet for freedom. This unique historical site is nestled in beautiful Birchtown Bay on the western shores of Shelburne Harbour, the third largest natural harbour in the world.
It’s a history few in the region know much about. Come and enjoy a guided tour, search for your ancestral roots and learn about these courageous Nova Scotians.
Climb up the Shaw Turret where we commemorated all Black Loyalist communities as you overlook Birchtown Bay. Enter into the centre’s Lindsay Gallery and dive into the multimedia presentation of the Black Loyalist journey from Africa to the US then to Nova Scotia and back to Africa. Explore the virtual copy of the Carlton’s Book of Negroes and search for your ancestor who may have experienced part of this incredible journey.