Unit 1: Human Rights
Chapter 4: The Black Experience
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Educator ToolsAsk yourself:
This page explores the notions of prejudice and discrimination from the perspective of the Black experience. The themes covered in this unit include the origins and injustices of slavery, some facts about slavery in Canada; the Black Migration in Nova Scotia; the system of apartheid in South Africa and Nelson Mandela as well as the notion of freedom and other fundamental principles. (Watch a video by Prof. Irwin Cotler about the struggle against apartheid) These topics are explored through articles, discussion questions, activities and several videos featuring the experiences of Black people in our culture. Young Black Canadian talks about racismCelebrate Black History Month in February: Here are the facts:Slavery’s long destructive legacyIt is a fact of history that African people were enslaved, sold and brought to North America, Europe and the Caribbean through the exploitative and brutal economic enterprise of slavery, slave-trading and empire-building. To rephrase the words of the great philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, “Africans were born free, yet everywhere they were enslaved.” This enslavement essentially ejected African slaves from the human community. Slavery coincided with the rise of European empire building, with many European powers, notably Britain, France, Spain, the Netherlands and Portugal, participating in the slave trade in their empires up to the 1800s. Denmark and Sweden also had colonial possessions and slaves, while the Americans and Brazilians, who did not have colonial possessions, also had significant populations of enslaved Africans. These empires participated in the exploitative practices of plantation slavery, chattel slavery, domestic slavery, and the use of the resources, raw materials and coerced unpaid labour of Africans to better the economic well being of Europe and the Americas. The British transatlantic slave trade was responsible for about 25 per cent of the people removed from Africa through captivity and the treacherous “middle passage.” It is estimated that more than 12 million enslaved Africans were brought to the Americas through the transatlantic slave trade. During the years of the slave trade, my ancestors were treated as chattel goods. Their enslavement was physical, economic and mental. Consequently, the legacies of centuries of racialized enslavement continue to have a lingering impact on the continent of Africa, the African diaspora and Canadians of African descent, to this day. Manifestations of racism against people of African origin; the breakdown of the African family; the racialization of poverty; criminalization and high rates of incarceration in the penal system; “shade-ism”; and limited access to opportunity and to full participation by those already lacking in resources, are some of the cascading effects of slavery that still undermine the full socioeconomic development and vitality of African peoples. In most public discourse, shifting the blame onto African people, who face what I term “post-slavery affective syndrome,” fails to take into account that as long as there remain the entrenched conditions created by a white-black binary of development-underdevelopment; profit-exploitation; insider-outsider; and freedom-servitude, the victimization of African people of every generation and every continent will continue. The world has commemorated the anniversary of Britain’s abolition of the transatlantic slave trade, and America followed in 1808, with other European nations almost a decade later. Abolition of the slave trade, however, did not abolish slavery, which continued in British possessions until 1833, in the United States until the end of the Civil War in 1865, and in Brazil until 1888. The text of a United Nations resolution in late 2006 recognized “the slave trade and slavery as among the worst violations of human rights in the history of humanity, bearing in mind, particularly, the scale, duration and lingering impact.” It also acknowledged that the institution of slavery is at the heart of “profound social and economic inequality, hatred, bigotry, racism and prejudice, which continue to affect people of African descent today.” During Canada’s early periods of French colonial rule (1600-1760) and British colonial rule (1760-1867), slave trading and slavery existed here as well. While Canada cannot change this aspect of its early history, it can, by acknowledging the act, show leadership in ensuring that Canada’s complete history is known and credit given to all who contributed to the building of the nation. In 1793, John Graves Simcoe, lieutenant governor of Upper Canada—present-day Ontario – tried to pass legislation abolishing slavery in his province, but slaveholding legislators vigorously opposed his effort. So strong was the institution of slavery in Upper Canada that while the legislation did prohibit the importation of new slaves, existing slaves remained in captivity. For example, in 1806, York legislator Peter Russell advertised in the York Gazette the sale of his slave Peggy and her son Jupiter. This history is fully documented in Dr. Afua Cooper’s book The Hanging of Angelique: The Untold Story of Canadian Slavery and the Burning of Old Montréal. In 1803, William Osgoode, Chief Justice of Lower Canada—today’s Quebec—ruled that “slavery was not compatible with British law.” While the “Osgoode Decision” did not immediately result in the abolition of slavery in Lower Canada, it did restrict the slave trade and introduction of imported slaves into Lower Canada. Throughout the unfortunate era of slavery, the spirit of freedom amid captivity prevailed. Work songs, code languages and church services were all expressions of struggle, resistance and redemption as slaves shared their plans for liberation. Some succeeded, while others failed. The slaves resisted their enslavement and fought for their freedom. We must celebrate this aspect of their heroic heritage. Source: Gary Pieters. Published on Sat Mar 24 2007 Michael Williams, former Much Music VJ and radio personality, talks about the Underground RailroadHarriet Tubman – African-American abolitionist and humanitarian who led many slaves to freedom on the Underground Railroad and was called “Moses.” Photo credit: National Park Service Facts About Slavery
Credit: Prison Culture ACTION 1ThinkRereading the Weight of History, in African Descent
Source: Government of Ontario Press Releases, January 2002 Jean Augustine, Canada’s first black female Member of ParliamentiSearchIn pairs, choose one of the dates/events from the above list. Find out more about this event by doing some research at the library or on the Internet. Present your findings to the rest of the class. Further Reading: Gregory Wigmore – the Canadian Slave Trade Black Migration in Nova Scotia – The Formation of African Nova Scotian CommunitiesBlack Loyalists: 1783-1785The single largest group of people of African descent ever to come to Nova Scotia, arrived in a two-year period at the end of the American Revolution. These were the Black Loyalists. They were Blacks in the American colonies who opted to side with the British during the United States’ war for independence (the American Revolution 1776) because the British offered protection, freedom, land and rations in return for support. Other Blacks would come to Nova Scotia in the 1780s as the property of white Loyalists. Some were slaves; others were indentured servants, though there was not much difference between the two categories. When the war ended in 1783 New York was the last British-held port. It became the embarkation point for thousands of Loyalists, Black and White. British officials drew up a detailed list of all the Blacks who were leaving. That list, the “Book of Negroes”, stated whether the person was free, a slave or an indentured servant, and what their military service had been. Between 3,000 and 3,500 Black Loyalists arrived in Nova Scotia. Roughly half – 1,521 men, women and children— settled at Birchtown (near Shelburne) that became an instant town, and the largest settlement of free Blacks in the world outside of Africa. They received a percentage of the free land and rations as they had been promised, though their land was far from the best. That went to the white Loyalists. The other 1,500 or so free Blacks who came to Nova Scotia settled elsewhere, including Annapolis, Digby, Preston, Guysborough, Tracadie and Saint John (in what became New Brunswick). Black Loyalists were not given the full rations or other assistance they had been promised by the British. Disappointed by the failure of the British to honour all their promises, especially regarding land and equal status, many Black Loyalists began to wonder if Nova Scotia was where they wanted to be. A new destination, across the ocean in Africa, appealed to many of them. In 1792 although many Black Loyalist departed Nova Scotia for Sierra Leone, many stayed and helped to develop this province. Black Loyalists: 1783-1785The Jamaica Maroons: 1796-1800Just as the end of the American Revolution brought the Black Loyalists to Nova Scotia, so the end of the next war brought a different group of Black settlers to the province. The second group came from Trelawney, Jamaica and were known as the Trelawney Maroons after their home town. The Maroons were a determined group of freedom fighters in Jamaica. Beginning in the 1650s, they had waged war against the British administration on the island, intermittently for nearly a century and a half. They were denied the independence they wanted because in 1795 the administration in Jamaica decided to remove the Maroons from the island. Consequently, in late June, 1796, the Maroons (543 men, women and children) were sent to Halifax in three ships. The Commander-in-Chief for the British in Halifax was Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent (later on, the father of Queen Victoria). Edward was impressed by the proud bearing and military skills of the Maroons. He was pleased to see them join Nova Scotia militia units and he had them work on building projects such as the third Halifax Citadel and Government House (residence of the lieutenant-governor). Lt. Gov. Sir John Wentworth was also impressed by the Maroons. He thought they would be good colonists and selected the Preston area for them to settle. Thanks to a large subsidy from the government of Jamaica, arrangements were made for limited schooling and religious services for the new settlers. The Maroons, however, rejected the idea of low-paid physical labour. The few who became farmers were Christians who settled in Boydville, in the Sackville area, where there is still a Maroon Hill. Similar to about half the Black Loyalists a few years earlier, most other Maroons who didn’t farm began to wonder if Nova Scotia was a good choice for their new home. Although the majority of the Maroons left Nova Scotia, there were a few who remained. A census done in 1817 of the Black community of Tracadie in Guysborough revealed that several persons living there were descendants of the Maroons. The Maroons also left descendants in the Preston Area of Halifax County. The War of 1812 Refugees: 1812-1816A third wave of Black migration into Nova Scotia came during and after the War of 1812, once again in connection with an international conflict. As the British had done during the American Revolution, they issued proclamations again to attract Blacks in the United States to relocate to the British Colonies in Nova Scotia. A large number of American Blacks chose the freedom that Nova Scotia offered over slavery in the United States, just like the Black Loyalists who preceded them. In 1813-1814, approximately 1,200 Black Refugees from the Chesapeake Bay area of Virginia and from Georgia arrived in Nova Scotia aboard British ships. Another 800 southern American Blacks came to Nova Scotia at the end of the war via Bermuda. Smaller numbers continued to trickle into the province until 1816. Though there was a labour shortage in Nova Scotia at the time, the Black Refugees were not welcomed by the locals. A number of the Refugees were quarantined on Melville Island, near Halifax, and the local House of Assembly petitioned to end the Black immigration. Lt. Gov. Sir John Sherbrooke dismissed the petition. Almost 1,000 Refugees ended up in Preston. Other areas settled by War of 1812 Refugees were Upper Hammonds Plains, Beech Hill (later Beechville) and Campbell Road (later Africville). Collectively, the newcomers faced discrimination in land grants, jobs and the distribution of supplies. Their situation was made worse by the “year with no summer” followed by the “year of the mice” – a crop-destroying infestation of rodents. There was also an economic recession at the end of the war. Ninety-five of the original 1,000 refugees, opted to leave Nova Scotia by migrating to Trinidad. The remaining settlers stayed in Nova Scotia, overcoming obstacles of poor land and widespread racism and not only survived, but thrived. Some of their customs, language and religious practices are an integral part of the African Nova Scotian community to this day. The War of 1812 Refugees: 1812-1816Bedford Basin near Halifax (Nova Scotia) by Robert Petley 1835 Source: National Archives of Canada Caribbean Migrants: 1920A fourth major migration of Blacks to Nova Scotia – more specifically to industrial Cape Breton – began early in the 20th century. It came in two separate streams, one from Alabama and another from the Caribbean, especially Barbados. These groups came, not in a quest for freedom, but to obtain well-paying jobs in the newly developing steel and coal industries. The group that came from Alabama were specially recruited by the Sydney steel plant to come and work in the “boomtown” economy in connection with the new blast furnace. At the time, Black iron workers in the United States were regarded as among the very best. It is unknown exactly how many men relocated from Alabama in 1901 when the Sydney plant began operations, but there were several hundred. Some were accompanied by women and children. The newcomers settled mostly in the Whitney Pier area of Cape Breton and they saw to it that they had a church and that their children received an education. Despite the promising beginning, the relocated Alabama community felt less than fully accepted accepted by the locals in Cape Breton. Labour strife, local prejudices and unfulfilled promises convinced nearly all to return to the United States by 1904. Many walked back though a few stayed on, finding new ways to make a living in the greater Sydney area. Over the next decade, many small groups of Blacks from the Caribbean found their way to Cape Breton. They sailed north in the hopes of economic advancement and and a great number of them ended up working in the coal and steel industries. Whitney Pier was one area they settled, and in addition other communities were created. The transplanted Caribbean beliefs and customs added a vibrant, new dimension to Cape Breton life. Caribbean Migrants: 1920Historical Black Communities and Migration RoutesThe historical Black communities of Nova Scotia are unique and vibrant. This map shows the migration routes and the original Black communities of Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia, the birthplace of Canada’s Black community, is home to approximately 20,000 residents of African descent. Our presence traces back to the 1600s, and we were recorded as being present in the provincial capital during its founding in 1749. Waves of migrants came to the Maritimes as enslaved labour for the New England Planters in the 1760s, Black Loyalists between 1782 and 1784, Jamaican Maroons who were exiled from their homelands in 1796, Black refugees of the War of 1812, and Caribbean immigrants to Cape Breton in the 1890s. People of African descent continue to put down roots in Nova Scotia, shaping a unique cultural identity that is ever evolving. Text adapted from Cultural Assets of Nova Scotia: African Nova Scotian Tourism Guide. Historical Black Communities and Migration RoutesRighting some WrongsThe government of Nova Scotia plans to help Black Nova Scotians reclaim their land. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.Source: NASA/Wikimedia Commons Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led the modern American Civil Rights Movement, from December, 1955 until April 4, 1968. Thanks to his relentless pursuit of equal rights for African Americans, they achieved more genuine progress toward racial equality in America than in the previous 350 years. Dr. King is widely regarded as America’s pre-eminent advocate of nonviolence and one of the greatest nonviolent leaders in world history. In 1964 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his peaceful resistance to racial prejudice in America. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a federal holiday in the United States and Canada marking his birthday. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year, which is around King’s birthday, January 15. Apartheid and a hero, Nelson MandelaNelson MandelaDefinitionsApartheid: Government mandated policy of segregation of whites and non-whites in the Republic of South Africa 1948 to 1994. The National Party was dominated by Afrikaners who enforced legislation to curtail the rights, movements and associations of the majority black population. The word comes from Afrikaans and means “the state of being apart”. The system of apartheid originated in earlier laws but once legislated by the National Party became far more rigid, with segregation being enforced to a much greater degree. At the time it was introduced, the system was justified by racial superiority, as well as the fear of being a minority in the majority non-white population. The Dutch Reformed Church of South Africa, established in 1652, commissioned several studies to show justification of apartheid in the Bible and was very supportive of the apartheid system. Source: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/174603/Dutch-Reformed-Church Professor Irwin CotlerFormer Minister of Justice & Attorney General of Canada – Interview on Apartheid and Nelson Mandela Here are the factsApartheid LawsNon-whites (Black Africans, Indians, mixed race called Cape Coloureds and all those not of Caucasian descent) had to follow these rules or risk arrest. The 1953 Reservation of Separate Amenities Act made it against the law for non-whites to:
Some of the Acts that defined the laws of Apartheid:National Party elected, 1948 Population Registration Act, 1950 Group Areas Act, 1950 The Suppression of Communism Act, 1950 (formerly Unlawful Organizations Act) Bantu Education Act, 1953 Promotion of Bantu Self-Government, 1959 Publication Act, 1978 Police Act, 1979 In 1993 Apartheid was dismantled following negotiations from 1990 to1993. For images and additional information: Apartheid History Timeline: On Nelson Mandela’s Death, A Look Back At South Africa’s Legacy Of Racism Government CensorshipIn order to promote apartheid and essentially, segregate South Africa from the rest of the world, there was rigid censorship of movies, books, magazines, radio and television programs. Television was only introduced nationwide in the country in 1976 and was heavily controlled to avoid exposure of the lives of Black people in other countries. (By comparison, television was officially introduced in Canada in 1952.) The new medium was then regarded as the “devil’s own box, for disseminating communism and immorality”. Even for whites there was no freedom of speech or freedom of press and any opposition to the government was a huge risk. Breaking any of the apartheid rules was considered a form of protest and a Communist act (for example, a white person going to a “non-whites only” designated area). Meetings of groups were monitored. A Police State was in effect for all South Africans. There was no such thing as a fair trial or “innocent until proven guilty” if one was non-white or a white person who resisted. Source: Apartheid and Reactions To It Timeline of Apartheid Opposition:
Nelson Mandela (Madiba) – BiographyNelson Mandela was born in a small, impoverished South African village on July 11th, 1918 and was named Rolihlahla Mandela. At nine, Mandela was adopted by and sent to live with his father’s friend, a prosperous clan chief, who could offer him a better life with a proper education. When he learned about African history and how his ancestors struggled with discrimination, the young Mandela developed a goal to somehow help his countrymen. Eventually, Mandela studied law and opened the country’s first Black law practice in Johannesburg. Joining the African National Congress allowed him to fight for racial equality with others who shared his distress. Mandela Against ApartheidIn response to the government’s introduction of Apartheid in 1948, Mandela traveled throughout South Africa imploring people to participate in nonviolent demonstrations. Mandela was eventually sentenced to life in prison for organizing these activities and during his trial, passionately stated, “I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.” He was imprisoned as a political prisoner for 27 years, 18 of which he spent on the isolated Robben Island. First Black PresidentAn epic day in human rights history was February 11th, 1990 when Mandela was released from prison by South African president F.W. de Klerk. The two then went on to work diligently toward successfully abolishing apartheid. For their tireless efforts, Mandela and de Klerk won the Nobel Peace Prize three years later. In 1994, South Africa participated in their very first democratic election where nonwhites had the privilege of voting for their new president, Nelson Mandela. During his presidency, housing, education, and the economy were improved for his country’s large Black population (though there is still a long way to go). In 1999, Mandela resigned and went on to create The Nelson Mandela’s Children Fund charity. Their mission is to help poor South African children, as Mandela believed that, “Children are the wealth of our country.” Mandela’s LegacyMandela was appointed to the Order of Canada in September 1998 and was the first living person to be named an honorary Canadian citizen. Mandela founded The Elders in 2007, an organization comprised of world leaders who are dedicated to promoting human rights and global peace. In 2009, July 18th (Mandela’s birthday) was declared “Mandela Day” to honour his legacy and promote global peace. On December 5th, 2013 Nelson Mandela died peacefully at his home in Johannesburg. A line written by Poet Saint Thiruvalluvar, who lived 2200 years ago, describes the personal mantra of Mandela: “For those who do ill to you, the best punishment is to return good to them.” Read more about Mandela’s life and watch the video: Biography of Nelson Mandela ACTION 2The Soweto Uprising on June 16, 1976A confrontation between students and police in Soweto in which approximately 700 students were killed Photo credit: AZAP Archive Peaceful demonstrations versus oppressive violence:The Soweto Uprising: On June 16, 1976, police met thousands of students with violence as the students were marching peacefully to protest the new government mandate requiring the Afrikaans language to be main language of instruction in schools. The uprising spread from Soweto to towns across South Africa over the following year. While the government’s official death toll counts 176 dead in the Soweto Youth Uprising, further estimates put the casualties from the resulting aftermath as high as 700. The images of police brutality against peacefully demonstrating students spark further international outrage. DoListen to “Soweto Blues” the protest song written and recorded in 1976 by Hugh Masakela that refers to the students’ protests. Read the lyrics (translated from Xhosa). Performed by Masakela’s ex-wife, Miriam Makeba: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gj1Lug-U38I DoIn groups, create a timeline merging both of the timelines together. Link each action with its opposing action. Label actions (on both sides) as either violent or non-violent. Attach 10 images, or draw pictures (from images you research), to show what the event looked like. DiscussDo you think that peaceful demonstrations alone could have changed the fate of apartheid? What was most effective in putting an end to apartheid? Considering how violent the South African government was towards the Blacks, do you believe that fighting violence with violence would have proved effective in ending apartheid sooner? Nelson Mandela never hated his oppressors. How do you think he maintained such a peaceful outlook when wrongfully imprisoned for 27 years? ACTION 3DoA. Choose ten pivotal actions from the timeline you’ve created. B. Choose one writing assignment from the two below:
From: https://www.biography.com/people/nelson-mandela-9397017 Source: http://mybroadband.co.za/nephp/5299.html Every effort has been made to gain permission from copyright holders to reproduce borrowed material. The publishers apologize for any errors and will be pleased to rectify them in subsequent reprints and website programming. Educator ToolsOther chapters on Human Rights: |
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