Video game stars black Nova Scotian hero
Richard Preston escaped slavery in U.S. and made Preston his home
CBC News
Posted: Feb 29, 2012 6:46 AM ET
Last Updated: Feb 29, 2012 8:45 AM ET
Young people test out the game in Cherry Brook. (CBC)
A new video game challenges players to follow a Nova Scotian hero on the road from slavery to freedom.
The game is called Preston and it follows the extraordinary journey Richard Preston made from a U.S. plantation to reunite with his mother in Nova Scotia.
The game was created by Halifax's Silverback Productions and launched this week. It will be available as an education resource for teachers across Canada.
"It's a hero's journey. It's the most amazing archetype of single-minded heroic journeys," said Willy Stephenson from Silverback.
His colleague John Wood agreed. "It's been absolutely and totally rewarding to be able to tell a story like this in video game form. It's something I really believe in and I really hope it makes learning about that time more accessible"
Created Baptist association
The game was tested by young people in Preston and Cherry Brook and made its debut at the Black Cultural Centre Tuesday.
"He's one of the most significant black individuals in this province," said the centre's interim executive director, Louis Gannon.
Gannon cited Preston's role in creating the African United Baptist Association. Preston planted many small churches across the province and brought the congregations together annually to build a wider sense of community.
BCC board member Leslie Oliver said that connection fostered common identity and inter-marriage among black Nova Scotian communities.
"He is probably the one person who created African Nova Scotian identity," he said. "Suddenly people down in Yarmouth County had relatives in Pictou County. Then we were one common community."
From slavery to ministry
Details of Preston's life are scarce, but the basic outline is clear. He was born in Virginia in about 1791 and held captive as a slave from birth. His mother escaped slavery during the War of 1812 and moved to Nova Scotia.
Richard Preston is celebrated at the Black Cultural Centre.Preston worked to earn his "manumission" or freedom in 1816 and then rode on horseback in search of his mother. Legend has it he knocked on a door in Preston seeking shelter when he arrived in Nova Scotia, and was amazed when his own mother opened the door.
It is not known what last name he used at that point, but he took "Preston" as his family name in honour of the Nova Scotian community.
He trained as a minister in England and returned to Nova Scotia to launch a powerful preaching career.
Oliver said that as Preston created a physical community by uniting the church, he hopes the video game will create a virtual community.
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