Africville
Shauntay Grant, illustrated by Eva Campbell
When a young girl visits the site of Africville, in Halifax, N.S., the stories she's heard from her family come to mind. She imagines what the community was once like — the brightly painted houses nestled into the hillside, the field where boys played football, the pond where all the kids went rafting, the bountiful fishing, the huge bonfires. Coming out of her reverie, she visits the present-day park and the sundial where her great grandmother's name is carved in stone, and celebrates a summer day at the annual Africville Reunion/Festival.
Africville was a vibrant Black community for more than 150 years. But even though its residents paid municipal taxes, they lived without running water, sewers, paved roads and police, fire-truck and ambulance services. Over time, the city located a slaughterhouse, a hospital for infectious disease and even the city garbage dump nearby. In the 1960s, city officials decided to demolish the community, moving people out in city dump trucks and relocating them in public housing.
Today, Africville has been replaced by a park, where former residents and their families gather each summer to remember their community. (From Groundwood Books)
Africville was on the 2018 Governor General's Literary Award shortlist for young people's literature — illustrated books and the 2019 Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award.
Shauntay Grant is a Canadian writer and performance artist based in Halifax. Her other books for children include Up Home and My Hair is Beautiful.
Eva Campbell is an artist and teacher from Victoria. Her work has been exhibited around the world, including in Canada, the U.S., the U.K., Barbados and Ghana.
- 12 beautifully illustrated picture books for young readers
- Why Shauntay Grant created a children's book to revisit the legacy of Africville
- The best Canadian YA and children's literature of 2018
- Nosakhare Ibraheem of Nile Valley Books shares the books that are popular in his Toronto store
From the book
Interviews with Shauntay Grant
Comments
To encourage thoughtful and respectful conversations, first and last names will appear with each submission to CBC/Radio-Canada's online communities (except in children and youth-oriented communities). Pseudonyms will no longer be permitted.
By submitting a comment, you accept that CBC has the right to reproduce and publish that comment in whole or in part, in any manner CBC chooses. Please note that CBC does not endorse the opinions expressed in comments. Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. Comments are welcome while open. We reserve the right to close comments at any time.
Become a CBC Account Holder
Join the conversation Create account
Already have an account?