The Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children opened in 1921. It was big, a house, really, three floors and lots of bedroom windows, on Main Street, in what is now Dartmouth. Back then it was Preston. The children it took in were orphans, mostly, and not allowed in any of the local orphanages or schools set up for other children in need.
Eighty-eight years ago this week, the north end of Halifax was flattened in the Halifax Explosion, and the number of orphans skyrocketed. There was nowhere for black children to go. In Shattered City, Janet Kitz writes that a committee set up after the explosion felt “‘Coloured or feeble-minded orphans constituted a special problem that would have to be dealt with.”
The first building of The Home is closed now, replaced in 1978 when it became expensive to keep up; it was too big. It still stands, empty, almost directly across Main Street from the Black Cultural Centre. It’s set back from the road, but you can drive right up to it, on a lane and then a semi-circular driveway that has given up resisting weeds. A tree stands in the yard, with part of a wooden ladder leaning against the trunk. Up in the branches remnants of rope are still in the limbs, relics of the days when kids swung on trees.
The Nova Scotia Home For Colored Children still owns it. The dream is to use it as a home for senior citizens; where the money for renovations will come from, no one knows.
The Home still exists. It’s now a stone’s throw west on Main Street. Two brown barn-like buildings stand near the street. Everyone calls it The Home. At The Home, that’s how the phone is answered. “The Home.” On The Home’s stationary, it says in big underlined letters across the top, THE NOVA SCOTIA HOME and then in very small letters below FOR COLORED CHILDREN. There’s no sign out front, just the civic number, 1018, on Main Street.
No longer an orphanage, The Home helps youth in trouble, mostly those coming from some kind of abusive situation. There’s a computer lab. It’s modern. Twelve children live there now; that’s the maximum The Home’s licence allows. Now The Home accepts youth of any colour. As has been for some time, the black/white split is 50/50.
When I think of the word “colored” used to describe people, I think about the American South and the signs in movies and photographs documenting the Civil Rights Movement. “Whites Only.” “Colored Only.” “Coloreds Not Served.” That The Home uses the American spelling makes it all the more out of time, out of place. To a Canadian kid, “coloured” is what crayons are (even if the flesh crayon was always beige). “Coloured” is hair dye. “Colored” is segregation and prejudice (American-style, even if we practised it here).
I came to Nova Scotia in 1986. Because I moved from a city to the country many things seemed to move back in time. I lived without indoor plumbing or a microwave; I found no local bus service; I heard about the Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children.
The American organization NAACP, or National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, has been called that since 1909. It’s a name of huge historical weight, and not about to change. All the same, when I look through the Halifax phone book, headed for NSCAD or NSLC, and catch sight of the listing for The NS Home For Colored Children, I’m always caught off guard, and embarrassed. I remember Africville. I’m reminded that some people call Nova Scotia the Alabama of Canada.
This Sunday is The Home’s 74th fundraising telethon (they started out in 1931 as radiothons). Mike Mansfield is executive director of The Home. He says the question of the Home’s name comes up often, at board meetings and in conversation. “It’s politically awkward,” he says, “but it’s a name that holds a lot of history.” He finds that the older folks want the name to stay and the younger folks want it changed. “Every once in a while we give it serious thought. How do we keep our history and describe ourselves more accurately?”
We keep history alive by remembering it, teaching it, making movies about it, writing books about it, painting pictures of it. Maybe to call a child colored was once the polite thing to do, but no longer. The Home does good work. The name sucks.
The Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children Telethon, December 11, on Eastlink Television and Seaside 94.7 FM. 2-6pm. To donate, call 252-3300.
This article appears in Dec 8-14, 2005.
I too moved here recently and was looking for something in the phone book amd came across the same thing. I was shocked and offended. I called the number to see if there was a mistake. There had to be, but nope that was the name. I looked into it and found out it was for troubled youth of all colors.Historycan’t be changed but names can. The explosion was 88 years ago!
Anyone that shares an ounce of Black pride would not be “embarrassed” to maintain the “Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children” title. Black pride has always “shocked and offended” people that are new to Black history.
We should be more embarrassed by the category black then colored. Reason being as follow…. the name or category black is a name placed upon us by the white man to cause indignation and control of the masses. In Africa people are noted by clan or tribes and etc. I prefer the term colored because it applies to all non-whites in one form or another. The psychic aspect of identifying one as being black or not black enough is another manufactured contol by white society. Remember where did the word malatto originate and WHY? I am just pointing out the facts as I see them. I would love to elaborate but this is really not the forum for an entire historical review. God loves us all!!!
Lee F.
considering the things that were done to the kids im white for one and there were children off all race there …. for 2 no one should be proud of it ….. it should be shut down…. they messed alot kids lives up and to this day i rember that place and a place were i had to fight everyday to survive ….. u may say well why didnt you just leave well the police didn’t listion c.a.s didnt care and when we ran away that found us beat us and took us back ………. now is that a place you want any child or adult or elder ???? no its not …
I am Strong ,and full of BLACK PRIDE, and yes the name Black is a name placed upon us by the white-man to cause indignation and control of the masses. Colored is not a Term I would use,and Malatto is Spanish for Donkey Ass. Black is Strength,Black is Power,Black is Black.
GOD IS BLACK, according to the Bible. I stand for my Black Race, not colored,not malatto.We need to teach our Children who are Black of the Beauty and Power of their Being. Then show them the Tanning Beds and Injections the White Race does to look Black.
Angel of Africville
When I was a Child, I stayed at the Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children. I believe the name should stay as it is, its a piece of history. Started by the surrounding communties-East and North Preston, Cherrybrook, Beechville and the African United Baptist Association. They started it because there was no other place for “colored” children to go at the time. We were not allowed into the white orphanages, and a place was badly needed, so came the Home.
I believe the name means alot to the founding members and the surrounding communities, that helped start it and should be left alone.
I am a white male who also lived at the NSCH…it was definatly a place with alot of issues,and i just found out yesterday that dozens of people are coming forward with reports of sexual and physical abuse….i guess i wasnt the only one after all…funny how things work out..if anyone knows who is in charge of investigating these charges and/or allegations,i would appreciate knowing…thanks if you are able to help..
Hi Richard,
I’d recommend you check out this series on the Home: http://halifax.openfile.ca/halifax/text/co…
The lawyer running the case is Ray Wagner, who has an office in the Halifax Historic Properties. There’s also a social network for former residents: http://at-home-site.org/ (hopefully the Coast’s web editor can make sure you get this info)
My brother was in the home for years and suffered a lot of abuse at the hands of the people that were suppose to protect him!!
Have been reading about the terrible suffering Children endured at the hands of some of their so-called ‘carers’ in that institution, and I would have thought that a name-change would acknowledge this.
I believe that the name of this place was indicative of a belief in inequality originally; it is an antiquated, and racist, way to differentiate young Children.
We are all ‘coloured’! I’ve never ever seen a pure white person. All of us whites have different complexions ie: fair, florid, olive ………….!
I, honestly, feel that the continued use of this racist, and divisive, term shows an appalling lack of decency, and sensitivity.
Hilary.