Africville descendants met last weekend because they disagree with the way leaders of the Africville Genealogy Society went about accepting the settlement package from the city of Halifax. Denise Allen, an organizer of the meeting, says it was held to teach the people about their rights, to gather information for their lawyers and “to challenge” whether “the Africville Genealogy Society had the authority to act.”
Allen says the dissidents’ lawyers are going to write to the AGS and suggest the society “hold a real vote” with proper notice and “let the people decide.” If the society doesn’t agree, she says, “we’ll have to go to court.”
Ann Wilson Brown, who was at the information session the Society held before the settlement package was announced, says she only found out about the correct time and location hours before. “The people were misinformed because they thought they were going to just hear information, not make an official vote on anything.” Brown says the package wasn’t yet introduced or explained when people were asked to raise their hands on whether having a package was a good idea. “The majority did not raise their hands,” says Brown, and many who did just thought they were agreeing to proceed on exploring settlement options. “It’s re-victimization—victims being victimized all over again and in some cases by their own people.”
Craig Vemb, who helped organize last weekend’s meeting, says “the community is mostly upset because this is 40 years in the making and after waiting 40 years” people deserve to understand the package properly. He questions, “how is that $3.5 million going to be spent” and, for example, “how much will go to lawyers fees?”
Allen says she hopes “the people of Africville determine their own fate. I’m not going to let a settlement be shoved down my throat, and I’m not going to stand by and watch it be shoved down anyone else’s throat.” If the people decide they want the settlement, Allen says, “I’ll live with it,” but she says everyone she has spoken to, besides the people on the board, don’t want the settlement offered.
This article appears in Apr 1-7, 2010.
Wait a second… there are white people and children in that photo. Am I missing something here?
OMG… that’s a crazy comment Bill. Many people have mixed blood. Their offspring can have any number of genes from both parents… that means a person of both black and white descent can have white or black characteristics or none at all from one side. The further down the line you go whether your ancestors were white, black, african american, chinese, etc., genes can show up in any child who is a descendent.
Interesting article. It’s the nature of the human to victimize one another. Doesn’t matter if you are the same race or not. Just look at history. Still, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be learning from our past. This is sad and I hope the good people of Africville can work it out.
That’s it, lets refuse the settlement and maybe Allen can form a society and get something in another 40 years. NO INDIVIDUAL COMPENSATION. If you didn’t own land you are not entitled to anything, and papers were signed. If Allen was so intersted in getting something for the REAL RESIDENCES of Africville, where was she for the last 27 years when the Africville Genealogy Society was fighting for the residence of Africville, but when a compensation package was offered, I believe somebody had visions dollar signs dancing in head, SHAME ON THAT PERSON!
It seems to me it is all about what can I get, not doing something constructive, like making sure Africville and it’s residence and what they went through isn’t forgetten, May The Spirit Live On!
As for the meeting, everything was explained, not only by the AGS members, but by the lawyers. Misinformation shouldn’t be tolerated and this whole article is nothing but misinfromation.
Interesting article and interesting comments. I would like to hear more about this and also be able to read and see pictures of how the $3.5 million is spent. Let’s hope that it will be used to provide a true and tasteful memorial of Africville for future generations.