Subject Guides: Anti-Racism Resources: Racism in Nova Scotia and Canada

Racism in Nova Scotia and Canada

Racism in Nova Scotia
Racism in Canada

Canadian Museum for Human Rights: The Story of Africville
If you’ve never heard of Africville, you’re not alone; the tragic story of this small Black community in Nova Scotia is not as well known as it should be. It is part of a much larger story of Black settlers in Nova Scotia, which goes back hundreds of years.
Chinese Nova Scotians Speak Out About Anti-Asian Racism in Wake of Atlanta Shootings
It's time to address the root causes of racism, says Dartmouth artist.
The Enrich Project
The Environmental Noxiousness, Racial Inequities & Community Health Project.
Halifax, Nova Scotia: Street Checks Report
Researched and written for NS Human Rights Commission by Dr. Scot Wortley. 186 pages of first-person accounts from Black people living in Halifax of their interactions with police.
The Shelburne Race Riots of 1784 - North America's first Race Riot
On 26 July 1784, a mob of Loyalist settlers stormed the home of a Black preacher in Shelburne, Nova Scotia, armed with hooks and chains seized from ships in the harbour. Read more from the Canadian Encyclopedia.
‘Nova Scotia is the Deep South of Canada’: A Look at Racism From People Who Live It
APTN investigates racism in Nova Scotia.

APTN News. (2020, November 9). Racism lives here too [Video]. https://youtu.be/gJ5bVIxYBo4

Racism has made headlines around the world throughout 2020. In Nova Scotia, racism has shaped the history of Mi’kmaw and Black people for over 400 years.

Africentric Learning Institute (ALI). (2021, May 6). Living in my skin: Experience of Black youth with anti-Black racism in Nova Scotia [Video]. https://youtu.be/fwDSWhUwX9E

This is a short documentary video by Black high school students in Nova Scotia, Canada. The videos were shot by other high school students using their cell phones.

Akintokun, G. (2020, June 2). Once upon a Black Halifax [Video]. https://youtu.be/jCFsRcOZT7A

Once Upon A Black Halifax captures the history of the Black community in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It talks about what it was like as they struggled to gain acceptance in the society at that time.

Page, E., Daniel, I., Waldron, I., Two Weeks Notice, & Collective Eye Films. (2019). There's something in the water [Video]. Collective Eye Films. https://login.ezproxy.nscc.ca/login?url=https://fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=107751&customID=57636

Angus Reid Institute. Diversity and Racism in Canada.
Competing views on racism deeply divide Canada along gender, generational lines.
Briarpatch Magazine Compilation
A list of stories published over the years by Black writers on policing, transformative justice, Black-Indigenous solidarity and more.
Building a Foundation for Change: Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy 2019-2022
“Our government is committed to promoting a Canada where every person is able to fully and equally participate in our country’s economic, cultural, social and political life.”
Combatting hate speech and hate crimes: Proposed legislative changes to the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code
On June 23, 2021, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada introduced a bill to better combat hate speech and hate crimes, provide improved remedies for victims, and hold individuals accountable for the harms of the hatred they spread.
Concordia University Library: Anti-Black, Anti-Indigenous & Systemic Racism Resources
A comprehensive list of links to resources on racism in Canada.
Police-Reported Hate Crime in Canada, 2020
Statistics Canada, Police-Reported Hate Crime in Canada, 2020.
Psychology Works Fact Sheet: Racism
Good information from the Canadian Psychological Association.
Race Relations in Canada 2021
Race Relations in Canada 2021, A Survey on Canadian Public opinion and experience.

eBook: Protecting Multiculturalism : Muslims, Security, and Integration in Canada by John S. McCoy
In a post-9/11 sea of social and political discord, one state stands apart. As an increasingly powerful anti-Islamic social movement rises in the West, Canada alone remains a viable multicultural state. Employing survey and statistical data as well as a series of interviews conducted with religious leaders and policy officials, Protecting Multiculturalism explores public safety and security concerns, while pointing out the successes, pitfalls, and sometimes countervailing effects of government measures on Muslims in Canada.

Exposing hate : Are hate crimes on the rise in Canada? 2020. CBC.
(W# and password required)
A CBC News investigation discovered that there were nearly 1,800 hate crimes reported to Canadian police last year. But that number likely doesn’t tell the whole story. Inaccurate reporting and different classifications make a true calculation nearly impossible. Nonetheless, hate seems to be growing across this country.
Systemic Racism: Does it Exist in Canada? 2020. CBC
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After the death of George Floyd under the knee of a police officer in Minneapolis in May 2020, and the global protests that followed, many began to hear the term “systemic racism.” The term suggests that many businesses, institutions and society itself is rife with underlying racism. In Canada, we tend to deny that our culture is racist, from ignoring its historical involvement in slavery to thinking our multicultural society is accepting of all races. So, does systemic racism exist here too?