Ten years ago I stayed in a friend's beautiful and tranquil place on the south shore of Nova Scotia. I'd taken along a recently published novel called The Book of Negroes which I had purchased because of the intriguing cover rather than having read a review, a rarity for me. Of course Lawrence Hill's work went on to win awards and the Canada Reads competition. Eventually it was made into a TV series as well.
The document called the Book of Negroes was a 1783 British list of persons of colour, many of them slaves, who chose to align themselves with the Crown as a result of the War of Independence/Revolutionary War in 1783. The book records the names of more than 3,000 blacks who were offered freedom and land in return for their loyalty. Sadly, the promise was not realized. Many of them migrated to Nova Scotia as Loyalists but while they were supposedly granted freedom they never attained equality. Some became indentured servants which was akin to slavery while others tried to eke out an existence near Shelburne, Nova Scotia on poor land with next to no resources to survive harsh winters. Less than a decade later a large contingent left Nova Scotia and travelled to Sierra Leone, in Africa, to reconnect with their heritage.
The place where I was staying ten years ago with my brother, Eric, was only a few kilometres from Shelburne and the community of Birchtown, where these Black loyalists settled. We sought it out and visited the modest centre established there.
Ruth and I have just returned from the same area where we visited the new (2015) and striking Black Loyalist Heritage Centre at Birchtown. We found it quite moving for a number of reasons including the invitation to follow the stories of individuals who made the journey to Nova Scotia at various stations throughout the centre.
The card I received was for Moses Wilkinson, who it turned out was a Methodist preacher. A former slave from Virginia Moses was blind and lame but was a powerful preacher and community leader. He was central to the migration to Sierra Leone, which was certainly an act of courage on the part of this beleaguered group.
Canadians need to be aware of this aspect of our history, as unsettling as it is. There is no doubt that Christian faith guided the Black Loyalists and we're thankful that the new centre has come to fruition.
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