[VIDEO] – SIRT’s first director of African descent welcomes questions from Black community
One of the longest-tenured Black senior crown prosecutors in Nova Scotia’s history recently appointed as director of Nova Scotia’s Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) is encouraging and welcoming questions from the Black community about cases in his new role.
Alonzo Wright becomes the fourth director of SIRT since its 2012 launch. He’s SIRT’s first director of African descent.
Community land trusts could mean more affordable housing for Preston, advocates say
“I don’t know that they’re entirely interested in community land trusts for all the community support benefits that come along with it. They’re really interested in it as a way to get affordable housing built. As long as you set yourself up to give government confidence, I think there very likely could be community investments in community land trusts to make these things happen.”
Black advocacy group concerned about consultations with province after Bill 225 passes
The leader of a Black advocacy organization says she wants to know the goal of future consultations between the province and the Black community with respect to land allocation, expropriation, or development in the province’s Black communities. Those concerns about consultations come after recent amendments to Bill 225. “Is it just for them to inform […]
Social work student collecting data about Black mothers’ experiences with child welfare system
A social work student in New Brunswick wants to interview Black mothers in Nova Scotia who’ve been involved with child welfare servces and the Department of Community Services for child neglect within the past five years.
Renise Robichaud is working on her masters thesis at Université de Moncton. She said Black mothers are overrepresented in the child welfare system and the main issue is the Department of Community Services relies heavily on people reporting parents to the offices of child welfare, which accounts for the majority of the cases they receive.
Plaque honouring Viola Desmond unveiled outside former Roseland Theatre in New Glasgow [VIDEO]
On Friday, a plaque was unveiled outside of the former Roseland Theatre in New Glasgow where Viola Desmond was arrested in 1946 for sitting in the whites-only section. The plaque was unveiled on behalf of Parks Canada and the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC).
Rev. Dr. Peter J. Paris was one of the speakers at the unveiling cerermony. Paris was 13 years old and living in New Glasgow when Desmond was arrested.
“I clearly remember hearing my parents and others discussing the incident and lamenting the injustice inflicted on such a young fine businesswoman,”
Work at African Nova Scotian Justice Institute ‘something to celebrate’
The African Nova Scotian Justice Institute held a meet and greet Tuesday with representatives from a number of government departments and the African Nova Scotian Decade for People of African Descent Coalition (ANSDPAD) to talk about the next steps in the institute’s work.
Angela Simmonds running for leadership of Nova Scotia Liberal Party
Angela Simmonds is running for leadership of the provincial Liberal party. She’s the first person to declare they’re running for the leadership.
‘This town is very racist’: African student in Wolfville speaks out about experience with RCMP, mayor after filing complaint about an assault
Sara Micheal is speaking out about her experience with King’s District RCMP and Wolfville Mayor Wendy Donovan following an incident that left her with visible injuries and during which she said she was verbally attacked with racial remarks.
In an interview with the Halifax Examiner, Micheal, who is a permanent resident from Eritrea, said she moved out of an apartment where she experienced a lot of racism from the landlord, and into a house with more than half a dozen other roommates she didn’t know.
No More Excuses: Cecil Boutilier is trying to right his troubled past despite COVID and an overbearing parole system
Boutilier was on a hunger strike to draw attention to COVID rules, until he tested positive for the virus last week. Now, he says he’s advocating against obstacles put in his way of running his business.
Poet, author Angela Bowden responds after assault charges dropped against New Glasgow mayor Nancy Dicks
Last week, criminal assault charges were dropped against New Glasgow mayor Nancy Dicks.
In an interview with the Examiner, Chris Hansen, a spokesperson for the Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service, said senior New Glasgow prosecutor, Bill Gorman, decided there was no realistic prospect of conviction.
The charge against Dicks stemmed from a Black Lives Matter event in New Glasgow in September 2020. African Nova Scotian author and poet Angela Bowden said that while sitting down after the event, Dicks approached her, became verbally aggressive before physically grabbing her leg, squeezing it, and saying “Now, you listen here.”