The INSIDER

When people think about Black Canadian history, they tend to think of Viola Desmond, the woman who fought back against racial discrimination at a cinema in Nova Scotia (and the face of the $10 bill!). However, Desmond wasn’t the only symbol of Black Canadian identity hailing from Halifax. The residents of Africville, once considered a safe haven for Black Canadians, fought to keep their precious community afloat, only to be torn apart in the name of “urban renewal”. Let’s dive into why the history of a small seaside village is…

Photo Credit: Pullman Porter – Wikimedia Commons. (1943, January 1). https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PullmanPorter.jpg A white man aboard a luxury train in 1913 could be just about anyone, be it the conductor or a wealthy passenger. A black man aboard that exact same train could be nothing more than a porter. Who Were They? Today, the term ‘Porter’ refers to hotel and train station baggage handlers. In this context, however, the job implies much more. Sleeping cars were trains with sleeping berths for long-distance or overnight travel. Naturally, the porters working in those…