Brenda Thompson: “John Kellum, a ‘master’ whitewasher in Halifax was born approximately 1839. I am highlighting him for African Heritage Month not just because he was African Nova Scotian and was poor but also because John Kellum gave us a stark demonstration of how poor people lived and attempted to survive in Halifax during his life time.”
Reading the book you get the feeling that Paris did not set out to write about racism as such. It just so happens that you cannot write about growing up Black in Nova Scotia, no matter when, no matter where, without writing about racism.
“She said she was flipping through my book about Poor Houses. “Who is this?” I asked. “Oh I’m not going to tell you” she said “for confidentiality reasons.” Brenda Thompson on some of the feedback on A Wholesome Horror, Poor Houses in Nova Scotia.
Tony Seed on the similarities between the nuclear bombing of Hirsohima and the Halifax explosion. Both were war crimes, for one, and the Halifax explosion was eagerly studied by the designers of the nuclear bomb. Lots here also on the decades-long fight against nuclear weapons in Halifax, including many photos.
In April of 1977 about a dozen men were thrown out of the Jury Room bar, on the corner of Argyle & Prince streets, for being gay. They fought back, and Rebecca Rose tells the story.
Today’s LGBTQ2S+ landmark is Forrest House, a.k.a. a Woman’s Place. Many lesbians and bisexual women were involved, though they didn’t always feel welcome, Rebecca Rose writes.
Rebecca Rose continues her virtual tour of historic LGBTQ2S+ Halifax with a look at Citadel Hill and other popular cruising spots in the sixties and seventies. “If the action fails, there’s always the view.”
Rebecca Rose continues her virtual tour of LGBTQ2S+ history with a visit of the Green Lantern Building on Barrington Street.
Rebecca Rose takes us on a virtual tour of some significant spots in Halifax LGBTQ2S+ history. First stop, the Turret!
In 1496 John Cabot traveled what is now called Newfoundland and Cape Breton and claimed the lands on behalf of Britain. Tony Seed looks at the devastation this “discovery” wrought upon Mi’kmaq and Beothuk populations and the invalidity of the doctrine of discovery and the colonizers’ claims of dominion.