Learning Journal

A couple of things stood out for me last class, those two things are the documentary Remember Africville (1991) presented by the National Film Board of Canada and the article The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house (1984) presented by Audre Lorde. As I sat in class I found myself to be bewildered for I had never heard of Africville in my short life – upon hearing it I had to think it must have happened over in Europe or perhaps Australia or was incorporated into a history that I felt I wouldn’t be knowledgeable about. When I found out it took place in Canada, I was shocked, I had never even heard of the place let alone did I have the knowledge that these kind of practices had taken place on the opposite coast of the country, the place that has always been my home, the place I love. Now I have learned through the documentary Remember Africville (National Film Board of Canada, 1991) that Africville was a black community in Halifax where conditions were poor, as in, no proper plumbing, no roads and no direct services that the rest of Halifax was able to enjoy – even though the residents of Africville were paying taxes which ultimately would end up going to improve other neighbourhoods. Still, under these conditions the residents of Africville were a happy and healthy community with hard working residents and a distinct culture which gave them an identity. Then it came to be that the government was unhappy with the conditions of the neighbourhood and forced everyone to renovate their houses to a certain code or to be given a small chunk of change to leave everything they had known behind. Eventually the neighbourhood became too wealthy for the community and eventually they had to leave for other parts which in the e...

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...g that is extremely hard to get back – an identity. Lorde (1984) stated “The failure of the academic feminists to recognize difference as a crucial strength is a failure to reach beyond the first patriarchal lesson. Divide and conquer, in our world, must become define and empower” This statement really radiated with me in a powerful manner because in my mind I always had the thought of ‘equality’ and despite knowing that there were differences amongst people – I don’t think I ever realized how great of a strength those differences could be.

Works Cited

Lorde, A. (1984). The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house. In C. Moraga & G. Anzaldua (Eds.), This bridge called my back. New York: Kitchen Press.

National Film Board of Canada., & Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. (1991). Remember Africville. Montreal, Quebec: National Film Board of Canada.