Africa's Children - Sharon Robart-Johnson

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hardly hear, see, or read anything about that part

      of our history, now do ya?

      Just the good stuff.1

      From the “Tippin” column,

      Yarmouth Vanguard, August 20, 2004

      In March 1997, I moved to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. This was not a move that I could have conceived possible prior to my joining the RCMP. I had grown up in Halifax, and had only been in Yarmouth twice in my life. Both times it was a quick trip: come to town, participate in the event, and get back on the road to Halifax. Since taking up residency in 1997, things have changed.

      I now look at Yarmouth in an entirely different light than when I first arrived. Now, Yarmouth is like a second home (which isn’t entirely strange) because there are several other RCMP members who, upon their retirement, have chosen to call Yarmouth home. It just has that effect on you.

      What I was exposed to in Yarmouth was a rural way of thinking, and the confirmation that these communities are often overlooked by metro Halifax and the province at large. In times of crisis and concern, financial commitments by government are often made to funding initiatives that target the city, even though many of the same concerns are being voiced in other rural areas of the province. Drop-out rates among African Nova Scotian learners and unemployment are two issues that mirror that of the larger urban centre. But when funding announcements are made, rural Nova Scotia and in particular, rural Black Nova Scotia, doesn’t seem to be on the radar screen. Consequently, there is an “us and them” mentality that exists and, when one is not “at the table,” one becomes an afterthought.

      If this “us and them” mentality still exists today, then what about those days gone by, when the miles between point A and point B didn’t include the Trans-Canada Highway? At least in those days regional resources were still bountiful, and the sea and soil were the way in which most earned their living. And yet in those times it was still a larger struggle for Black folks to prosper. But survive they did, and their survival spirit still lives on today.

      Yarmouth has a rich African–Nova Scotian history that includes all that is Canada. There have been contributions to the military, as there were individuals from Yarmouth who have served in both World Wars as well as the Korean War. There were those who served as members of the No. 2 Construction Battalion during the First World War and those who helped to liberate Holland during the Second World War. There have been athletes, entrepreneurs, artists, civil servants, and law enforcement: Percy Fenton, Ernest Johnson, Les Sykes, Leroy “Greenville Flash” Lawrence, Calvin Lawrence, Bruce Johnson, and Clarence Bodden. Contributions to community service can be viewed through the lives of Ada Fells, who served as a regional member of the Black United Front and the Black Cultural Society of Nova Scotia, and Deaconess Jeanette Johnson, of the Greenville United Baptist Church, who displayed the indelible faith that has sustained Black folks in Nova Scotia since they first stepped foot onto the shores of what was then New France. These are but a few of the names who have shaped and molded the Black experience in Yarmouth.

      When I met Sharon Robart-Johnson, it was clear that she was interested in Black history and culture. She recognized the gaps in our history and what little the public knew about it. She told me about several large stone walls that had been built by Black slaves on the McKinnon property in Argyle called McKinnon’s Neck (some of the slaves are believed to be buried on the McKinnon property), and the indignities that were endured by those who, upon their deaths, weren’t regarded important enough to have their names recorded in the funeral home’s ledger.

      Sharon talked about the three cemeteries in Greenville and how she would like to see an acknowledgment of some kind erected to mark their place in history. Sharon felt that it was extremely important that succeeding generations of all Canadians should know this history. More importantly, she went about seeking out and compiling this forgotten history for all to see and learn from, both the struggles and the triumphs.

      In a time and space when we as African–Nova Scotians are still counting firsts as a measure of our progress, I applaud Sharon’s contribution to the African-Canadian experience.

      Craig Marshall Smith

      Yarmouth, Nova Scotia

      When I began my genealogical and historical research in 1993, little did I foresee that today I would be attempting to put the most important part of my research, Black history, into book form. The work started in 2003 with the researching of the three cemeteries in what was once the all-Black community of Greenville, Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia. Of the three cemeteries, only one had monuments marking some of the graves. My insatiable need to know more and the sadness I felt each time I drove past these cemeteries grew. By then I knew that more than two hundred people were buried there, and that very few people living today knew very much about them.

      So my journey into the land of the dead began. I have identified upwards of two hundred people buried in the three cemeteries who do not have monuments. Only one of these cemeteries, the African Bethel Cemetery (circa 1849–1949) has a distinct name. The other two are simply known as the Greenville Church Cemetery (circa 1853–1960) and the Greenville Cemetery (circa 1960–present). When I began researching material for this book, these first two cemeteries were not registered. As of November 7, 2006, they both became Municipally Registered Heritage Properties under the Heritage Property Act. The Greenville Church Cemetery is a Black cemetery. Because of my research, those buried in Greenville cemeteries now can be identified by name. This list cannot yet be accessed through the Yarmouth County Museum and Archives as I have not finished compiling it. It was because of the results of my research that I decided to go boldly where no man (or woman) had gone before. The leap from researching cemeteries to researching Yarmouth history in general was a short one. Having gone that far, why not see how much further I could go? Little did I know how much Black history there was in Yarmouth! Nor did I anticipate the various emotions that would surface during my journey into the past of the Blacks in Yarmouth. First, there was sadness prompted by the plight of many slaves living there from 1800 to the 1830s. This was followed by a raging anger at the injustice of Yarmouth’s justice system toward Black people during the nineteenth century.

      As my research progressed and I passed through that period of slavery, the sadness and anger were at times countered by humour. I soon realized that if I were to finish this book, I would have to put those feelings to rest and concentrate on the hero factor and the success stories. For certainly, oppressed Blacks were heroes. One had to be to survive the hell that constituted their lives. I have learned much Black history and realize that there is yet more to discover as new information comes to light. I had not anticipated the various emotions that would surface during my journey into the past of the Blacks in Yarmouth, but this too has contributed to my understanding of the past. My personal name for this history, to borrow from another title, would be “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” for it is all there. The history of Black people in Yarmouth has never been written for the public, and it is long overdue. It has been overlooked, swept under the rug, ignored, and even denied. That time has come to an end.

      It is important to note that the terms “coloured,” “Negro,” and “Black’ are used throughout in keeping with their historical context. Also, the irregular spellings found in many of the early newspaper articles have been maintained in their original form.

      And finally, a note to consider concerning currency references. Between the years 1791 to 1810, the U.S. dollar value of a single British pound ranged from $4.10 to $4.75 (Canadian dollars did not exist at the time). To get an idea of relative worth, consider that having one pound in your pocket back then is more or less equal to having one hundred pounds in your pocket today. Or four hundred American dollars!

      Sharon Robart-Johnson

      Yarmouth, Nova Scotia

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