Taking a dive into the archives of Black history in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
When it comes to Canadian history, New Brunswick is often forgotten, even more so regarding non-white histories. But Black artists and historians are challenging the province’s caste system, which continues to deny visibility to these narratives, by bringing the stories of their ancestors to the forefront.
On Oct. 29, the Gail and Stephen A. Jarislowsky Institute for Studies in Canadian Art, brought together five Black artists, historians, and researchers to explore what Martha Langford, the Institute’s research chair and director, described as “Atlantic allyships.”.
Historian Graham Nickerson spoke of his experiences as a biracial Nova Scotians from Shelburne and presented his research into the Black Loyalists of Nova Scotia, a history shared across Canada, the US, and the Caribbean.
He explained that his family history is closely tied to this research.
“My work has led me to feminism,” Nickerson said, acknowledging the Black women who went through hardships such as abuse and loss but still maintained the lineage.
He said his research has helped him challenge the notion of “hardness as an asset in Black men.”
Originally hoping to interpret archives through his poetry, speaker Thandiwe McCarthy realized that there wasn’t much to work with regarding the documentation of the lives of Black New Brunswickers.
With the help of his mother, Mary McCarthy, and photographer Gary Weekes, he developed his idea of shedding light on the hidden universe of Black experiences into something bigger and more personal.
Mary interviewed a representative of 15 Black New Brunswick families, while Thandiwe scanned the families’ documents and wrote the poetry, and Weekes photographed the families.
Mary stressed the importance of mutual respect in handling of these families’ documents and photos, which institutions have often mishandled.
The involvement and delicacy of the approach can be felt throughout the work, from Weeke’s photography, which captures quiet, intimate moments, to Thandiwe’s documentation through his powerful poetry.
This project was both a service to the Black community of New Brunswick and to its creators. Seeking answers on what it means to be a seventh-generation Black New Brunswicker and a Black man in Canada, Thandiwe questioned the audience: Can art archive history? What does heritage mean to you?
“It can’t be articulated,” he said, somewhat embarrassed that, as a poet, he couldn’t quite capture its complexity.
Seeing their collective work come to life through these families and feeling at home with strangers allowed Thandiwe to consolidate his identity.
“It wasn’t so much a cognitive shift as a spiritual one,” Thandiwe recalled.
Their book will be published in July 2025, and the pictures of the individuals and families will be displayed at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in New Brunswick.
The final speaker, Joana Joachim, presented her curation ‘Estuaries’ from the Owen Art Gallery in Sackville, New Brunswick. She describes estuaries, where salt and freshwater mix, as an analogy for the muddy, uncomfortable space between Black history and the Maritimes.
The Owen Art Gallery itself has a legacy of important institutional heritage and of systemic exploitation.
