In the early 1900s, there was an influx of immigrants who came to Cape Breton in search of work for the Dominion Iron and Steel Company. Skilled Black workers were recruited from America, the West Indies, and other parts of Nova Scotia to work in the extreme conditions of the steel plant. They predominantly settled in the “Pier”. Through storytelling, our special guest Bradley Sheppard highlights the experience of the Black migration to Cape Breton as part of this wave.
Episode Summary: Community Introduced, Guest’s Connection to the community, Job opportunities & Work conditions, Bob Marley’s Redemption Song, and The African Orthodox Church.
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Historic Black settlements in Nova Scotia tell a long-neglected story and through studying them we can unlock invaluable, under-represented knowledge. On a journey of rediscovery, Shawn Smith and Laurice Downey present Loyalist Connections: Est. 1783. They are determined to shed light on these lost and disappearing communities, discuss why these communities could not survive or are fading, and what these collapses tell us about the historic and modern systemic racism Black Nova Scotians face today.
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