Spirits high at Africville reunion as attendees celebrate 'the people that came before us'

Kites were flying, kids were playing and burgers were being flipped at the 42nd Africville Family Reunion on Saturday.

It was children's day, and event organizer Shawn Mantley was on barbecue duty.

He said it's important for the community to gather and acknowledge their ancestors and the history of Africville.

"For us, it's remembering the good times, but also not forgetting the injustice," he said. "It's celebrating the ancestors and the people that came before us."

For more than 40 years, people have returned for a weekend festival at what is now a National Historic Site, after Africville was torn down by the city of Halifax in the 1960s.

Mantley said some children might not know the story of Africville. But they had the opportunity to learn during a roundtable Friday night where descendants shared memories and talked about the injustices faced.

Mantley said despite a shooting that left five people injured at least year's event, the atmosphere this year feels calm, and it's a good feeling to be here.

"For our youth, we want to make sure that the spirit of Africville carries on," said Mantley.

Amira Simms Oliver, 14, has soaked up the spirit of Africville at every reunion since she was a baby. She said it's great to be surrounded by family and friends.

"Even though the incident last year happened, I'm not going to let that stop me from coming here," said Simms Oliver.

"Even though there's not as many people as there were like the years before, I'm still going to have a good time."

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of.

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