This year’s theme for African Heritage Month in Nova Scotia is Legacy in Action: Celebrating Black Brilliance. The Nova Scotia African Heritage Month Information Network invites us all to recognize the living legacy of Black Nova Scotians this February.
People of African descent have contributed to the social, cultural, political, economic, and relational landscape of this province for hundreds of years. From the Black Loyalists and the Maroons to the Southern American Black refugees, the legacies of these arrivant communities and their descendants have had a profound influence in our province. As our population grows we are also witnessing the contributions of people from across the African diaspora, and we are proud to have many newly registered social workers from these communities who have chosen to make their home here in Nova Scotia.
Living legacy
The brilliance of Black & African Nova Scotians exists far beyond the annual recognition each February. Alongside celebrating the achievements and history of Black & African Nova Scotian peoples in Nova Scotia, the NSCSW has a commitment to reparations for people of African descent. Social workers work towards advancing social justice; to even begin that process we must recognize, understand, and respond to the shared history that contributes to our current social context.
In the early 17th century, Black brilliance manifested itself as African Nova Scotians developed resilient networks of support and healing rooted in their heritage. Traditional healers played a vital role by employing herbal medicine and spiritual practices to address various ailments, thereby fostering community well-being, cultural preservation, and resistance against oppression.
That brilliance, determination, and commitment to collective well-being has persisted through the centuries since, eventually founding the Association of Black Social Workers, a charitable organization that has championed and supported the brilliance of Black and African Nova Scotians since 1977.
Our celebration of Black brilliance must be supported with continued efforts to end anti-Black racism, environmental racism, and systemic oppression; we live in a region which still creates and maintains barriers to the rights, freedoms, and opportunities of Black & African Nova Scotians. We see bold resistance to these challenges represented in the ongoing work of the African Nova Scotian Decade for People of African Descent Coalition, which continues to advocate for more resources and supports for community-based groups.
Upcoming professional development events
The NSCSW has events and opportunities during African Heritage month and events throughout the year that celebrate and recognize Black brilliance, while also building knowledge and skill for social workers. It is important to have an ongoing commitment that exists beyond a single month, and contributes to systems change and advocacy addressing anti-Black racism and creating a safe(R) community for Black & African Nova Scotian social workers.
On February 3, we have a panel discussion celebrating the brilliance of three African Nova Scotian social workers who will share with attendees how the Principles of Africentric Social Work are present in their lives.
On February 27, we begin a series of closed group community of practice gatherings for Black & African Nova Scotian social workers hosted by Bria Symonds, Associate Registrar. These closed group sessions strive to honor and respect the NSCSW’s commitment to reparations, addressing anti-Black racism, and aligning resources and opportunities towards the support of Black & African Nova Scotian social workers in the province. Closed groups based on racial identities provide safe(R) spaces for affinity groups to debrief, learn from each other, and strategize on issues related to their practice and lived experiences.
After African Heritage Month ends, we look forward to Dr. Ingrid Waldron joining us on March 27; the third session of our Active Hope series on climate justice will focus on environmental racism that affects Black & Indigenous communities. And on May 29, we will be joined by Louise Delisle who will share with our members the effects of environmental racism and climate injustice on the African Nova Scotian community in Shelburne and throughout the province.
Transforming regulation
As we consider safe(R) social work practice, we must also consider how the NSCSW and the social work profession itself can continuously engage in resistance to white supremacy and anti-Black racism.
The new CASW code of ethics and our upcoming revisions to NSCSW’s Code of Ethics & Standards of Practice have clear commitments to promote social justice and to work against anti-Black racism. The draft includes guiding principles that call on Nova Scotian social workers to advocate for the rights of African Nova Scotians, and for persons of African descent to be free from systemic hate, inequity, and racism, pursuant to “An Act to Dismantle Racism and Hate” (2022).
Opportunities for learning & growth
Wherever you are in the province, please consider in engaging in this years’ theme for African Heritage Month, Legacy in Action: Celebrating Black Brilliance. Look to the work and events put on by the ABSW, your local library’s resources or community events, or take the initiative to organize something in your agency or community.
In your practice as social workers, please find time to celebrate Black brilliance not just in February, but throughout the year. Consider: how does your practice contribute to or work against anti-Black racism? Please reflect on the long history of Black brilliance in our province and how, as we move forward towards social justice, we can celebrate the achievements of Black & African Nova Scotians while also ensuring that the harms of yesterday and today are prevented, and that we actively build more equitable futures in solidarity with one another.
Thank you all for sharing your wisdom. Your stories were nourishing, and I felt so proud to be part of this profession.