BY TREVOR NICHOLS
Kings County Advertiser/Register
A small group gathered in Coldbrook August 14, lounging in padded chairs and reflecting on the African Nova Scotian community.
The event was set up by the Valley African Nova Scotian Development Association (VANSDA) to get people talking about self-identification, education and employment in the Black community.
VANSDA, a not-for-profit organization, is dedicated to improving the quality of life for African Nova Scotians in the Valley through programs to increase employment opportunities and develop the community.
Along with Canadian Boxing Hall of Famer Ricky Anderson, August 14 they brought in Steve Carrington from the Nova Scotia Department of Education as a guest speaker.
Much of the discussion focused on Black representation in the province, an issue event organizer Shane Fletcher says is becoming increasingly complex as the number of non-visible minorities in the province grows. Fletcher points out people with African heritage who aren't visibly identifiable don't always self-identify as Black. Because of this, a lot of the resources available for Black people are not being taken advantage of.
“People know what's going on, but there is still a problem with Blacks not exploiting the resources available to them,” Fletcher said.
There are also a number of issues facing the Black community in the Valley.
This is the first time VANSDA has put on an event of this kind, and Fletcher said, while it started out small, there was a lot of great discussion.
“A lot of stuff that's not known in the outside community is being brought up,” he said, adding just knowing there are other people in this area who share his concerns made him glad to be there.
“The people who did attend, they appreciated coming and they are learning a lot,” he said.
Fletcher thinks the event will be a catalyst for more discussion and, hopefully, action. The issues brought up will trickle down through word of mouth, and gradually build awareness and concern in the community.
Next year, he hopes to expand the event, bringing in more people for an even better discussion.
