This February, as African Heritage Month highlights the theme Legacy in Action: Celebrating Black Brilliance, historian and educator Dr. Afua Cooper reminds us that celebrating African heritage isn’t just for one month—it’s a vital thread in Canada’s story.
“It seems to me that as a Black community, we're still in a position where we're saying, ‘Hey, look at me. Hey, look at me.’ We're still begging, but we don't have to beg,” says Cooper, a former professor of Black History at Dalhousie University (2011–2024), where she founded the first Black studies program in Canada, Black and African Diaspora Studies, which is now offered as a bachelor's degree.
“We don't have to beg because we are citizens of Canada; we are worthy people, and our history and heritage should be appreciated not only by us, but by the wider community.”
2025's theme builds on last year’s focus on resilience, shifting attention to the remarkable, continuous achievements and lasting impact of the Black community in Nova Scotia.
"Here is a time when we can focus on the heritage and history of Africa and African peoples all around the world,” says Cooper. “Another name for African Heritage Month is Black History Month. As a historian, I tend to focus on history. Still, like I said, it's a time to really focus and appreciate and disseminate this important heritage and history."
While resilience acknowledges the strength to overcome adversity, this year’s theme celebrates how that strength has transformed into brilliance—manifested through cultural achievements, community leadership, and a commitment to building a brighter future. This month’s events reflect on past struggles and emphasize how the Black community continues to persevere, thrive, and inspire.
"In every aspect of life that you look at, where you see Black people, you see the excellence of these people and their work, and especially their commitment," says Cooper, who holds a PhD in Black Canadian History and African Diaspora Studies from the University of Toronto, where she now teaches history and feminist studies.
A Rich History
For over 400 years, African Nova Scotians have been an integral part of the province’s history. The first recorded Black presence in Nova Scotia dates back to the early 1600s, when Mathieu Da Costa, an interpreter for French explorers, came to Nova Scotia. Since then, African Nova Scotians established 52 historic Black communities across the province.
These communities were founded with contributions from many groups of people, including Black Loyalists who arrived after the American Revolution (1783), Jamaican Maroons (1796), and Black Refugees from the War of 1812.
Post-arrival, African Nova Scotians continued to fight racial discrimination. A pivotal moment in this struggle was Viola Desmond’s stand against segregation in 1946 when she refused to leave the whites-only section of a New Glasgow theatre.
Despite facing systemic racism, including segregated schools until 1983 and the forced relocation of Africville residents in the 1960s, African Nova Scotians have continuously enriched the province. Their contributions span cultural, political, and social spheres, helping to shape Nova Scotia’s identity and history.
However, the teaching of this history has not been adequate.
“So much of this heritage and history has been suppressed and erased deliberately,” says Cooper. “You have this rich history, this rich Black heritage in Nova Scotia and it’s not interwoven in the curriculum.”
Examining the region’s education system as an expert, Cooper questions why crucial information about Black history isn’t taught in schools.
“At every touchstone moment in the history of Nova Scotia, there is a Black story that can be interwoven within the general teaching context. So, it’s just the will to implement it. The will is not there,” says Cooper.
The lack of information is no longer a valid excuse, as an abundance of resources and materials are readily available.
“It saddens me because we’re in 2025, and so much work and research has been done with a lot of books written,” says Cooper. “There are books for every level of the school system, from daycare to Grade 12 and beyond.”
This history isn’t ancient either; it’s recent, as Cooper points to the last segregated school in Nova Scotia closing in 1983.
“There are people walking around in Nova Scotia, young enough, who were graduates or victims of these segregated schools,” says Cooper.
“They’re still around. You can talk to them. You can interview them.”
More Than One Month
Cooper, the founder of the Black Canadian Studies Association, highlighted the challenge of teaching African heritage through events in February, the shortest month of the year. She emphasized the importance of celebrating Black history year-round, such as Emancipation Day on August 1, which commemorates the British parliament’s decision to abolish slavery across its empire in 1834.
Another way to continue celebrating beyond February is Cooper’s exhibit, “A History Exposed: The Enslavement of Black People in Canada,” on display at the Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia until May. The exhibit explores the global context of slavery in Canada, the origins of enslaved Blacks in Canada, Canada’s enslavers, biographies of those who were enslaved, the legacies of slavery in Canada, and the culture, work, and lived experiences of enslaved peoples.
Where to Celebrate African Heritage Month 2025
African Heritage Month is an opportunity to celebrate African Nova Scotians’ brilliance and resilience. Explore the events happening throughout the month and join the community in honouring this rich legacy.
Dr. Afua Cooper

Dr. Afua Cooper is a distinguished scholar, author, poet, and professor specializing in Black and African Diaspora Studies. A passionate advocate for global racial and ethnic justice, she works with leaders to create meaningful change in dismantling racism.
Cooper earned her PhD from the University of Toronto, where her research encompassed pre- and post-colonial Africa, Islam in Africa, women’s history, African Canadian and African Diaspora studies, and Caribbean studies.
She founded Canada’s first Black history program, Black and African Diaspora Studies, at Dalhousie University, which has since grown into a bachelor’s degree offering. Cooper taught at Dalhousie from 2011 to 2014 and now continues her work as a professor of history and feminist studies at the University of Toronto.