Celebrating African Heritage

Feb 02, 2026

African Heritage Month is a time to honour the deep roots, enduring resilience, and extraordinary contributions of African Nova Scotians.

Nova Scotia holds one of the longest continuous histories of African presence in Canada, shaped by generations who built communities, sustained culture, and pursued justice in the face of profound inequality.

This month is also a reminder that human rights progress in Nova Scotia was forged through lived experience, courageous advocacy, and collective action. African Nova Scotians have long been at the forefront of movements for dignity and fairness, calling attention to discrimination in housing, employment, education, and public life, and demanding that we do better.

This legacy is inseparable from the creation of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission. The Commission exists in part because African Nova Scotian leaders and communities pressed for systems that could confront injustice not as an occasional mistake, but as a structural reality requiring accountability, remedy, and change. Their efforts helped shape the human rights framework we rely on today, and their influence continues to guide the Commission’s mandate to protect rights and resolve disputes in a way that is accessible, respectful, and grounded in dignity.

This year’s theme, “Strength in Unity: Moving Forward with Purpose, Prosperity, Power, and Progress,” captures something essential about African Nova Scotian history: advancement is rarely solitary. It is communal, intergenerational, and driven by a shared belief that equity is not a gift, but a responsibility.

As we commemorate African Heritage Month, we celebrate culture, leadership, and achievement, but we also recommit ourselves to the work ahead. Human rights are not static. They are a living promise, renewed through unity, purpose, and the ongoing pursuit of justice for all Nova Scotians.

The preceding is a message from Joseph Fraser, Director & CEO of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission.

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