Profiles of Black Leaders

People of African descent have made Nova Scotia their home for more than 400 years. Despite centuries of prejudice, discrimination and exclusion, Black leaders championed equity, and inclusion for people of African descent and others in countless ways. They did so they could survive, in pursuit of fairness, equality, and respect for their inherent dignity. As we celebrate African Heritage Month we reflect on the cultural values and history of people of African descent and the contributions they have made to the benefit of generations of Nova Scotians. Below are short profiles of a selection of prominent people of African descent to whom we are forever indebted.

Carrie Mae Best

1903 - 2001

Carrie Best was a Black journalist from New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. Growing up in a period of extreme racial discrimination, she became a civil rights activist and in 1946 co-founded The Clarion, the first newspaper to be owned and published by a Black Nova Scotian. Best used the paper to call for an end to racial discrimination.