TaeRoy A.

East Preston

TaeRoy A.
Hantsport School Heritage Fair
Hantsport, NS

The story of East Preston dates back to the Revolutionary War in 1775, when Black Loyalists fought on the side of the British.  Thousands of enslaved people fought for them hoping for freedom and their promised land.  After the war around 3000 came to what is now established as East Preston.  After they arrived, they didn't stop fighting for freedom.  The land they were given was poor and bad for farming, and many were still looked down upon due to pre-existing slavery and existing racism.  In spite of this, people didn't give up.  Richard Preston was a very important person to the community founding the African United Baptist Association, which gave African Nova Scotians a voice.  He also built Cornwallis Street Baptist Church, which is now known as the New Horizons Baptist Church.  Wanda Thomas Bernard is a former senator and educator and she is the first black Canadian to have an academic tenure position, and became a full professor at Dalhousie University.  In 2005 she was appointed the Order of Canada to address racism and diversity in the field of social work.  My final response to the inquiry question is "This community came to be through hardships, racism and war to bloom into what it is today."

What sources and evidence did you consult for your project? What different perspectives did they provide on your topic?

I consulted my sources and evidence from various websites focusing on the history and racism African Nova Scotians faced getting to East Preston today. They provided different perspectives addressing living conditions, freedom, war and other topics.  Biography.ca, sustoceans.com, and Wikipedia was used.

What is the historical significance of your topic?

East Preston shows that resilience and rising up can last forever, but so can racism.  The war and fighting were just short-term parts of the community.  This community is historically important because it shows that though there are hard times, there is always room for a voice that can make a change.  Even today land is still being taken back and justice is still being served.

Why did you choose this topic? 

I have family roots from East Preston and I've always been interested in history and finding out new things about the world and the past.