Faculty of Design

Material Art & Design

Khalalelo Sithole

Africville: A History Erased

Encoding the hidden history of Black Canadians - Africville

“Africville was a community in Nova Scotia which Black settlers who forced to stay due to racism. The area had no running water, outermost part of the city, although the black community flourished and had brightly colored houses, their own community businesses. In the 70s the government chose to destroy the community instead of provided clean water, and many residents ended up homeless, destroying their history and identities.As Canadians we feel discomfort in having a discussion of our past colonial history, and is often hidden away, overshadowed by America’s monolithic idea of Black History. Systemic racism should be discussed more in Canada, so I've placed these themes right onto fashion garments, hidden behind the bright colors and geometric shapes, that reflect the stereotypes we see about Black culture and identity. ”