Black Loyalist Heritage Society
Preservation of history, for generations to come.
At the edge of the picturesque, shores of Birchtown, the Black Loyalist Heritage Centre stands as a testament to untold history. The museum tells the often-overlooked story of the Black Loyalists, who fought for the British in the American Revolution, in a struggle to gain their freedom. Their mass migration to Nova Scotia, in the late 18th century, represents the largest migration of formerly enslaved Black people to what we now call Canada.
Through interactive guides, exhibits, programs and events, the Black Loyalist Heritage Centre aims to preserve the culture and history of the Black Loyalist descendants, so that it can be shared for generations to come.
Darlene Cooper, a member of the Board of Directors for the Black Loyalist Heritage Society, speaks about the importance of preserving this history digitally, with the addition of virtual tours through the museum’s website, “It’s out there, it’s not going to be forgotten, it’s a matter of clicking so that people can go back to go forward.”
For Darlene, making the museum’s exhibits more accessible through virtual platforms comes down to a simple factor, “Without funding, a museum is just a building,” explains Darlene. “I believe that Support4Culture, is a vital and intricate part of keeping a museum like this going.”
Darlene speaks about how fortunate the community is to have had descendants of the Black Loyalists actually survive to tell their stories. With the help of Support4Culture, the society hopes that 100-200 years from now what they have learned about the Black Loyalists will be well- known all over the world.
“The history of knowing where you come from is part of your education. The impact is profound, the Black Loyalist Descendants now have a sense of pride.”