Emergencies and World Disasters
The Night Halifax Bulldozed a Church-and Erased a Community's Proof
22 min•22 augusti 2026
Om avsnittet
The Night Halifax Bulldozed a Church-and Erased a Community's Proof
Fear that a whole people’s proof can vanish overnight: a bulldozer arrived after dark on November 20, 1967, and by morning Seaview African United Baptist Church - with birth, marriage and death registers spanning more than a century - was rubble and the documents were gone. How did demolition happen before the city’s recorded ownership, and who changed the legal date?
In this episode, you’ll hear the timeline of Africville from its founding land purchases in 1848-1849 through decades of neglect and the night the church was destroyed, presenting the documentary detail that makes that demolition impossible to explain away: the city’s legal transfer was hand-altered to 1968. What does that altered date reveal about who erased the community?
Person: William Brown Senior
Date: November 20, 1967
Location: Seaview African United Baptist Church, Africville (Campbell Road Settlement)
Event: Church demolition and loss of community records
Period: 1848-1960s
- The church held birth, marriage and death registers spanning more than a century before demolition.
- The demolition occurred November 20, 1967, before the city’s legal transfer dated 1968.
- Approximately 80 families lived in Africville in the 1960s, but only about 14 held clear legal title.
- William Brown Senior purchased land on the southern shore of Bedford Basin in 1848, and William Brown bought adjacent land the same year, totaling roughly 12 acres.
- The Africville Seasides hockey team won championships in 1901 and 1902 in the Colored Hockey League.
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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
Fear that a whole people’s proof can vanish overnight: a bulldozer arrived after dark on November 20, 1967, and by morning Seaview African United Baptist Church - with birth, marriage and death registers spanning more than a century - was rubble and the documents were gone. How did demolition happen before the city’s recorded ownership, and who changed the legal date?
In this episode, you’ll hear the timeline of Africville from its founding land purchases in 1848-1849 through decades of neglect and the night the church was destroyed, presenting the documentary detail that makes that demolition impossible to explain away: the city’s legal transfer was hand-altered to 1968. What does that altered date reveal about who erased the community?
Person: William Brown Senior
Date: November 20, 1967
Location: Seaview African United Baptist Church, Africville (Campbell Road Settlement)
Event: Church demolition and loss of community records
Period: 1848-1960s
- The church held birth, marriage and death registers spanning more than a century before demolition.
- The demolition occurred November 20, 1967, before the city’s legal transfer dated 1968.
- Approximately 80 families lived in Africville in the 1960s, but only about 14 held clear legal title.
- William Brown Senior purchased land on the southern shore of Bedford Basin in 1848, and William Brown bought adjacent land the same year, totaling roughly 12 acres.
- The Africville Seasides hockey team won championships in 1901 and 1902 in the Colored Hockey League.
To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.
© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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