麻豆传媒

The first mandatory course on African Nova Scotian Legal History & Issues and Critical Race Theory (ANS/CRT) is underway at the Schulich School of Law. All first-year law students will take the intensive course which will be offered over three days in October and two days in February. The objectives include understanding: (1) the law鈥檚 role in creating and redressing anti-Black racism and other forms of discrimination; (2) how critical race theory and practice can help dismantle racial inequity; (3) how African Nova Scotians are a legally distinct people; and (4) how to be culturally competent lawyers within the context of lawyers鈥� professional obligations.

Professor Michelle Williams, the inaugural chair of the law school鈥檚 Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) committee whose job it is to implement a 2020 faculty 鈥淏lack Lives Matter鈥� motion, explained that the course is part of developing a more inclusive curriculum and addressing systemic anti-Black racism in the law and legal education. 鈥淚t is imperative that law students and lawyers understand the legal history, contributions and current issues facing African Nova Scotians as a distinct people, as well as how slavery, segregation and human rights cases have shaped Canada鈥檚 human rights framework and related case law.鈥澛� She added that 鈥淎frican Nova Scotian lessons yield wisdom for Canada.鈥�

Prof. Williams is joined in the work by her colleagues Maria Dugas and Melisa Marsman and Indigenous Blacks & Mi鈥檏maq (IB&M) Initiative director Kelsey Jones. Professor Dugas, who opened the course with a lecture on Critical Race Theory, stated,聽鈥渢he law reflects and recreates racialized hierarchies in this country 鈥� from colonization and slavery to the present day鈥︹�� She added 鈥渁 contextual and historical analysis of the law is necessary not only to understand its racial implications, but also to advocate for positive change.鈥�

Africville Sign (Photo by Danny Abriel)

Students went on to learn about the role that a legal education and the legal profession have played in both furthering and redressing anti-Black racism and how lawyers can become more culturally competent.聽The more than 240 Schulich School of Law graduates connected to the IB&M Initiative have championed racial equity in the legal profession and beyond. Alumni including Ryan Brothers, Jessica Upshaw, Angela Simmonds, Alex McKillop, Lauren Grant and Shanisha Grant 鈥� and IB&M supporter Judge Jean Whalen 鈥� were among the guest speakers.

The second day of the course examined African Nova Scotian land title issues through the lens of interest convergence. Instructor Melisa Marsman stated, 鈥淭he land-related issues confronting African Nova Scotian communities are varied, complex, and deeply rooted in centuries of anti-Black racism. Studying these legal issues through a critical race and interest convergence lens 鈥� combined with expertise from community members and practitioners involved in this work 鈥� prepare law students with the knowledge and the skills to practice law more competently.鈥�

Students also considered how the type of 鈥榣egal鈥� segregation in the cases of the late Dr. Carrie Best and Viola Desmond echo in the form of consumer racial profiling today, and explored strategies for addressing anti-Black racism in law.

Ms. Beatrice Wilkins (Photo by聽Danny Abriel)

The final session of the fall course聽involved an immersive education trip on October 14th to the Africville site and Museum and the Black Cultural Centre designed to illustrate the development of African Nova Scotians as a distinct people tied to a land-based identity, and the rich history, contributions, and resistance to structural, systemic and individual anti-Black racism. Bus tour guides were Jalana Lewis, 麻豆传媒鈥檚 Director of African Nova Scotian Community Engagement and Dr. Barb Hamilton-Hinch of 麻豆传媒鈥檚 African Nova Scotian Strategy. While at the Africville site, the students learned from former Africville residents Elders Bernice Arsenault and Beatrice Wilkins and museum curator, Carme Robertson.

鈥淲ritten words cannot fully capture the impact that this course had on me,鈥� shared Lorenz Cromwell, a 1L student. 鈥淎s an African Nova Scotian male, I have never had the opportunity to formally learn about my heritage at any point in my academic career. Having my voice, my ancestry, and my experiences be represented in a space as influential as a law school, was not only surreal, but empowering. This experience has given me an understanding of where I come from, and a vision of how far I can go.鈥�